Join Us for Our Special Event – Thursday 13 June, 7-9pm UK
As practitioners in counselling and therapy, we are all well aware of the challenges facing us:
● The difficulty in securing referrals for private practice ● Working below our financial means with platforms that do not align with our practice ● Incorporating new tools and technologies for online practice ● Feeling disempowered in a technological age with a broken business model
These are the hurdles we face, but how do we overcome them?
At ACTO, we believe that the key lies in empowering our members with knowledge, tools, connections, and confidence. We’re dedicated to partnering with organisations that share our values and can provide support to both us and our clients.
If you’re looking for innovative ways to transform your practice, come along to our next exciting event!
Join us as we work towards empowering you to build your own practise “toolbox”, leveraging the latest in technology.
We have invited our industry partner, PlaySpace, to present how they’ve been working with practitioners in Canada and USA to unlock potential with their sessions using technology. We will cover the following topics as well as a Q&A discussion afterwards:
● The main challenges facing practitioners with private practice ● The current online therapy landscape and the pivotal role that practitioners play in shaping its near future ● How PlaySpace is taking a new approach to developing technological solutions by putting practitioners in the driver’s seat ● How ACTO members can access these technological solutions such as VR, virtual playroom tools such as Dollhouse and Sandtray, and more
Our goal is to create an open forum where members can come together, discuss these challenges, learn and get more involved.
But we need your input, your views and your involvement: whether you are a practitioner working with CYP or adults. All are welcome! It’s free to attend, however you do need to reserve your spot:
By the end of this event, we’re confident you’ll join us in our excitement for the future, brimming with new tools at your disposal, opportunities for involvement, and exclusive access to solutions you can put into practice.
Together, we can turn challenges into opportunities and pave the way for a brighter future in counselling and therapy.
Pippa Copleston is a practising counsellor with 25 years’ experience. Based in East Sussex, Pippa provides Online, In person and Blended Counselling, Psychotherapy and Clinical Supervision.
This April and October, Pippa is running two workshops specifically for ACTO members, to give practitioners valuable insight into risk and safeguarding issues whilst working online.
Below, Pippa explains why she passionately believes that safeguarding is so important, and provides detailed information about the free workshops.
Why are you passionate about the importance of safeguarding?
Since working online since 2016 it has become clear to me that there is little information or training available specific to therapists wishing to work online – apart from dedicated online courses. I have been fortunate enough to work as both a therapist and then as a Clinical Lead with safeguarding responsibility in an employed capacity for online providers. In these settings, I have worked using variety of delivery methods, including anonymous text based therapy, telephone counselling and other settings where safeguarding is a little trickier than for in-person therapists. During the pandemic, I used this experience to ensure that I was working as safely as I could remotely. During lockdown, I was concerned by some attitudes and assumptions that I came across; that working online was no different to working in person, and so chose to take a General Certificate to increase my skillset and formalise the experience I had. I followed this by completing a Diploma in Online and Blended Supervision, and through doing this, recognised the need for Supervisors also to have good knowledge of safeguarding and risk when supervising online therapists. Safeguarding is relevant to all age groups, and therefore, all clients.
What is the objective of the workshop/webinar?
The aims is to share some ideas about good practice, stimulate thinking and reassure therapists that although this is a tricky area it’s still possible! I believe that we all continually learn from each other, and so I welcome additional ideas and knowledge from participants.
What are the intended outcomes of the session (what will participants learn/benefit from)?
The first session will look at:
How and why we risk assess
The “pros and cons” of using formal established assessment tools
How we risk assess effectively in our particular work setting, and to share useful resources.
There are “points to consider” throughout the presentation, just as a reminder to update and assess how we keep our clients and ourselves safe, particularly if working with clients not based in our country. The session’s aim is to encourage participants to further develop the processes we currently use and create up to date resources for clients and ourselves after the session with peers or in supervision.
What will be included in the following sessions?
The next session in October 2024 will be about effective safeguarding – i.e. what to do after risk has been identified, depending on our geographic location and that of the client, their age group using the resources that we have adopted. There are two sessions as one hour is not enough to cover both topics sufficiently.
I intend to run much more in depth training expanding on the topics covered in the two workshops, and am hopeful that this will be CPD of around 30 to 40 hours, presented live and using interactive activities. I hope that this may lead to peer groups being formed after the training is completed. I also intend to produce modular, recorded versions of training.
What are the main risks around not following safeguarding guidelines?
So many! Very briefly, obviously, client safety and /or that of others, including suicide or physical harm. There is also risk to us in terms of professional reputation and risking have a complaint raised or legal proceedings. More widely, we owe it to the profession to be robust and clear in how and why we keep our clients safe so that therapy, particularly remote provision, is recognised as safe and contained.
Are there any emerging new risks around safeguarding – and how do we approach these to reduce risk?
There are always emerging new risks, particularly as we are all using the internet. The increase of risk for harm and exploitation is especially evident the more that the disinhibition effect influences what people say and what people hear or trust. There is more risk of exploitation, and greater access to online therapy means that as therapists, we have exposure to far more clients and risk is not always obvious. Statistically, therefore, we are in a position where we may be exposed to potentially more risky presentations and disclosures from clients. This is where safeguarding training and updating this training, keeping abreast of new developments and being risk aware is, as it always has been, important.
In your view, what constitutes safeguarding?
Briefly, safeguarding needs to run through us like letters on a stick of rock; it is the bedrock of what we do. Good safeguarding is about being clear about our rationale for what we do, without be hyper vigilant. Safeguarding is not always clear cut, risk can be nuanced and often involves being brave and making a well-founded decision in the moment. Therefore, the guidelines we follow and the supervision that we have needs to reflect this to show that decisions and actions we take are well founded, not dismissive, negligent, hasty, or damaging to the client.
New ACTO Chair and accredited integrative CYP therapist Basi Amodu shares the motivations behind her career choices and priorities for the organisation
Basi Amodu did not initially set out to be a therapist.
During the early stages of her career, Basi had a number of differing jobs before becoming a mother, ranging from location and reportage work in Cuba and South Africa to working in the property management industry. Then when she became a mother and decided to work within her local community in a local library, she successfully applied for a role at a school as a Home School Coordinator – a bridge between, home, school and Children’s Services. This proved to be a seminal moment. Assigned to working with families impacted by alcohol, substance misuse, mental health and domestic abuse, Basi could see how positive changes in the family environment were less significant for the smallest children in those families. Basi’s sole mission became how to make systemic changes using the statutory bodies that would benefit the children, young people, and their families to help them have the best possible start in life. In conjunction with this, Basi also became the Project Coordinator for the Young Carer’s Service in area of West London. This fostered Basi’ ambition to work garner more support from the statutory bodies that had the resources to effect real change in the lives of young people and their families.
Building the foundations for a career in counselling and therapy
Much of Basi’s work involved working with families impacted by mental health, substance/alcohol, and domestic abuse – often referred to as the ‘toxic trio.’ Although Basi enjoyed the work, she realised that to help get the families more financial and practical support, she needed a new form of language and additional skills to advocate on behalf of her clients.
A chance conversation with a colleague pointed Basi in the direction of a new foundation course in counselling children which encouraged her to apply. In due course, Basi not only completed the foundation course but went on to study for a postgraduate diploma in counselling and immediately after the master’s degree in counselling at the University of East London.
Basi explained:
“Domestic violence funding was being stopped and I realised that I wanted to focus more on children and young people. By developing my therapy work, therapeutic skills and drawing on my experience and background, I could assist more disenfranchised children and families, ensuring that they received the crucial early intervention they required.”
“Children are not as afraid of change as adults are.”
Developing strategies for coping with change in our lives can be a challenge for all age groups. One of the reasons why Basi finds it rewarding to work with younger age groups is her belief that children and young people are more willing to take positive risks – and are arguably not as afraid of change as adults are.
Basi said:
“Children and young people know that when we meet for a therapeutic counselling session, they are coming into a space to talk about difficult things. I use my creative and listening skills, to provide a safe space that allows young people to challenge their lived experiences, offers them the opportunity to explore and express themselves without judging them. These methods help children to find the answers to the questions they are struggling with themselves.
“I find it incredibly rewarding to accompany young people on their journey – even if I may not see the eventual positive changes in their lives in the future.”
It is not only working with children and young people that Basi finds fulfilling professionally. Helping parents to deal with challenges in their lives is equally satisfying, for example working with parents to understand their parental struggles often stem from a space of fear (not wanting to repeat mistakes) and love for their child. Supporting parents to explore their role not just as parents but also as people in their own right. One way of doing this is to offer space for parents to understand their own school and childhood experiences. For Basi, it is important that this process is a collaborative one without personal judgement.
The transition to working online.
The advent of the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in therapists and counsellors moving their practices online as lockdown restrictions were enforced during 2020/1. For some therapists this represented a major challenge, getting to grips with technology and seeking to offer clients a comparable experience to that of a face-to-face session. Yet not for Basi.
Basi had already gained online experience using Skype to work with younger clients who had were now at university and wished to continue their sessions virtually without having to find another therapist.
This experience encouraged Basi to further research the benefits of working online, for example in countries like South Africa, Ethiopia and Canada had been using ‘Telehealth’ before the pandemic as a lifeline for many in remote communities. Many of Basi’s clients viewed online working as a backup; not perfect or a long-term solution, but one which could work for some of her clients.
In March 2020 the pandemic hit whilst Basi was working privately and within a digital school. Due to having family in Europe Basi was able to prepare her private clients for the transition to online working, sharing creative resources, coaching families with using Zoom and other platforms, and re contracting the work. The clients were practising using the video and live chat platforms in the months leading up to the first UK restrictions. The transition to working online was rapid but Basi was prepared as were her clients. Once the UK government shut the country down the new service launched within 24 hours.
Basi said:
“This period was incredibly intense. I was working with a full cohort of students, and we knew that restrictions to face-to-face contacts were imminent.
“We were thoroughly prepared though, providing briefings for parents, and explaining how it would work. The result was that it was a seamless experience for our young clients. That’s not to say that it did not have its own challenges; and like many thousands of therapists and counsellors, we were training as we were delivering!”
Working online has therefore been an extremely positive experience for Basi, so much so that although she continues to work in person in school, her private practice and clinical supervision work is online only.
Addressing the concerns of practitioners on working online
Basi understands the unease that some practitioners feel about working online. She explained:
“I appreciate that some therapists and counsellors are uncomfortable about working online. They have concerns about their abilities to pick up non-verbal clues from their clients, they feel that it is difficult to maintain the same connections – and perhaps believe that online is not appropriate for dealing with specific issues. I am aware too that some professional bodies have a view that it is not possible to work with certain cohorts, for example clients under 11 years of age. Furthermore, some individuals are not confident about working with the technology and feel limited by it.
“These are all legitimate concerns – which as an organisation supporting online practitioners we need to be fully understanding of. Nonetheless, there are many reasons to be excited about the benefits of working online.”
In Basi’s opinion demonstrating how practitioners can work with different traumas and issues is key to convincing those who are either sceptical or have yet to try working online:
“Working online is not an emergency system; it is another way of working which can offer many different ways, and tools, for you to work with clients.
“There are several therapists who are using technology in innovative and exciting ways to work with children and young people, such as Lesley Simpson-Gray,Jessica Stone and Ellie Finch.
“By working online, we do not only expand our reach, but we also expand our skills and our competencies – ultimately offering more choice to our clients.”
These experiences convince Basi that online working has increased her creativity, boosted her confidence, expanded her contacts – and helped her to work with clients who find the in-person sessions daunting due to concerns about body image or for reasons of disability or accessibility. Where appropriate, Basi can work without a camera and use Live Chat to communicate.
Working online internationally does though have other important considerations.
Basi is an Associate Member of the Barbados Society of Psychology and understands how legal systems can differ in countries across the world. This makes it crucial to be mindful of client safety, as the laws and regulations governing a territory could be very different to the UK. In addition, it is essential to undertake the necessary training and groundwork to ensure that as a therapist or counsellor, we have the appropriate set of competencies to help a client overseas.
The future of ACTO
This year saw Basi elected as the new Chair of ACTO in succession to Adrian Rhodes.
Basi explained that it although she did not put herself forward to do it, it is a role that she is now relishing – and is keen to make sure that ACTO focuses on delivering more benefits to its members. She explained:
“When I agreed to be Chair, I was clear that I was not just a director but a member, too. This means that it is important that we increase the services and benefits we provide to our members, whether they are students, professionally qualified or in supervisory roles.
“That is why I have a number of priorities for the coming year and beyond.
“Firstly, we need to incorporate our training providers more closely within ACTO, helping members and potential members to access the professional training they need.
“Secondly, we want to grow our membership – and this requires us to be seen as the leading body in the UK for online digital working; driving up standards and showcasing innovation which benefits our clients. This also necessitates that we understand that as newer members qualify, they may have different needs from those who have worked online for many years. We must change and adapt.
“And finally, we must be ambitious. I feel that one of ACTO’s long-term aims should be to be regulated by the Professional Standards Authority. This would give both members and clients greater protection and more confidence about our status. It is likely to involve significant work – but for me, it represents a real opportunity to grow and professionalise the organisation.”
Basi Amodu was talking to Simon Frost
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About Basi Amodu
Basi is a MBACP (Accred) of the BACP and an Associate Member of the BSP (Barbados Society of Psychology) and Chair of ACTO. She is an integrative creative therapist in schools and private practice working with children, young people (CYP) and adults. Basi also works as a clinical supervisor working with therapists and other experts in the helping professions. For further information about Basi please click here.
ACTO conference 2023
ACTO is hosting its next annual conference on 4 November 2023. More information will be available on the news and events pages soon.
ACTO directors Olivia Djouadi and Adrian Rhodes reflect on their different experiences
National Refugee Week takes place the 19 – 25 June, in recognition of World Refugee Day on 20 June. The week-long events are a festival celebrating the contributions, creativity and resilience of refugees and people seeking sanctuary.
In celebration of this event, ACTO invited two directors of the Board to write about their personal experiences. Here are their respective stories.
Olivia Djouadi
Olivia Djouadi is a qualified psychotherapist and a decade ago married a refugee from North Africa. She shares her experience of being married to a refugee including the political issues they faced around people’s attitudes towards immigrants and immigration.
Olivia: I met my partner and we fell in love straight away – indeed, four months later we were married.
Being now married to a refugee, I was a bit taken aback by the views expressed by many people about immigrants. At the time, I was a student doing an MA in British politics and I was hoping to work in Parliament. I was stunned that so many negative views existed still to this day, particularly given our experiences from history.
It was a very difficult time for me. I was studying for my master’s and during that time they sent my husband back to a war zone which Britain deemed safe. My tutors gave advice but I was also told by others why we were not accepted – I was female, I had a chronic illness, my surname was my married name, and I didn’t have full time work as a student.
We were given a meeting in Tunis as my partner’s country was in a war zone; so we both flew there. Each of us had separate and very intrusive interviews that were shocking. This upset us both and we began to realise our marriage may be over. My American friends who were married to British people in the UK never seem to have this treatment. Fortunately, the interview went in our favour and after 6 months my husband was able to return to the UK to live with me.
A change of direction – working at a refugee centre
I decided to give up my politics degree and I went in a different direction working in refugee centres in the UK in SE London.
I also recall one particular incident. At the refugee centre where I worked the then home secretary came for a visit. I was very pregnant at that time. I saw red and went rushing over as I wanted to ask if he was going to send my babies father back to a war zone. Thankfully a colleague stopped me and led me away.
My partner found work and met all the requirements asked of him. Many however didn’t from those I supported at the refugee centres. I enjoyed my work though; I found that I had an aptitude for helping people who had been living in war zones who had what looked like Complex PTSD. Looking back now with my experience and training as a psychotherapist, I know now this is what they had.
Another concern at the time was after 9/11 in America anyone who looked Muslim received unwarranted comments; this continued to when our kids went to secondary school. The events of 7/7 in London was another challenging period – but pointing towards 3.7 million Muslims in the UK is not fair and is discrimination.
Adrian Rhodes
Adrian Rhodes is the past chair of ACTO, a qualified psychotherapist since the 1980s as well as a Clergyman in the Church of England. In 2022 following the invasion of the Ukraine, his family invited a Ukrainian refugee family to stay at their home in Manchester.
Adrian:
When the war broke out in February last year, a psychotherapist colleague in the Ukraine sent out an appeal asking for someone to host his family whilst he stayed behind. My wife and I had the space to share in our home – and it seemed to us to be a very small thing to do – helping other people in such a tragic situation.
Arrival: first experiences of life in the UK
Six weeks later the mother and her two children – a son who is 11 years and a daughter aged 9 arrived to stay with us in Manchester. They have now been with us for a year. Whilst their paperwork to enter the UK was being reviewed, they stayed with another psychotherapist colleague in the Netherlands. On reflection, I think that this ten week delay in arriving here helped them a bit to get over the initial shock of having to leave their husband and Dad at the Polish border – on the day of his birthday.
The UK represented a place of safety, nevertheless not surprisingly this whole experience has been a challenge for all the family. The children struggled at first, especially the son, and still talk of their experiences of the war. However they can still see their dad on a daily basis online – whilst not the same, it does keep them in contact.
Fortunately we got the two children into school very quickly and they are now flourishing.
Language has been a problem for the mum and the son. But the daughter’s English (she could speak a little of the language when she arrived) has been very good from the start; indeed, she is now fluent.
Understanding and dealing with cultural differences
One of the other challenges for them has been to get used to the different pattern of life here in the UK, and the fact that they are missing Ukrainian customs.
Holding onto their culture and identity is clearly important to the family and they have made a number of contacts with the Ukrainian community in Manchester, which is historically strong.
For us, my wife and myself, it’s been a delight having them.
What of the future?
The future obviously remains troubling and very uncertain. I feel that their main challenge – and that of many Ukrainians living here perhaps – is how to move on. It’s not easy living in someone’s home. Culturally the UK and the Ukraine are very different in many ways; and views differ, for example, on the appropriate roles and tasks for men and women. I think it was quite surprising for the mother to see me washing up as a man!
They are enjoying their life with us, and we really enjoy spending time with them. However at some point they will face the issue that refugees all face to enable to stay in the long-term, for example getting a job, building up money to pay a deposit for renting a properly by themselves.
The schools the children currently attend are good. How do they move on though? This may mean need to move schools, further disruption to their education.
Finishing on a positive note, the response from the local community has been incredible. On Christmas Day we had the doorbell ringing several times and presents were left from people we did not even know. Also, local people are inviting them to birthday parties and the family have received donations of an iPad and the like. It has been wonderful.
Join Helen Mason for our latest free webinar and discover the benefits of this exciting form of creative therapy
Friday 2 June 2023
11.00 – 12.00 midday
Music has long been a passion for Helen Mason. When she was in her 20s living in Oxford, Helen worked as a musician playing flute in a band, touring and performing in both the UK and abroad. Nowadays Helen continues to enjoy a wide range of different types of music including electronic composition and playing the classical piano – combined with her role as a qualified music therapist. In this article, we explore why Helen decided to change career to help clients, using the power of music.
Inspiration and discovery into the world of music therapy
Helen’s journey into music therapy came following an opportunity to work in a local hospital with patients experiencing various mental health conditions. It was a profoundly moving experience; and showed how music could make people more relaxed, connect people socially and reduce isolation.
A change of career beckoned; and Helen moved to Bristol where she commenced her Postgraduate diploma in Music Therapy training under the guidance of Professor Leslie Bunt, a very respected music therapy practitioner and trainer.
Helen is a qualified music therapist registered with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC). She has had over 30 years’ experience working as a music therapist with a diverse range of client groups, mostly adults, in a variety of settings including the NHS. Having done a further in-depth training in Music and Imagery she is also a Fellow of the Association of Music and Imagery (FAMI). Some of her clients work in the creative industries, such as writer’s and film makers. Helen also enjoys her work with arts therapists and counsellors in training, offering supervision for Guided Imagery and Music practitioners and students.
Music and imagery therapy – providing a sensory and immersive experience
Therapeutic practitioners are skilled and eloquent in using words to help our clients; talking and listening are of course fundamental to therapeutic work. Nonetheless, therapy using music and imagery offers something different and complementary to written and spoken language – as sometimes words are not enough.
Helen uses pre-recorded music for her sessions; mostly classical music from western composers. However, she does include music from other composers from different cultures and musical genres too including more contemporary creators.
Join us on 2 June for our free webinar with Helen Mason
During the webinar, Helen will provide examples of how the harmonies, melodies and timbre of the sound can offer an immersive experience to the client, helping with healing and growth. Helen will play some musical excerpts as well as sharing images, and give examples of the techniques she uses during a client session.
ACTO Directors nominate women who have inspired them in their lives
Today 8 March is International Women’s Day and is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women.
This year the United Nations is marking the day with a theme titled DigitALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality. The objective is to highlight how technology is crucial to advancing rights and the impacts of a growing digital gender gap.
We asked two ACTO directors to tell us about some of the women who have inspired them in their lives.
Mieke Haveman, ACTO’s webmaster:
“There are several women who have inspired me throughout my life. The first is my grandmother, and the second is Aletta Jacobs. Aletta was a Dutch doctor who fought for the right for women to vote in the Netherlands over a century ago.
“Another inspirational woman is Maya Angelou.
“After secondary school I went to Teacher Trainer’s college. We had some American teachers there and I will never forget the first trimester were we were introduced to US literature. A particular favourite was I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou. I was blown away by the courage and the willpower of Maya. From very poor beginnings she worked herself up to be the woman who read the poem at President Clinton’s inauguration. I remember watching that with awe as well. She has always stood up for not only black women, but as I saw it for women in general. She used compassion and the power of words to make a difference in the world.”
Kiren Sweetman, ACTO director:
“My niece is an amazing woman who has a passion for wildlife and the planet. She is amazing really – she needs very little and expects even less. She thinks about the impact the decisions she makes might have on the world and is an example to me of how to live a life that is gentle and sustainable.
“I find it difficult to choose between two of my favourite actresses, both named Hepburn. Katherine for her strength and independence, and Audrey for her grace and kindness – all qualities that I find inspiring in women.
“My friend had a stroke in her 20’s, leaving her left side weak. She walks with callipers, and does not have the use of her left hand. She sometimes gets muddled and has frequent headaches. She has survived breast cancer twice. Yet she will drop everything to help me if ever I am in need. This, to me, is true female friendship – no judgment, just support and love as we help one another through life’s peaks and troughs, and share the joy and the in-between ‘nothing’ moments with one another.”
Evidence-based research and high standards of practice are more important than ever,
says Kiren Sweetman
Kiren Sweetman is a person-centred counsellor and a registered member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP).She is also a director of ACTO. In this article, Kiren reflects on the ACTO conference held in November 2022.
Friday evening’s panel discussion: taking stock
On the Friday evening there was an interesting and thought-provoking panel discussion involving many of the founding figures of online therapy. At the end of the discussion, a short debate took place on the subject of taking stock and consolidating our work.
This talk made me think about my own experiences.
After qualifying as a counsellor, I felt that I needed to get as much CPD under my belt as possible and to do as many workshops as I could. Actually, now I feel that it would have been far more productive to just reflect on my existing learning, and to refine that rather than rushing towards new training. I wish I had known this sooner.
Adult Autism: Unexplored Territory
I found that the presentation on autism by Vauna Beauvais and Eoin Stephens has really peaked my interest in finding out more about neurodivergent clients. The comparison to being left-handed in a world geared towards right-handed people really hit home for me.
Music Imagery Therapy – Helen Mason
I knew nothing about Music Imagery Therapy before the Conference and was fascinated about how music can be applied to the therapy space, and how imagery may assist clients and the therapeutic relationship.
Overall reflections
I was pleased that the Conference focused in some part on innovation and creativity but it also emphasised the need for evidence-based research – and for high standards of practice moving forwards.
Well done to the presenters and organising team. It was a highly productive event and extremely informative. I can’t wait for next year’s conference!
Kiren
Missed this year’s conference?
You can view the full recording of the workshop at your leisure for just £24.99 (ACTO members: £20).
Come back to the recording at any time and pick up where you left off.
Watch the video as many times as you wish to deeply embed the learning.
View the whole video to access a Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Certificate. The Certificate is proof of your commitment to continuing and deepening your learning as a practitioner.
Qualified Counsellor Ellie Finch explores the benefits & key considerations when using video games for working with younger clients.
Perhaps, like me, you’ve experienced the children and young people you work with talk with enthusiasm about games like Minecraft or Fortnite – and could see how much using a video game therapeutically could engage them in counselling?
I’ve been using video games in my private practice with children and young people for the past 2 years and have found it to be a great way to engage children and young people. Sometimes I simply talk about a child’s favourite video game with them; I might ask them what character they like to play, and this can lead to an exploration of their identity. Sometimes I watch a child play and might reflect back to them what I observe. For example, a child with low self-esteem might do something kind for another character in a game and I reflect back to them what I’ve seen of them in the game. Often, I will play the game with the child and together we might play hide and seek, battle monsters, build a castle among many other things.
Games I’ve played with clients include Roblox, Fortnite, Among Us and Animal Crossing. But the game I’ve found most safe, accessible and useful therapeutically is Minecraft.
Before starting to use video games in your practice, there’s a number of important points to consider. I shall map these considerations to the ACTO CYP competences:
ACTO CYP Competency: Psychological Processes relevant to Online Therapy
Ever since I started using Minecraft in my practice I’ve been bombarded with enquiries from parents who can instantly see how it would engage their child in counselling. Often the parents have children who would otherwise not have engaged in counselling if it hadn’t been for Minecraft. However, it’s important to recognise that using a particular video game in sessions might not be suitable for all children. For example, if the child has been struggling with coming off a game to take part in other activities at home, they may struggle with the end of counselling sessions. This can actually be a great opportunity to explore the reasons why they find it hard to come off the game but you may also need to work on setting boundaries around use of games in sessions. In addition, if a client is struggling with not feeling contained in their life, then you will want to consider the landscape of the game you play. For example, Minecraft worlds are enormous and in order to create a more contained space, almost like a sandtray, I provide a physical boundary such as an island or a wall around the space we work in.
I always ask my clients to create a safe place in the game in their first session. This is a place they can come back to at any time if they need to. A safe place can be anything, a cave, a house, a castle…
It also helps to understand the culture of video games and the video game you chose to play itself. For example, terms like ‘griefing’ are useful to know; griefing is a type of online bullying. In Minecraft griefers are players that destroy other players creations. When using Minecraft therapeutically however you can create a private world just for your clients so this can’t happen. In addition, the social side to gaming can be really important to players and the relationships they have through the game are just as significant as their in-person relationships.
ACTO CYP Competency: Assessment of clients for online therapy
Factors to consider when working online using a video game are:
Does the place where the child will be having their counselling have good enough internet connection to run the game as well as a video platform such as Zoom?
Is the child already playing the game online with other people? If not, you need to work with the parent/carer and child to educate them on online gaming safety, playing on servers with strangers etc. Minecraft Education has an in-built game called ‘Cybersafe: Home Sweet Hmm’ that takes the player through some internet safety challenges and helps the player to come up with strategies to keep safe online: https://education.minecraft.net/en-us/lessons/cybersafe-home-sweet-hmm (This game is available on Minecraft Education and Bedrock editions)
ACTO CYP Competency: Contracting and Boundaries
Having an agreement with the client around the use of a video game (or any digital therapy tool or resource) is essential.
My contract, for example, contains the following:
Information about the potential benefits of using Minecraft therapeutically as well as the potential challenges.
What they can expect a session using Minecraft to be like.
Boundaries such as the way we will communicate, how I will ‘unfriend’ them after each session and that I won’t be inviting anyone else into their private Minecraft world.
What we will do if we can’t connect in the game or lose connection.
I’m also clear about my level of competency in the game (please don’t feel you need to be an expert player – you need to be familiar with game controls, but most important is that you know how to keep your clients safe in the game).
ACTO CYP Competency: Data Protection
It’s essential to clearly explain any potential data protection risks of each game you play to a client.
I provide a clear, age-appropriate explanation of what ‘data protection’ and ‘GDPR’ mean, along with information about security standards (i.e. does the game have an ISO27001 certificate), where the location data is stored (i.e. outside of the UK, outside of EU, or in the US, for example, where they have different data protection laws).
It’s also important to clearly state how you will take steps to protect your client’s data in relation to the game and the limitations of this.
For example, I save a copy of the world after each session which is saved locally on my computer (and backed up to an external, encrypted hard-drive). My computer is password protected and I have installed anti-virus and firewall. I run updates on my computer regularly to ensure the security measures are up to date.
ACTO CYP Competency: Communication in online therapy
I do not advise using the communication channels within a video game. Instead, I use my usual video platform or the telephone (you may find using the telephone helps with internet connection issues).
I ask my clients not to use the chat function in the game. I also ask my clients to not write anything on signs or boards etc in the game that discloses personal information such as names, locations etc.
You will also need to get used to the idea that if you are embodying a character in a game alongside your client then your movements and body language as that character will be forming part of your communication with your client – much in the same way as our body language in real life forms part of our communication.
ACTO CYP Competency: Creativity in Online Therapy
Video games provide a great online resource for adapting in-person therapeutic resources.
For example, I use Minecraft much like a sandtray by asking clients to create scenes using items and characters in the game which they can select from a vast inventory (a bit like having rows of miniatures on shelves in your therapy room).
I also have a family tree activity where I ask clients to select different coloured and textured blocks to represent themselves and their family and place them in a tree.
Here are some links to resources and publications about my work:
I have made a 10-minute video for parents introducing them to how I use Minecraft therapeutically by taking them on a journey around my Minecraft island that can be viewed on my website here: https://www.elliefinch.co.uk/counselling-using-minecraft
I have a free webinar also available on my website where I introduce how I use Minecraft therapeutically: https://www.elliefinch.co.uk/events
ACTO CYP Competency: Managing Risk and Safeguarding Issues
Top tip: There are three main editions of Minecraft: Java Edition (available on Mac and Windows), Bedrock/Windows Edition (available of PC, iPhone and iPad, Android, and a range of games consoles including Switch, PlayStation and Xbox) and Education Edition (available on Windows, Mac, iPad, and Chromebook)
Just like working online creates more issues around safeguarding and risk; video games can add a few more to consider. You want to be sure that you are familiar with the video game’s security and privacy settings and have them enabled for yourself and have also advised the client and their parent about how to enable these settings. For example, many video games, including Minecraft (excluding Minecraft Education Edition) are part of social media networks like the Xbox Network. This means that unless you have enabled certain privacy settings your clients may be able to see your friends list, see when you are online, what games you are playing and with who etc. I have written two extensive blog posts for parents about keeping their child safe in Minecraft which is also useful for practitioners using Minecraft Bedrock and Java editions: https://www.elliefinch.co.uk/post/essential-steps-for-keeping-your-child-safe-when-they-are-playing-minecraft-bedrock-edition
Last year Minecraft Education Edition became more widely available to purchase and this is exciting news for therapists as, due to it being designed for use in school settings, it is a lot safer to use with clients than Java and Bedrock Editions. I’ve also written a blog post about the pros and cons of using Minecraft Education Edition: https://www.elliefinch.co.uk/post/why-i-m-using-minecraft-education-from-now-on
Playing video games with clients, can provide a great opportunity to talk about online safety and check in with them about their online life. It is essential you do some training in online safety if you haven’t done so already.
ACTO CYP Competency: Endings and Supervision
Endings in video games can be incredibly poignant and meaningful – whether it be taking a screenshot of your characters together one last time or planting a tree together in the client’s world. I ask permission to take screenshots of the client’s work in the game, you can create a document together and use it to review the work at any time, including in the final sessions. It’s also something they can keep.
I’d advise practitioners looking to start using video games therapeutically to seek consultancy and training before starting to work using video games and connect with professional peers already working in this area.
It’s also important that you have a supervisor that either uses video games in their own practice or is open to learning about using video games alongside you.
As you can see, there’s a lot to consider when incorporating video games into your practice. There’s also additional factors to consider that sit outside the ACTO CYP competences such as making sure you are working within the terms and conditions of the video game license terms and conditions.
I’ve been inundated with enquiries from parents telling me their children are actually excited about the idea of counselling using Minecraft. And, seeing the huge amount of interest there is amongst counsellors and other professionals in using video games like Minecraft therapeutically, I have been training other professionals and organisations in how to use video games therapeutically and safely with their clients.
You don’t need to be a gamer to use video games therapeutically, but you do need to have some confidence using technology so that you can troubleshoot any technical issues that arise. My Getting Tech-Savvy in Minecraft webinar can help you get to grips with the technical side of using Minecraft therapeutically: https://www.elliefinch.co.uk/shop
I also provide 1-to-1 and small group consultations, bespoke training to organisations as well as an upcoming training course on using Minecraft therapeutically.
Ellie is also part of the team of ACTO CYP therapists who have just updated the ACTO competences for CYP online therapists which were used throughout this blog post
All images used are taken by the author. Ellie Finch’s services are NOT AN OFFICIAL MINECRAFT PRODUCT. NOT APPROVED BY OR ASSOCIATED WITH MOJANG OR MICROSOFT.
Two autistic members of ACTO challenge all of us to think differently
This blog post is written by two autistic members of ACTO, with over thirty years of experience between us. We both became therapists before we knew we were autistic, and discovering something so essential about the selves we truly are has proved enlightening in understanding the way we work as therapists. But this post is not about Vauna and Max. On Autism Awareness Day it’s about autistic people in general and autistic counsellors and psychotherapists in particular.
The watchword of Chris Bonnello, an autistic educator, advocate and author, is “play to your strengths”.
That applies to everyone. Beisser’s Paradoxical Theory of Change says that therapeutic change occurs when one becomes what one is, not when one tries to become what one is not. (1) The more we play to the strengths we actually have, rather than chasing those we haven’t, the more we will thrive and grow.
So it also applies to us as autistic, and to us as autistic therapists.
The traditional view of autism
Autism has traditionally been seen / defined as a collection of deficiencies. The traditional view is this:
“Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is an early onset neurodevelopmental condition that is associated with diverse social, occupational and educational challenges. ASD is characterised by impairment in qualitative social communication and interaction, alongside rigid, repetitive, routine, ritualistic behaviours and adverse sensory responses to certain stimuli.” (2)
An alternative view of autism
However, there are other ways of seeing it.
For example: autism is a way of being, a way of experiencing the world: not in itself a disorder, simply a difference. Many autistic people regard it as not unlike a culture: we have trouble understanding the non-autistic world because it is not our culture, just as the bloggers, born in England, might have trouble understanding the culture of Japan. And non-autistic people have equal trouble understanding our culture. This has been demonstrated very nicely by Crompton et al in their “diffusion chain” experiment (3), is at the heart of Damian Milton’s Double Empathy theory (4), and underpins the neurodiversity model (5): just as the world is biodiverse – and the more biodiverse the better – so humans are neurodiverse. Autistic people are not in any sense inferior, simply neurodivergent – they diverge from the majority, just as a jumping spider that lives on vegetables might be described as bio divergent. It may be unusual, but it’s the one that will survive in a time of food shortage.
The graphic above is Chris Bonnello’s list of autistic strengths (6). Of course, we do not all have all these strengths to the same degree, and people who are not autistic may also have many of them. But it is a useful corrective to the deficiency model.
For anyone used to the traditional view of autism it may seem counterintuitive that an autistic person should choose to become a counsellor, and unlikely that we should be effective in that field. However, looking at the list of strengths above, it may seem a little less unlikely.
Autism awareness: a perspective
Many autistic people feel uncomfortable about autism “awareness”. Surely, they say, we deserve better than mere awareness? Acceptance at least, if not appreciation? We certainly appreciate our autistic minds and our autistic senses, even if at times they disable us in a society – a world – that is designed by and for people who are not like us.
However, as therapists we know that awareness is not something superficial. When we talk about something being in awareness we mean a full experiencing of that thing, not just a cognitive understanding of it. So maybe on this World Autism Day, rather than reading a theoretical piece on autism as a disorder, read or listen to an actually autistic person talking about our life, our perception and processing of our world.
Why not start with Naoki Higashida’s “The Reason I Jump”? (7) In the words of that so-called low-functioning Japanese thirteen-year-old you will find one of the clearest depictions of the autistic world. That is his world, and that is our world. Come and meet us.
To finish, just to throw some doubt on the stereotype that autistic people are not creative and have no empathy, here’s a wee poem written by one of us about the inner world of a client. The English is a loose translation of the Gaelic.
Cho trom an t-saoghal.
Tha’ n cù a’ teum le muirn
Tha mi’ n dùil, mi’ n dùil.
So heavy the world.
The dog nips in ecstasy
Oh, I wish, I wish.
Authors: Max Marnau and Vauna Beauvais
Max is an autistic therapist and clinical supervisor, artist and poet living in the Scottish Borders and working with neurodivergent and neurotypical adults.
Vauna Beauvais is an autistic psychotherapist and clinical supervisor, and a coach for adults with ADHD.
1. A. Beisser (1970) The Paradoxical Theory of Change. In: Fagan, J. and Shepherd, I.L., Eds., Gestalt Therapy Now, Harper & Row, New York, 77-80.
2. E. Nicholson, ‘How do you know if your client has autism?’ Healthcare Counselling and Psychotherapy Journal,April 2020
3. C.J Crompton et al, ‘Autistic peer-to-peer information transfer is highly effective’, Autism vol 24 (7), 2020, pp. 1704-1712
4. D. Milton, ‘On the ontological status of autism: the ‘double empathy problem’’, Disability & Society, 27 (6), 2012, pp. 883-887
5. Term probably coined by Judy Singer in her thesis, later published as “Why Can’t You be Normal for Once in Your Life?”in Disability Discourse, Mairian Corker Ed., Open University Press, 1999. A discussion can be found in N. Walker ‘Towards a neuroqueer future, an interview with Nick Walker’, Autism in Adulthood, vol 3 no 1, 2021. See also J. Singer, ‘NeuroDIversity – the Birth of an Idea’ Amazon, 2017
ACTO members Jan Stiff and Sarah Worley-James offer some practical advice to therapists and counsellors coping with increased workloads and the complexities of added stress caused by moving from providing face to face to online therapy
Recently we shared to our Facebook page an article written by a therapist, Katerina, who is coming to terms with the significant increase in demand for moving to providing online therapy initiated by the recent COVID pandemic.
The issues raised in the article are of course extremely pertinent ones at this time. So, we thought we would share some of our observations, and some suggestions for online therapists and counsellors to help them with their own self-care.
Firstly it is good to see a blog published on this matter – and one which is openly spoken about. After all, like our clients, we too are human beings struggling with the myriad ways that the COVID-19 pandemic is affecting us personally, as well as professionally.
Let us now consider some of the points made by Katerina – and offer our thoughts.
The power of online therapy to enable a new kind of creativity, safety and emotional intimacy.
That sense of “power” that can be interesting for some but equally disarming and frightening for therapists without appropriate training, experience and online supervision.
The importance of therapists having their own space set aside for online therapy
Coping with everyday things such as eating and sleeping can be difficult if this is the same space that you undertake your online therapy.
The inappropriateness of not having a sacred space – set aside for online therapy – a space that is safe and confidential and that can be “walked away from” as if locking the office door – can pose a challenge which then impinges negatively on a therapists life and personal space.
The feeling that our profession is not getting any recognition or support
This is a concern for many of us in the profession; comments have been made that therapists have been “forced” to provide online therapy. The increasing effects of COVID and what therapist have “had” to endure (they feel they have had little choice in most cases and need to continue to work to bring in money) are concerning – and is deserving of further debate.
Not having an opportunity to say goodbye to clients as a result of end of face-to-face contact
Again, the need for training and appropriate supervision comes to mind here – and the option for therapists to acknowledge that moving to providing online therapy might not be an option that they want to move towards. During support sessions for face to face therapists “forced” to move to working online – mainly school counsellors – one message I [Jan] shared was that they knew the client best and they knew what they needed.
Also they, as that clients therapist had the autonomy to communicate their concerns with either the schools, training bodies or professional bodies to say that they did not feel competent to practice online if they did not feel it was benefiting their clients. For instance, many were “forced” to provide telephone support because that was deemed “safer” but of course, the lack of ability to make visual assessments caused great concern for some therapists – understandably so.
Within support sessions and teaching we share the following as a way of assessing your needs as a therapist, working online and face to face – it can highlight areas of concern that a therapist, especially one practicing online, might not be aware of.
Building resilience
Research has shown that vicarious trauma within therapists is related to workload and support. Of course individual therapist resilience is also a part of this.
We love this and therapists that it has been have shared with have sometimes been left in awe with how this highlights individual self-care needs, blind spots and issues leading to burnout.
And finally there are some simple things too. Fun activities which can help us all to relax away from our work.
Finding those small moments in the day to take care of ourselves.
That cup of tea sipped whilst listening to relaxing music, a few minutes to colour in a colouring book, do a jigsaw, cook something new. Encouragement to focus on noticing those small actions that give a message ‘I’m worth taking care of’. Focusing on gaining a balance, which may look very different to the pre lockdown one, while appropriate to life right now.
All of these may help.
Jan Stiff, online counsellor and supervisor
Sarah Worley-James, online counsellor and supervisor
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