ABSTRACT
During the first lockdown in March 2020, many patients canceled their appointments in face of fear for infection. The office became more empty. Some patients, however, did not want to interrupt their treatment under any circumstances, for instance because the psychotherapy session was the only way to escape domestic conflict or domestic violence, at least for a short time. Others, however, experienced their therapeutic process as very important and fruitful, and were unwilling to give it up. Fear of a potentially fatal viral disease, as well as watching the horrific images of ventilated Covid-19 patients, weakens our immune system and has been shown to increase vulnerability to viral infection. In concrete terms, this means that it is not only the quantity of viruses to which we are exposed that determines our likelihood of falling ill and the severity of the course of the disease, but our mental state, including the quality of our relationships.
