166. Hannah Zeavin with Dr. Margaret Morris and Dr. Orna Guralnik—The Distance Cure: A History of Teletherapy

<p><strong>When you think of therapy in a traditional sense, what comes to mind?</strong> Television shows, movies, and comics love to paint a stereotypical scene: a bespectacled therapist asks poignant questions and jots down notes on a legal pad; meanwhile, the patient reclines on a sofa and spills their thoughts and emotions into the void of the room. It might be easy to assume that therapy has always involved a person-to-person conversation, but in her new book <a href= "https://www.elliottbaybook.com/book/9780262045926"><em>The Distance Cure</em></a>, scholar and author Hannah Zeavin invited us to consider definitions of psychotherapy that extend far beyond people talking in a room.</p> <p>In <em>The Distance Cure</em>, Zeavin described less conventional operations of therapy that include Freud’s treatments by mail, advice columns, radio shows, crisis hotlines, video, computers, and mobile phones. Across all formats, “therapists” vary widely in background and credentials; some may be professionally trained, while others are strangers or even chatbots. Is any method better than the other? Zeavin urged us to think beyond the traditional dyad of therapist and patient and consider the triad of therapist, patient, and communication technology. By tracing the history of teletherapy right up to its now-routine application in pandemic therapy sessions, Zeavin reminded us that as our world changes and advances in communication technology continue to expand, so will our definitions of what it means to connect.</p> <p><a href= "https://townhallseattle.org/event/hannah-zeavin-with-margie-morris-and-dr-orna-guralnik/"> In a virtual presentation</a>, Psychologist Margaret Morris interviewed Hannah Zeavin about her new book and the intimacy that is possible in remote communication. They are joined by Dr. Orna Guralnik, a clinical psychologist featured on Showtime’s <em>Couples Therapy</em>, who shared insights about therapy and connection during the pandemic.</p> <p><strong>Hannah Zeavin</strong> is a Lecturer in the Depar