Digitising creative psychological therapy : Arts for the Blues (A4B)

Farish-Edwards, F; Parsons, AS; Starkey, J; Dubrow-Marshall, LJ; Thurston, SD; Omylinska-Thurston, J; Karkou, V

Abstract

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a need to adapt and develop psychological interventions that address the mental health of those in need. As a result, Arts for the Blues (A4B), an evidence-based creative group psychotherapy model, originally developed for in-person delivery to address the needs of clients with depression, was transformed into a remote therapy option. This chapter presents an overview of plans and steps so far and offers activities used online during a public workshop
with 24 participants and training sessions with 70 psychotherapists (qualified and trainee). Concerns around safety, group sizes, time, and guidance/support are discussed, while the value of online work
for clients with depression (adults and children) are explored. It is concluded that even when in-person delivery is possible, online versions will be useful since they encourage a wider reach and make interventions more accessible.

• Online Publication Date: Nov 30, 2021
• Publication Date: Jan 1, 2022
• Deposit Date: Dec 3, 2021
• Publicly Available Date: Dec 3, 2021
• Pages: 1-17
• Series Title: Advances in Psychology, Mental Health, and Behavioral Studies (APMHBS) Book Series
• Book Title: Digital Innovations for Mental Health Support
• ISBN: 9781799879930-(ebook);-9781799879916-(hardback);-9781799879923-(paperback)
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-7998-7991-6.ch001
• Publisher URL: https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-7998-7991-6.ch001
• Related Public URLs: https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-7998-7991-6
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