29/06/2020
Invitation to Online Counselling
As a direct result of the COVID-19 Pandemic and the closure of our premises, the Children’s Wellbeing Institute & Inner Peace Counselling Service (CWI & IPCS) are offering an Online Counselling Service.
This initiative is available to all of our clients, who are currently receiving therapeutic interventions and we are extending the service to anyone needing extra support at this challenging time.
Families can refer their children to CWI & adults can self-refer to IPCS to gain access this vital resource and means of support.
At IPCS & CWI we recognise the importance for our clients to stay ‘socially connected’ and ‘emotionally supported’ at this time of ‘physical distancing’ and fortunately we have the digital capability to offer this online.
Here are some answers to your questions, please get in touch with us to find out more information.
How can we offer Online Counselling?
We will be working with an encrypted and trusted online platform called ‘Zoom’ which is recommended by the British Association of Counsellors & Psychotherapists (BACP).
Your / Your child’s counsellor will help you to set up the Zoom platform and will support you in the first session to get you and your child used to navigating your way round things.
How will sessions take place?
Sessions will be offered on a weekly basis, and as with all counselling, consistency is key, so once a time slot is given we would require that you do your utmost to ensure that you / your child can attend their session – we can arrange a time that is convenient for you / your family.
Each ‘supportive session’ is 45 minutes long, however we appreciate that this new way of working & relating may feel somewhat dauting to your children, as much as it does for us adults!! That said, like with any new change, the more we practice and participate the easier and more natural it will feel. With this in mind, sessions could start with bite-size chunks, so if only 5 minutes were attended, to start with, that’s OK – there is no pressure for any child to attend the full session at this time.
Can you still Creative Counselling Online?
Our Counsellors are well equipped to arrange and offer a number of creative interventions for your / your child, to help ease into using the online support service and we can incorporate a range of activities & creative therapies to keep your / your child engaged with the ‘therapeutic process’.
Online activities and interventions will be tailor-made for each individual and may consist of some of the following:
Relaxation Techniques, Trauma Based Interventions, Coping Strategies, Biblio-Therapy (therapeutic story telling), Social Skills, Sequential Cognition building, Breathing Activities, Mindfulness and even Movement activities are still possible – children and adults alike, are not expected to sit still for the session.
We also have access to a ‘shared white board’ during the sessions; so, both the client and the counsellor can draw and connect through art at the same time. In this format we can offer art therapy activities.
We can still use play therapy tools and resources such as Lego, Duplo, arts & crafts, worksheets, puppet play, board games, feeling cards etc and if you have these available then we’d encourage that some bits are provided for your child’s session – if not available don’t worry.
The Counselling Service providers are making provisions to send out a Counselling box for every child to bring to each of their sessions (ideally not to be used in between sessions) and will get them delivered to you as soon as possible.
At this time of uncertainty, we all have moments when we are feeling highly anxious and concerned and its natural that our children tune into this and so in sessions we will, not only, provide a safe and containing space but also provide your children with the opportunity to gain skills to emotionally regulate themselves and feel a little more in control of their behaviors and feelings.
Setting up a safe space for your child
During the time your child has their session we ask for them to have privacy so that we can build and maintain a sense of ‘safe talking’ that will not be overheard and remain confidential.
If it’s possible please provide a separate room for your child to have their counselling session in and, if you have them, please provide headphones. Little touches like playing some music or having the TV on outside of their room may well reassure that they can talk freely without worrying about being overheard.
Please ensure your child is fully clothed as we will be using video calls.
The online sessions will NOT be recorded and we ask that they are not recorded your end either.
In the case of any Safeguarding Concerns arising, the Counsellor will uphold their Duty of Care and in-line with our Child Protection Policy they may need to share such information with the Designated Safeguarding Lead – for further details of this please refer to our Safeguarding Policy.
So – what do we need to do as parents & carers to get started?
In preparation for your child’s session to commence, their counsellor will get in touch and assist you to download the zoom application. In the meantime, if you feel comfortable to do so you could download the free program and set up a profile at https://www.zoom.us/
If you need any support or have further questions – feel free to contact me and we can discuss things further and answer your questions.
At this time, we wish you all well – Stay Safe
Kind Regards
Lisa Hall – Director of Inner Peace Counselling Service & the Children’s Wellbeing Institute
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