PROGRAM GOAL:

To connect and continue engagement and support to families during the Covid19 service restriction. Tele-therapy will be utilized to maintain rapport and trust with families and to provide emotional support and skill development for coping and emotional self-regulation.

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PROGRAM OUTCOMES:

• Increased emotional support for children, youth, and families during the heightened stress from the Covid19 crisis.

• Increased coping and emotional self-regulation skills for children, youth, and families.

• Regular ongoing contact with children, youth and families during the Covid19 service restriction.

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PROGRAM MODEL: Child-Centred Animal & Nature-Based  Video Play Therapy

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Nature-Based Therapy uses nature as a tool to promote health and is based on the therapeutic use of sensory experiences.

 

Animal-Assisted Therapy is a therapeutic intervention that incorporates animals into the therapeutic engagement. It is used to enhance and complement the benefits of traditional therapy.

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Child-Centred Approach puts the child at the center of the process.  This central focus on the child means looking at things from the child's perspective, this includes what the child's interests, listening to their ideas, and allowing them to participate in planning activities. 

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SERVICE DESCRIPTION:

Bi-Weekly 60-minute session via Zoom or Owl Practice Video. The session will be child-centered to allow the child/family to explore the farm and to talk about what is meaningful to them.

 

Exploration includes:

• Barn & Farm Animals (horse, sheep, goats, pig, dogs, cats, chickens, ducks, fish & guinea pig)

• Clubhouse (therapeutic counseling space - includes, games, arts, puppets, sensory mindfulness tools, musical instruments, play kitchen)

• Farm Exploration

 

TREATMENT GOALS:

• Increase self regulation/ co-regulation

• Improve mood

• Emotional outlet

• Increase empathy, compassion and understanding

• Maintain rapport

 

Video-Play Therapy Overview

Telehealth is the provision of health care remotely by means of a variety of telecommunication tools, including telephones, smartphones, and mobile wireless devices, with or without a video connection. Telehealth is growing rapidly and has the potential to transform the delivery of health care for millions of persons..

My practice provides face to face therapy as well as Video-Play Therapy. 

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Video-Play Therapy 

Video-Play Therapy is provided when children and youth who cannot attend therapy sessions in a more traditional play therapy office. The recent Covid 19 virus has precipitated therapists the world over to close their face to face practices and move to online platforms until it is safe to meet face to face. 

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I have been involved in up to date training about this model of Play Therapy and am interested in sharing with you what I know. Having our children access video technology is sometimes concerning to parents because they may have already experienced their children not engaging in facetime phone calls with relatives or lack the attention span to use personal technology devices. 

However, communicating with words can be challenging for children in regular therapy offices and is no less challenging in online spaces. Play, however, is the language of children and play is the work of a child and children are usually comfortable playing in many spaces including during Video-Play Therapy. 

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The Therapy Space

Your child’s  Video-Therapy space should be away from the hustle and bustle of the rest of the household where possible. A door that closes for confidentiality is important as well. You will need a computer or smartphone that can be propped up so the whole room is seen in the therapy online space. The volume needs to be loud enough for your child to be able to hear me but not too loud so our conversations can be heard outside of the room. 

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Creative expression tools to have available - crayons, markers, paper.  

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Risks and Benefits of Video-Therapy 

I want to ensure you obtain the following information in order to make an informed decision about what is in your child’s best interest. Though I am seeing children and youth with a video platform, I will never record sessions as it is unethical for me to store sessions on my technology devices or in cloud storage. 

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Risks 

1. Data can be breached

2. Technology may not work

3. Child may not engage

4. Confidentiality can be beached inadvertently 

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Benefits 

1. Therapy can continue even though community members are directed to follow  social distancing

2. Families have to travel less to appointments and can use that time to complete other familial tasks. 

3. Children's routines are less impacted 

4. Travel costs decrease 

5. Therapy and support can  be provided regularly and perhaps in a shorter period of time but a few times a week

6. Children who experience more anxiety symptoms as a result of emergency events occurring around them can obtain the necessary intervention. 

7. Parents can join the session at the beginning or end of the session or can be part of the session dependent on the child’s treatment goals. This will be discussed at our Intake appointment.