Face to face counselling

[Granolaslice]

Does anyone who works in the field know when it might resume? I’m on the waiting list and really struggle with talking on the phone. I’m thinking surely it’ll be possible if we’re sat two meters apart?

[time4anothername]

sorry but you don't know how deprioritised mental health is in the NHS, whatever the outward messages say and that is the fault of the budget holders and commissioners, not those working in it. Accommodation for mental health clinicians has been a big problem for a number of years. Therapists etc are the first to get kicked out when space is needed for other things, including commercial ventures like mobile ultrasound.
Whatever is said, physical health continually takes priority over mental health. At the moment health centres etc are making half the usual staff work at home let alone those rooms are sublet to.

A lot of therapists etc have to work in broom cupboard type rooms that you cannot air between patients. Patients will be coming in and sitting in the fog of the previous people who have been in and out of the chair all day. There is still no evidence that the virus is not passed in microdroplets in the air expelled when people talk, droplets that fall to the ground more slowly than those expelled from coughing.

So far there have been no statements from the government about how to manage return to face to face work for psyc therapists. Some in the private sector have been writing to their MPs for it to be raised in parliament.

Video sessions are not recorded anywhere so not sure where that fear comes from? Some mental health Trusts and services are not even allowing them because they haven't got the IT in place but where they are, the only time the sessions are recorded are either because it is a trainee therapist who has asked permission because they need it for their assessments or where it is part of the therapy and the patient is asked to record it to look at between sessions.

[buytheworldacoke]

As others have said, majority of counsellors have to abide by rules of wherever they're working. I'm in an educational setting and working privately through a hired space, neither of which are currently permitting me to see clients face to face. There's also the impact of indemnity insurance etc which needs to be considered.

It may be that if you have an entire team to come in and clean the room / space between clients for you that it would be more likely (as you've mentioned can happen in your school). However, both spaces I use are small, and it is just me who would be responsible for cleaning it. This would mean that the time between clients (usually taken for case notes and putting any necessary things into action, including safeguarding issues or communicating with other professionals involved) would be gone, which then leads to a less thorough service for each client. Furthermore, both my settings have soft furnishings, which aren't possible to clean to the standards suggested by public health.

Video calls are not recorded - it's pretty clear if anyone presses record during a session and I've put it into contracts during this time that this isn't to happen.

All that being said, I am incredibly frustrated that there's no ability to do face to face work, and it's distressing for clients (I work primarily with young people and can see how this will be damaging long term) that we can't support them in the way they are used to or deserve.

[Jellycatspyjamas]

I work in private practice at home, at the moment if offer phone and online work - I honestly don’t know when I’ll see clients face to face because a) I work from a dedicated space at home so while cleaning etc isn’t an issue, being in someone’s home still is (in Scotland at least) and keeping 2m away at all times would be difficult in my work space b) I work when my kids are at school and schooling is going be 10 hours a week come August and I have no other childcare available. I can do remote sessions when my DH is home to care for the DC but that’s just 1 day a week.

Therapists have the same challenges and limitations as everyone else at the moment, I’d love to get fully back to work but can’t see it happening any time soon.

[Jellycatspyjamas]

It’s also worth remembering that CAMHS services have been massively struggling long before lockdown with ridiculous waiting lists - it was never going to improve with so many people unable to work. It’s awful - my DD is waiting to be seen by CAMHS, who at referral had a 25 week waiting list. It’ll be longer now.

[applesandoranges221]

I’ve had face to face therapy throughout lockdown - my counsellor works from home and has made more than adequate arrangements ( not involving masks) and we have both used our common sense! That is really different though from counselling in schools and other spaces where there isn’t that level of control, and I feel very sorry for anyone trying to work through those issues just now...

[Gutterton]

I am working for a service (adults) and we are starting back F2F on Monday using bigger rooms with SD and hygiene measures in place. We have asked current clients and new clients what they want to do - and it is a mixed response so we are offering both options.

[Gutterton]

And the same option applies to the therapists as some have their own health issues or are shielding relatives so have chosen to remain online.