In the aftermath of the Covid pandemic we are developing an approach that reflects the paradigm shift that has occurred with an increase of online work in all areas of life including psychotherapy.

We aim to ensure that we remain as accessible as possible and that to be fully inclusive we need to consider the balance between provision of in person and online work required from students and offered in our services.

As an organisation we value inclusivity.

Inclusivity covers accessing and being more accessible to:

• Teachers and members who live outside London or the commuter belt
• Training supervisors and training therapists who may need to work on-line
• Clients who may need to receive therapy without leaving their home
• Students from a greater range of geographical locations
• Colleagues looking for on-line attachment based CPD
• Professionals in related fields (nursing, teaching) who might want to learn about attachment and cannot attend in person
• Clients/colleagues who may be housebound

We aim to offer traditional face to face working as our primary focus but are now expanding and developing our expertise with online working.

With this in mind we would like to add material to our core reading, incorporate some seminars on remote clinical work and provide space for members to talk about, write about and share their experiences of using digital platforms.

The areas that we will aim to remain predominantly face to face are training therapy, infant observation, training supervision and the bulk of the clinical work that students carry out between PiT and RAPP assessments. Alongside this there is a need to ensure that our students are prepared adequately for online work and this will be included through the curriculum, readings, and as appropriate through some client work.

How this will work in practice:

Seminars

Some seminars will be taught online as well as in-person

Committee meetings

At the discretion of the Chair, the Executive and the CTC may meet remotely, especially when committee members are known to each other and relationships have been developed. We will aim for the two annual joint away days will be held in person.

Other committees may also meet remotely at the discretion of their chairs or co-ordinators.

Clinical forums

These have been hugely successful when being facilitated via Zoom and the plan is to continue to work in this way so that we can be accessible to a greater number of participants. We recognise that they are also a good place for students and members to meet socially and we will therefore plan additionally for joint CPD/student trainings that will be held in person. These will be centred on topics that are relevant to everyone, like GDPR, safeguarding, and ethics.

Conferences

We will aim to hold two each year, one on-line and one face to face. In this way we can access international speakers and provide a lower cost conference with our on-line offering, and provide a social space for networking and meeting up with our face to face conference.

CPD

We will continue to offer courses in person but will also provide the option to attend some further trainings on-line. This will make us more accessible to international participants. We are in the process of developing a digital library which will enable participants to purchase webinars.

Training supervision

For students undertaking the four year course we would usually require all students to be in person with their first training supervisor unless there are extenuating circumstances. The first training supervisor is normally a Bowlby Trained supervisor and therefore it may be that the only way a student can access a Bowlby trained supervisor especially if they live outside London is by being online.

Should a student wish to be online with their first training supervisor they will need to liaise with their course tutor and apply in writing to the CTC outlining the extenuating circumstances.

Should it be agreed by the CTC that the first training supervisor can be on- line the second training supervisor would usually be in-person. As above if there are extenuating circumstances which means both the first and second training supervisors are on-line this must be approved by the CTC.

Should the first training supervisor be in person, the second training supervisor for six months can be online.

For our APL students we recommend and encourage that the training supervisor is in person. However, due to previous experience we would support online training supervision. It is important that the course tutor and CTC are aware of this and agree.

Training therapy

For our four year students we require training therapy to be in person, with a small number of sessions being delivered online, for example if the training therapist locates for a short period of time abroad.

If there is a change in a training therapists location or if the student joins us having already established a relationship with a training therapist and the training necessitates online personal therapy this must be discussed and agreed by the CTC.

If a student joins the four year course and before they start or at the start they need to find a suitable training therapist but they are unable to in their geographical area they may apply to the CTC to work online with a training therapist.

If possible they will be encouraged to meet with the training therapist for example once a month, once a term or once a year, but it is acknowledged that this may not be possible and therefore 100% online personal therapy will be agreed. The rationale behind this decision lies in the point that we don’t want anyone excluded from the training programme because of where they live and the lack of suitable training therapists in their locality. In addition it needs to be acknowledged that there is both a time element and a travel cost if we require a students to travel in-person which may be prohibitive and thereby lead us not to be socially economically inclusive.

The student needs to speak with their course tutor and formally write to the chair of the CTC to request, under extenuating circumstances to work online with a training therapist. Their letter needs to include details of any previous therapy and whether this was in-person or online as well as a summary of their explorations into finding a suitable in-person therapist.

The CTC and course tutor must agree online training therapy.

It is hoped that as we expand our training to a wider geographical area then in the future we will have an increasing number of Bowlby trained therapists and supervisors in the UK who can offer in person work. At this stage this is not realistic.

For our APL students we recommend and encourage that personal therapy is in person. However, due to previous experiences of personal therapy we would support online personal therapy. It is important that the course tutor and CTC have discussed this and agreed it.

The impact of the pandemic on clinical work and registration requirements

Where possible it is a requirement that all client work is undertaken face to face. We recognise that the pandemic has inevitably impacted on face to face client work. This guidance is for those students who may be or who have been impacted by the pandemic restrictions: For example students who have started their face to face client work and have had to move their client work online and for students who have had to start their client work online.

Client work and registration

Pre 2022 intakes

Ideally all client hours will now be face to face.

We are aware that for some students who began their client work during the pandemic that the majority of their client work out of necessity may have been online or by phone. We expect the students to make reference to this in their RAPP portfolios, clearly indicating their knowledge and understanding of both the strengths and challenges of working online with clients.

At the time of reviewing this policy ALL students will have been able to see some of their clients face to face. We recommend and encourage that any Blues clients who were taken on in the pandemic online have been offered as appropriate in person sessions. We normally require that all students as far as possible follow the criteria for intake 2023 onwards for in person and online work.

Intakes 2023 onwards

For the four year student

We require that the two Blues clients are seen face to face in person.

We require that three out of the five client presented in the RAPP portfolio are seen face to face in person.

It is possible for two out of the five clients presented in the RAPP portfolio are working with online.

*in extenuating circumstances, for example under reasonable adjustment, the CTC may agree to a Blues clients being seen online or by phone. This MUST be agreed by the CTC.

For the APL students

We require that the blues client or blues equivalent client are seen face to face in person.

We require that three out of the five client presented in the RAPP portfolio are seen face to face in person.

It is possible for two out of the five clients presented in the RAPP portfolio are working with online.

*in extenuating circumstances, for example under reasonable adjustment, the CTC may agree to a Blues clients being seen online or by phone. This MUST be agreed by the CTC.

Infant Observation

If an infant observation has been started and subsequently moved to an online platform, it needs to be resumed in person when that becomes possible, taking into account the needs of the observed family.

If an infant observation is yet to be started it is a requirement that the infant is able to be observed both in person and online, with the aim being (unless Covid restrictions prohibit it) for it to be conducted in person for as much as possible.

Please note that due to changing circumstances this policy will be continuously under review.

Reviewed October 2021
Reviewed February 2023
Reviewed February 2024
Reviewed August 2025