The importance of the supervisory relationship during adverse and unprecedented times

The article explores supervision during a time of adversity during a global, unforeseen pandemic-Covid 19. This has led to times of extreme struggle, creating an unknown and fearful world for many, ultimately impacting both the therapists and client's worlds as modes of working are restructured and a 'new normal' is sought. The article investigates, through lived experience, how supervision can be used effectively during the health pandemic through using a duoethnography approach. An exploration of working from a position of perceived disempowerment and the challenges of overcoming barriers in an increasingly unsteady socio-political landscape is presented. Vignettes and images of the lived experiences of the supervisor and supervisee are provided, alongside the main body of content, highlighting the importance of the supervisory relationship. Supervision, and the consistency of its practice in this instance, is shown to enable the exploration of the client world and 'meaning making' despite the global pandemic crisis. It is demonstrated that through effective stability within the supervisory relationship, supervisees' can be empowered to continue providing therapeutically sound services for clients through times of national crisis. Supervision is now, more than ever, needed to support therapists in this brash, destructive, uncertain world. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

A duoethnographic exploration of the diversification of Dramatherapy practice during the Covid-19 pandemic: Considering therapeutic framing and alliance while working remotely

The article is written by two Dramatherapists working for a community interest company offering arts psychotherapies and arts for health and wellbeing services to a variety of client groups. In 2020, during the Covid-19 pandemic, the organisation experienced an increase in client referrals. The multidisciplinary team considered ethical implications to create policies, procedures and ways of working via remote practice. This article considers the diversification of approaches to Dramatherapy when working remotely, including framing and its impact on the therapeutic alliance. It considers clients who began interventions remotely and those who transitioned from in-person working to remote. The article takes a duoethnographic approach voicing Dramatherapists? personal experiences and reflections of transitioning their practice. Thematic analysis is applied to the therapist?s data set and a small-scale collection of client feedback to enhance meaning-making. Findings are presented through inclusion of therapist and client vignettes, including themes of feeling deskilled, adaptivity, assessing, disclosures, framing, therapeutic alliance and facilitation. Exploration of experiences shared by therapist and clients further informs Dramatherapy practice both now and for the future. The Dramatherapists conclude by identifying that an effective alliance can occur remotely, and that Dramatherapeutic techniques can be diversified into the world of remote practice. In addition, providing remote Dramatherapy could widen the diversity of individuals who can access.

Unfair dismissal?

Sarah Buxton considers how a fear of Covid-19 is viewed by employment tribunals