Like so many people, I never imagined that 2020 would unfold the way it did.
At the beginning of the year, I was facilitating a 12-week Cultural Art Therapy group as part of my MSc placement. The group started in RHA Gallery face to face in 2019 and we had reached week eight when COVID-19 restrictions were introduced and suddenly in person sessions could no longer continue.
For a while, I wasn't sure what would happen next.
The group had built relationships, routines and trust over the previous weeks, and I was very aware of how important consistency can be within a therapeutic process. Simply stopping didn't feel like the right option, but neither did moving online without careful thought.
Although I had already completed the placement hours required for my MSc in Art Psychotherapy at Ulster University, the University developed additional training to support students and therapists who suddenly found themselves working in completely different ways. I chose to take part.
The module focused on safe and ethical online practice. We explored the practical and professional considerations of delivering therapy remotely, role-played online sessions and reflected together on the challenges we were likely to face. It gave me the confidence to move my own group online while continuing to work within professional and ethical guidelines.
Working online was a completely new experience for all of us.
As the participants were adults, I posted art materials directly to each person before the sessions began. Although we were no longer sharing the same physical space, everyone had access to the same creative resources, allowing us to continue the work together from our own homes.
It certainly wasn't without its challenges. As a newly qualified therapist, I was adapting to an entirely new way of working while also continuing my part-time role as a home-visiting mentor in Dublin during an incredibly uncertain time. Like everyone else, I was learning as I went.
Despite the challenges, I was surprised by what was possible.
People continued to engage with the creative process, conversations remained thoughtful and supportive, and groups maintained a sense of connection even though we were meeting through a screen. While nothing replaces being together in person, those weeks reminded me that meaningful therapeutic work can still happen when we remain flexible, thoughtful and grounded in good practice.
Looking back over the past few months, I feel incredibly grateful to my lecturers and supervisors at Ulster University for responding so quickly and providing additional training when it was needed most. Their support ensured that newly fully trained students could begin practising safely, ethically and with confidence during an unprecedented time.
This experience has reinforced something I have already begun to learn through Cultural Art Therapy: while the environment may change, the therapeutic relationship, ethical practice and creative process remain at the heart of the work.