Objective
Our objective was to identify, review and synthesise the findings of articles regarding the practice of synchronous digital couple and family psychotherapy over the past three decades.
Methods
A meta‐narrative approach was adopted.
Results
Thirty‐one papers were identified for inclusion in the review, including nine descriptions of practice and 22 empirical studies.
Conclusions
Findings show that practitioners have used synchronous digital technologies in their work over decades. Psychoeducative and cognitive‐behaviourally oriented hybrid, self‐directed synchronous family and couple psychotherapeutic interventions have been found to be feasible, effective with diverse populations, are associated with good user satisfaction, and are found to have similar clinical outcomes to in‐person psychotherapy. Further research is required.
Practitioner points
Over the past 30 years there has been increasing interest in utilising new technologies in couple and family psychotherapeutic interventions to improve access to services and to help with a variety of presenting problems
For families and couples, interventions involving web‐based psychoeducative material combined with ‐ often minimal ‐ synchronous therapeutic or coaching input seem feasible, acceptable and effective
More quantitative and qualitative research into digitally mediated couple, family and systemic psychotherapy is required to determine what works, with whom and how it works in practice.