The Losses & Gains of Covid-19 Counselling

Before ‘all this’ I occasionally offered phone sessions to clients who were unable to make it to the office that day. It almost always worked better than both of us had expected. That’s it. The rest of the time, be it 6 weeks of therapy or 2 years, we always met face-to-face, in the same room or outdoor space.

Then the lockdown happened and face-to-face was no longer possible. I’m grateful to be able to continue my work from home via video and phone.

For every loss:

• Can’t see that anxiously tapping foot

• Or experience the way the client greets me and enters the space

• Can’t offer them objects to explore or art materials to use

• Technological glitches, lags in audio and video

There’s a gain:

• I become more attuned to the nuances of their voice and breath (phone therapy)

• I see my client in context, in their home

• I feel more free to write and draw diagrams of the client’s shared material than when we are in the same space. I’ve realised this helps me to assist clients in returning to their focus and make connections between different elements of their difficulty, and it creates a visual portal to empathising with them.

• Some clients have more time currently to explore their issues between sessions, allowing us to set ‘homework’ which can speed up and deepen their progress in therapy.

It’s a learning experience. It’s amazing how quickly we can adapt. I am continuing training in online therapy and creative working online and I am learning from my clients, as always.