Loss, adaptation and growth: The experiences of creative arts therapists during the Covid-19 pandemic

Students’ Perceptions of Crisis-Mode Tele-Drama Therapy Training with Older Adults

“…The findings indicate that the rapid transition to remote therapy tapped students’ creativity and their ability to develop new tools for tele-DT over the telephone, for example, by working with objects in the client’s home. These results align with other studies that indicate the importance of adjusting the creative process in arts therapies to the remote framework (Keisari et al, 2023; Wood et al, 2020). The students were obligated to enhance and expand the techniques they had learned for in-person therapy so that they could be used over the phone.…”

“…This corresponds to other studies noting the contribution of telephone-based support for the older population during lockdowns (Bar-Tur et al, 2021; Harel & Keisari, 2023). It is important to note that, since the outbreak of the pandemic, approaches to tele-DT have advanced (Atsmon et al, 2022; Feniger-Schaal et al, 2022; Keisari et al, 2023). However, except for a single case study (Kordova & Keisari, 2020), to the best of our knowledge, this is the first project to offer tele-DT via the telephone setting for older adults (Harel & Keisari, 2023).…”

“…Tele-DT can be delivered remotely by telephone or other devices (Feniger-Schaal et al, 2022). Although many clients and therapists welcomed the possibility of online therapy when ongoing face-to-face therapy was impossible, the remote setting also created many challenges (Keisari et al, 2023). For example, tele-therapy eliminates sensory experiences, i.e., the physical distance between therapist and client remains the same, and at times the whole body cannot be visualized (Engelhard & Furlager, 2020).…”

“…For example, tele-therapy eliminates sensory experiences, i.e., the physical distance between therapist and client remains the same, and at times the whole body cannot be visualized (Engelhard & Furlager, 2020). The transition to a remote setting may be accompanied by a lack of confidence (Keisari et al, 2023). Nevertheless, several studies on tele-DT before and during the pandemic indicate it may have had certain advantages.…”