Creative Arts Therapy in the "Remote Therapeutic Response" Format in the Education System

Area of Science:

• Creative arts therapy
• Educational psychology
• Telehealth

Background:

• Creative arts therapists frequently work within educational settings.
• The COVID-19 pandemic necessitated a shift to remote therapeutic response formats for all therapists.
• This transition impacted service delivery and client engagement in schools.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore and map creative arts therapists' perceptions of remote therapeutic response within the education system.
• To understand the experiences, benefits, and challenges associated with delivering creative arts therapy remotely to students.
• To identify insights and recommendations for future remote therapeutic practices in schools.

Main Methods:

• A qualitative research approach was employed, utilizing semi-structured interviews.
• Fifteen creative arts therapists actively participating in remote therapy within educational settings were interviewed.
• Consensual qualitative research methodology was used to analyze the interview data.

Main Results:

• Seven key domains emerged: emotional transition experiences, implementation of remote therapy, benefits, challenges, parent contact, educational system context, and recommendations.
• Therapists reported significant emotional adjustments to the remote format.
• While remote creative arts therapy is not seen as a complete substitute for in-person services, it has introduced novel opportunities.

Conclusions:

• Remote creative arts therapy in education presents both significant difficulties and emerging possibilities.
• Therapists' insights highlight the need for continued adaptation and innovation in telehealth for school-based mental health services.
• The study underscores the evolving landscape of therapeutic interventions within the educational sector.