Following COVID-19 within QLD and any lockdowns that maybe called; Brookwater Therapeutic Connections service has been exempt from closure. We can continue to have our Play Therapy / Psychotherapy sessions if we maintain a Covid Safe therapy environment.
This includes the following measures:
Before booking a face-to-face session: It is requested you kindly sign the short COVID – 19 declaration form which includes asking yourself three short Covid Questions before any face-to-face sessions are booked. If you answer YES to any of the questions stated below, letting me know via text on 0497 607 456 is required. In the last 14 days have you or any one in your household experienced symptoms such as
Gastroenteritis
Sudden extreme fatigue
Fever/ elevated temperature
Cough § Sore throat
Runny nose
Difficulty breathing/shortness of breath
Flu-like symptoms
Changes in the ability to taste or smell
In the last 14 days have you travelled overseas/interstate or visited any exposure sites?
Have you been diagnosed with coronavirus or recommended to self-isolate/quarantine or been in contact with a confirmed or suspected case of the coronavirus?
If there is a ‘yes’ to any of these, my preference would be for us to reschedule or to book a zoom/phone session instead. It’s during this part specifically that I really appreciate your understanding and honesty during these times.
Before you enter the therapy room:
To reduce the number of people within the building, I encourage younger clients to bring only one parent/caregiver to the waiting area if needed. When possible, it is my preference that parents/caregivers stay at the waiting area above reception.
Please note a very high standard of hygiene will be maintained; equipment, surfaces will be disinfected between clients. It is also a requirement that we thoroughly wash our hands between each session or use the ‘natural based’ hand sanitizer provided.
I will be wearing a clear mask within each session and clients are requested to do the same. This also applies to children aged 12 and above. I will be providing these for clients to use within session. There will be two types/sizes to choose from to help you feel more comfortable. Please note these are properly disinfected between clients and help to continue the flow of therapy by being able to see all face expressions.
Also I will be using a digital thermometer. A temperature check will be required before entering the therapy room. I will be doing my own temperature check too before each client arrives.
Once inside:Clients and I are required to complete the Safe QLD digital check-in when entering or exiting the therapy room, to facilitate contact tracing. Something to consider: I am fully vaccinated with a booster shotscheduled for February 2022 at present and committed to continuing to have further booster shots every 5 months. Some therapy Governing Bodies are requesting to only see clients that are vaccinated; however, this is not the case with myself. I will continue to see unvaccinated clients and will inform you if PACFA or APTA (my Governing bodies) changes their policy. All I ask is that you keep me informed if you are not vaccinated so I can keep you at the top of the list to be informed first if a case in the practice should arise. Overall, I highly encourage you to consider online sessions for the time being where possible. Especially when infections are high, or if you are already familiar with having online sessions with the digital zoom platform.
Or the other option could be that you simply reduce your face-to-face therapy contact and trial alternating your sessions between online/phone and face to face.
If you find yourself feeling uncomfortable with these options, you could request to put your current sessions on hold. We can always look at resuming our face-to-face sessions in the future when it is safe to do so.
If you are confused about any of this information, please make contact with me to determine the right option of Play Therapy / Psychotherapy for you under the given current guidelines/climate.
Thank you for your understanding and for continuing to cooperate in maintaining our Covid Safe therapy environment.
Hannah Hendry holds the following Clearances: Working with Children Check (Blue Card), National Police Check and First Aid and CPR Certificate.