Kayley Moylan, Kevin Doherty
Human–Computer Interaction (HCI) researchers have long recognised the importance of participatory approaches to the ethical and inclusive design of digital technologies, including in particular those to support our mental health. Mental health professionals, including therapists, have, however, seldom been included in HCI research, despite the development of numerous human-centred design methodologies for healthcare innovation. This, given their limited availability, concerns around confidentiality, diverse professional practices and resistance to technological solutionism. We report, in this paper, on the design and feasibility of a bespoke Asynchronous Remote Community (ARC) method, implemented as a Google Chat community, for engaging Art Psychotherapists (n = 14) in research. We build on prior guidelines for the use of this method and contribute actionable recommendations for HCI researchers regarding the reflexive, operational and often unspoken details of employing and tending to an ARC engaging mental health professionals; these insights include the importance of researcher reflexivity, pre-empting needs and meticulous organisation.