Did you know that Art as Therapy provides online sessions?
We understand that sometimes due to circumstances or barriers, it is not always possible to access services in person and that there is a growing need for online resources. Although engaging in online art therapy might feel different from a face to face session, we want to reassure you that it is just as impactful as an in-person interaction. How? By creating an environment to reflect what an in-person session would feel like. Here are some steps you can take to help you or your child to create a therapeutic space:
Find a quiet place. An important part of in-person sessions is the therapeutic safe space that the therapist provides. Although this looks different virtually, you can still create the feeling of safety by finding a room that you feel the most comfortable in and one that has minimal distractions. Try to choose a room where there is a desk, a chair (chair with wheels is super useful if available) and a door that ensures privacy. You can adjust the lighting to create further comfort; you can choose to have the curtains open or closed. You may want to think about the temperature in the room. The most important thing is that you or your child feel comfortable and experience a sense of calm in the room. Using headphones can increase privacy and may reduce noise interference.
Technology. We will send you a link, by clicking on this link you will be invited to type you name and then you will automatically enter into the virtual Art as Therapy waiting room. At the scheduled time the therapist will join you online. You can receive this link via email or text message inviting you or your child to the session. You need the latest versions of Chrome or Firefox and you will need to give permission to the browser to access your microphone and camera. You can use a laptop, desktop, phone or tablet.
Find art materials. We understand that access to various types of art materials might be difficult but that’s okay! Please do not feel that you need to have a wide range of art materials. Our therapists are super resourceful and creative, so we will work with what you have. Simple materials like paper and drawing materials, can do the trick. If it is possible, here is a list of other materials that can be used in an online session:
Several sheets of paper, coloured paper
Drawing materials such as markers, pencil crayons, pastels, crayons, pencil, eraser
Paint (various colours: red, blue, yellow, green, black, orange)
Paint brushes (can be any size) or old sponges
Palette to pour paint on and a jar for water to clean brushes
A cloth to wipe paint on or some paper towel
Recycled materials (paper towel rolls, cardboard, string, sticks, rocks etc.)
Tape (it can be any type!), glue stick or white glue, glue gun (if age appropraite)
Scissors
Collage making materials, old magazines, newspapers etc
Left-over fabric, yarn, beads
Playdough, modelling clay or plasticine
Toys, stuffies, lego, lego characters, balls, pokemon cards, noise making toys, other items that a younger client might want to share during their session; toys can used in lots of different ways during the session therapeutically
Inviting children to think about what they would like to bring to their virtual session can be fun and empowering for them.
4. Enjoy your favorite snacks. In our sessions, we offer clients something to drink or a treat to our younger clients. We encourage you to have your favourite snack whether that’s your fav cup of tea, glass of water or a snack. It’s important to keep yourself nourished when doing emotional work.
5. Post session care. A therapy session can often invoke intense feelings, which can leave the client feeling emotionally tired afterwards. Just like we inform clients to engage in intentional self care after a session by doing something relaxing, we encourage the same for online therapy. This can look like doing some stretches, taking a walk around the house or in the garden, listening to your favorite music, hydrating by drinking some water, eating something nourishing, or getting cozy with a book or taking a warm bath. Parents or caregivers may find that there is a shift in their child or teens energy after an online session. They may require a cuddle on the sofa or some form of sensory comfort or even an early bedtime.
6. Pre-session online planning: If you would like to connect with your therapist or your child’s therapist, prior to an online session taking place, to plan the set up, think of creative ways to create a quiet space in a busy household or would like ideas on the best way to support your child with their session, please do not hesitate to ask our admin to set up a short phone call.
Additional information:
Parent and child sessions.
You might wonder: my child is much younger, would online sessions still work with them? We acknowledge that each of our clients are unique and carry their own special strengths which may or may not be conducive to doing individual online art therapy.
If this might be the case, we invite you (the caregiver) into the process! This might look like you sitting side by side with your child in creating the art or supporting them whilst having the therapist continue to guide the session. There may be distractions such as toys around the home, but we invite you to incorporate all of that into the session so that even their favourite toys can be integrated in order to create a playful, curious, safe and strength-building space. Post session feedback will be provided at a different time. We also can provide family art therapy sessions online.
Shorter sessions.
It might be the case that a 30 minute session may be a better fit for your young one than a regular 50 minute session. We want to acknowledge that each child is different and want to be as accommodating as we can. You can let our admin know that it will be a 30 minute session instead. Towards the end, if you feel as though an extra 20 minutes is needed, we’d be happy to extend the session to the regular time and fee.
Parent consultations.
If you feel that an online art therapy session may not be a good fit for your child, but would like to seek support, you may want to consider a parenting consultation. Parent consultations provide a robust way to explore your child’s development needs, better understand what is happening and how you can use your expertise as their parent to best support them.
Parent consultations can be booked for 30 minutes or for an hour and can take place over the phone or online. Please contact our admin to book and for further details.
What happens if there is a disruption?
In the event that something happens to the wifi, we have the option of logging on again or jumping onto a phone call. If there is something wrong on our end we will do everything to fix the issue, or offer an alternative time.
Additional suggestions:
If you are planning on engaging in art making it will be nice to have your tablet or phone on a stand so that you can move your hands around easily. A laptop or wider screen if available will provide a better visual experience but certainly not necessary.
6 tips that can improve online video quality:
Choppy video can be frustrating during a video call. Here are some more tips to help improve the quality.
Restart your computer before a call. Other software might be using computer power or interfere with your video or microphone. Restarting your computer will assure your computer is ready for video.
Use fast internet with ethernet cable. Video quality adapts to internet speed, so the faster your internet connection, the better the video quality you will experience.
If possible, use a newer computer with plenty of speed. Sending and receiving video takes a lot of computer power. Old or slow computers will have a harder time processing the video, which can cause choppiness.
Use low resolution. If you are experiencing poor quality, try lowering the resolution. By doing this it requires less bandwidth and computer power, resulting in less choppiness during your call.
Use headphones. Typically your computer will automatically eliminate echo or audio feedback so you don't hear yourself talking. But if it happens, have the participant and yourself use headphones.
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