Information for Therapists Working Online During Coronavirus
Mar 16, 2020
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- Whether you both have the means and ability to conduct therapy remotely such as by telephone or online. Would this way of communicating be appropriate?
- How you will keep in touch about any changes to your normal arrangements.
- What you will share with the NHS should you test positive for Covid-19 and be asked for contact tracing information.
- How and when fee arrangements would be affected.
The coronavirus pandemic is changing the way we live and work on a day-by-day basis, and for those in the therapeutic and counselling professions this is no different. In our private therapist group on Facebook open to welldoing.org members and non-members who we can verify as professional therapists and counsellors , members have been sharing their experiences and insights. Many cite offering their clients to work online instead of in-person and fears around losing clients who may not be able to afford to continue therapy as their work has been affected by Covid-19.
The UKCP has recently encouraged therapists and counsellors to consider and prepare for the following:
We wanted to provide this resource to hopefully offer our members important information about what they can do during this time. If there is any way we can support you, do reach out to us on [email protected] and we will do our best to help.
1 The BACP have gathered their resources about working online, open to members and non-members alike here.
2 If you are worried about continuing to work with a client who is showing potential coronavirus symptoms, the BACP recommends the following:
"You need to weigh up the commitment to put clients first with the principle of self-care.
Good Practice point 91 in the Ethical Framework provides the following guidance on care of self as a practitioner:
1. We'll take responsibility for our own wellbeing as essential to sustaining good practice with our clients by:
a. taking precautions to protect our own physical safety
b. monitoring and maintaining our own psychological and physical health, particularly that we are sufficiently resilient and resourceful to undertake our work in ways that satisfy professional standards
c. seeking professional support and services as the need arises
d. keeping a healthy balance between our work and other aspects of life
This might be a good time to recontract with your clients and include a contingency plan relating to the virus. This could include the following:
- what you'll do if you or anyone in the setting where you practice is symptomatic
- what you'd like your clients to do if they are symptomatic
- whether there is an alternative method of contact if the virus becomes more widespread for example phone or online contact ."
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