Welcome to 2022 - what will it bring? When can we work face-to-face again?

Current guidelines for England under Plan B include legally mandated mask-wearing for people talking together in indoor workplaces where food or drink is not being consumed. While it is probably true that some subtle aspects of the therapeutic relationship are changed (perhaps even lost) during remote working, I cannot imagine that sitting together with a client under current restrictions, both of us wearing facemasks and having carried out an individual risk assessment, is an improvement. In other words, we are not ready to work comfortably face-to-face, yet.

I realise that this may be frustrating for many current or potential clients, especially those who value the separation, neutrality and privacy of visiting the consulting room. As a therapist, I miss the particular connection that comes from sitting down together in a specially reserved place and time. However, remote working by zoom provides an excellent substitute, better than most of us had expected, and can be extremely valuable therapeutically.

As soon as possible, once the outlook is more certain and stable, I shall offer all my clients and supervisees a choice.