Thinking about Play and Creativity in Online Psychotherapy with Children and Families: “Oh, the Places We’ll Go!”
A three-week group via video link to reflect on learning from shared experience
With Carolyn Coburn and Andrea Oldham, Child Psychotherapists
Picture from the role of play in children's development: legofoundation.com
Most clinicians who work with children and their families must now offer their sessions online. The change to our practice was sudden and without much time to think about how to set this up. We are all learning as we go, and all of us are affected by this unprecedented world health crisis. We are faced with grief and mourning for our old ways of life and work. We are also offered the challenge to think about new and creative ways to frame holding and sustaining therapeutic spaces for children and families to work through troubles and worries in their lives.
Together, Carolyn and Andrea have been thinking for some time about how to work creatively online with families. We would like to share our observations, thinking and practical advice with interested clinicians in a small group experience. The group will be limited in numbers and run weekly for three weeks to provide a confidential discussion space.
Andrea and Carolyn first met in their shared work with children and families at The Royal Children’s Hospital, and they have continued their conversations, thoughts, and laughter ever since. Together they have over 40 years of combined experience working with children and their families facing periods of social and physical isolation, due to illness, trauma and disability. They have had to think of creative ways of working with children who have very limited options for the fundamentals of interaction and play with another joyful mind. Online therapy is another challenge. So far, it’s proving to be another of Dr Seuss’s amazing adventures, and we are all going to extraordinary places in our minds, our bodies, and with each other.
We look forward to hearing of your interest in this unique group experience.
Contact Details to Register Interest mailto:carolyn.coburn99@gmail.com
The zoom link will then be sent to you after registration.
Cost: $215 (inclusive of GST)
Time: 1.30pm - 3.00pm
Dates: Fridays - 5th, 12th and 19th June
Group Facilitators Carolyn Coburn is a child adolescent and adult psychoanalytic psychotherapist in full time private practice. She has taught and supervised for many years at Mindful The University of Melbourne’s Child Psychiatry Training Program, Monash University Masters of Mental Health in Child Psychotherapy Studies, and the Masters of Child Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy MCPP and run infant observation groups for 20 years. She is the current President of the Child Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy Association of Australia. Carolyn was a long-standing member of The Royal Children’s Hospital Child Psychotherapy Department and has consulted extensively to Maternal and Child Health Outreach Nurses as well running training and supervision for Family Mediation Centres. Carolyn is passionate about providing opportunities to understand and nourish the heart and soul of inner worlds.
Andrea Oldham is a Psychologist and Child and Adolescent Psychotherapist. She has a Graduate Diploma in Family and Relationships through the Cairnmillar Institute and a Masters in Child and Adolescent Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy through Monash. She has worked in Private Practice for 12 years, as well as The Royal Children’s Hospital, CAMHS and Department of Education. For many years she has offered phone or video link therapy to create a bridge when people are at a distance due to their location, when they are recovering from surgery and illness at home or in hospital and with babies and parents. Along the way Andrea has discovered video therapy to be a transformative and creative form of therapy. This has provided a helpful foundation to now work with Tele-therapy during the COVID-19 pandemic. Andrea believes in the power of people connecting creatively to find a way through struggles. She holds great hope that we can find new ways as clinicians to maintain a connection with patients and colleagues even from a distance