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Psychotherapy Contract
Please read through this therapy contract, fill in the information requested, and click submit. Therapy cannot proceed unless you have understood and agreed with this contract. If you have any questions about this contract please contact me. 

General information

I am a member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) and I abide by their codes of ethics and practice, which include having regular supervision and professional development. I am based and work in the United Kingdom and I am governed by United Kingdom jurisdiction.

The aim of therapy is to provide you with a confidential relationship to safely explore personal issues you would like to discuss. The therapist's role is to help you through this process without judgement. If at any time I feel I can no longer help you, I will offer to refer you to someone who can.

Therapy can be open-ended or for a specific number of sessions and this will be discussed and agreed upon in the first session. You are not contracted to any specific number of sessions and may terminate therapy without further cost at any time.

Sessions last for 60 minutes. Fees are payable at the end of each session by cash or bank transfer unless you have pre-paid through a booking website. If you are unable to make an appointment for any reason, please give me at least 24 hours notice, otherwise, the full fee for that cancelled session will be charged. If I am not available for a session, I will contact you as soon as possible and offer an alternative time.

I will need you to agree to give me permission to contact your GP if I am concerned that you are at risk of harming yourself or others. You must let me know if you enter or are considering entering another therapeutic relationship.


Confidentiality

All that is discussed within sessions will always be treated as confidential with the following exceptions:

 
  • If I am concerned that you or others are in danger or at serious risk of being harmed.

  • If I am compelled by a court to break confidentiality.
  • If I become aware that you are involved in or know of behaviours that may lead to harm or neglect to children and vulnerable adults.
  • If I become aware that you are involved in or know of an act of terrorism, money laundering or drug trafficking.
To maintain good clinical practice, information from sessions will be shared with a supervisor, without mentioning names or any identifiable information.
 
I keep and securely store written notes relating to our sessions, and these are available to you on request. I do not record any of our sessions.
 

Contact

We will limit any contact by email, messages or telephone in between sessions to practical arrangements and information only. Sensitive and personal material should be kept for the session itself. I am unable to accept invitations from you on any other form of social media. If an emergency arises please contact The Samaritans or Befrienders Worldwide. I do not offer any emergency support.


Working online or by telephone

I use Zoom for video sessions. A meeting link will be emailed to you a few hours before the session. If you are not familiar or not comfortable with using Zoom, then please let me know and I can help you set it up on your computer or phone.   

You should do all you can to find a private and undisturbed place for our sessions. If you feel confident that you cannot be overheard, you will be able to engage in the session more fully. You may need to be creative about finding confidential space, perhaps even sitting outside in the car, if you have one. You will also need to ensure that any vulnerable members of your household have adequate care and supervision for this time.

We both agree not to make any kind of recording of sessions conducted by phone or video.

You are responsible for the security of your devices, including using password protection and regularly updating any virus checkers and firewalls installed. Please discuss any concerns with me. As far as possible, I will ensure that the devices I use are safe and secure.

If we lose our connection due to technological difficulties, I will always attempt to re-establish the connection. If this is not possible, I will contact you by an alternative method to either continue the session or reschedule.

Meeting me in your home environment may make the process feel more informal, which may affect how you prepare for and experience our meetings. It can help the counselling process if you turn off other devices during our session to minimise distractions. Set up a space where you can sit comfortably for the duration of the session. Ideally, you should set up your device so you can use it hands-free while you remain clearly visible, with adequate lighting, without having to make adjustments as we talk.

 

GDPR Statement

Under the General Data Protection Regulations 2018, you have certain rights. These are:

 
  • You are allowed to see your notes. This is facilitated by making a formal request.

  • Records are kept for 7 years after termination of therapy and then destroyed.

  • Having your records amended (change of name and address).

  • In the case of clients under 18, records are kept for 7 years after the child turns 18.

  • Under GDPR you can request your data be erased. However, there are exceptions to this.


In the case of counselling records, insurance companies and ethical bodies ask for records to be available for the period of time as outlined above.


Complaints

If you feel you are not getting the service you need, I would like to hear about your concerns directly so I can offer you the best possible service. If you are still not satisfied, you may submit a complaint to the BACP at www.bacp.co.uk.

Thanks for submitting!

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