dealing with affect using ipt on line...liz robinson and catherine edmunds. covid 19 challenges in...
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Dealing with affect using IPT on line
Liz Robinson and Catherine Edmunds
Covid 19
Challenges in providing medical intervention
Covid 19
Challenges in providing psychotherapy online
Using tools to access/connect with affect
• Send information before/between sessions
• Diaries, stories, images
• Caution - confidentiality
• Pitch to individual, developmental stage
• Share screen as reminder – as tool to focus on clients affect
Dealing with affect
Grief- facilitating mourning
Treasured memories
Grief- facilitating mourning
Everydaymemories
Grief- facilitating mourning
Sharp, hard to hold memories/ feelings
Challenges of remote working
Technology and internet issues • poor sound• unstable Internet• distraction (beeps, people/pets coming in)
Interpersonal issues• being present in room• difficulty reading silences• hard to read affect over screen• eye contact• therapists work harder to stay focused
Engaging the client
• Suitability
• Safe space
• Timing
• Explicit naming of emotions
Discussion with expert IPT Phone therapist and researcher – suggest:
• Ask pt bit more often – check emotions
• Helpful to mentalise
• Venture a guess – they can always correct
• Absorb a lot from client in sessions
Client• Problematic affect is present
• They are living with the emotions
• What are consequences of a therapist asking….?
• What are consequences of a therapist not asking…..?
• How to optimise support for client throughout the process?
Remote sessions - affect work
Therapist concerns
• Therapist working in unchartered territory
• Will client cope, are they ready?
• Therapist anxiety about being able to help, to be present
Purpose of therapy
• Express and process affect
• Gradually reduce distress linked to interpersonal event
The therapist:
• Models tolerating intense/distressing affect
• Supports client to do this in a way that feels safe/manageable
• Provides scaffold for exploration and processing
Therapist
Self care
• No commute to wind down/process
• No regular, routine contact with professional colleagues and time to informally debrief
• Use of supervision
• Optimise self care – physical and emotional