Play therapists experiences of conducting online sessions during COVID-19: A Thematic Analysis
Please see poster here and participation information sheet here.
Aim of the Study
This study seeks to explore the impact of social distancing, during the COVID-19 pandemic, on the practice of play therapy 鈥� and the experience of play therapists practicing online during this time.
Following a preliminary exploration of the topic, through research and conversations with professionals, there appears to be a general consensus that social distancing significantly impacted the practice of play therapy due to a lack of training/resources for conducting play therapy online
The study aims to address the following:
- How play therapists adapted their practice to be delivered online, during the COVID-19 pandemic
- How the nature and process of play therapy was impacted by online delivery
- How play therapists experienced themselves professionally, whilst practicing online
Overall, the aim is to identify what is missing 鈥� in terms of training and resources 鈥� in order to ensure play therapists are better prepared if anything similar happens in the future.
Who can take part?
This study seeks participants who:
- Are registered with a relevant ethical body
- Have at least 7 years of experience as a play therapist
- Have conducted play therapy online during the COVID-19 pandemic
What鈥檚 involved?
A confidential 45-minute online interview (via Microsoft Teams) arranged at a date/time convenient. The interview will cover topics such as:
- How you adapted your practice to deliver online, in response to social distancing
- The impact of practicing online on aspects of therapy (e.g. contracting, boundaries, etc.)
- How you felt about yourself as a practitioner, during this time
A full interview schedule can be provided upon request.
Ethics
This research has received full ethical approval from the Psychology Ethics Committee at the University of Northampton, being conducted as part of an MSc in Counselling Children & Young People.
Participation is entirely optional and participants will have the right to withdraw their research response for up to 14 days following participation.
Participation in this research project is confidential 鈥� any participant responses will be pseudonymised in the final publication and identifying factors will be removed where possible. Data will be stored on a secure, password protected device in accordance with GDPR (2018) and the UK Data Protection Act 2018.
Contact Details
If you are interested in participating or would like more information, please contact:
Email: ben.hughes23@my.northampton.ac.uk
网爆门 Membership Number: 01016089