Counsellor/Client Agreement

This is a mutual agreement between counsellor and client, to be agreed prior to the commencement of counselling. It articulates the responsibilities of both the counsellor and client within the bounds of the counselling relationship.

Counselling

The aim of counselling is to provide you with a confidential opportunity to explore your thoughts and feelings in safety, to assist your learning, healing, understanding and growth and to provide you with coping strategies for the future. My role is to help you through this process without judgement and in total confidence. If at any time I feel I cannot help you in this way, I will offer to refer you to someone who can.

Confidentiality

Everything we discuss in our counselling sessions is kept in strictest confidence. There are a couple of exceptions to this rule however: firstly, as a member of BACP, I am required to have regular supervision and I will need to discuss our work in these sessions. Your identity remains confidential to myself and is not revealed to the Supervisor. Secondly, if, in exceptional circumstances, I felt either you or someone else were in danger or at risk of harm I would discuss with you first the possibility of breaking confidentiality before alerting your GP. By signing this contract you agree to share your GP contact details with me to this effect. I will record your name, DOB, address and GP details for these purposes as your GP has duty of care over you.

Data Protection Policy

I make brief notes about our sessions in writing for supervision purposes. Any information that is recorded/written will be kept on a secure encrypted computer/hard drive or in a lockable filing cabinet in my office, which outside agencies do not have access to. I am registered with the ICO for safe keeping of this information. I understand GDPR and ISO 27001 practices and abide by these for data stored on digital devices. Data collected about you will be kept for 7 years in line with my insurance company and governing body policies.

Please be aware that text messages and emails are only to be a form of communication about the appointment times/changes and I will not discuss our sessions beyond this time.

We will agree to digital devices presence within the therapy room if the phone is set to silent/turned off and unless it is an emergency you will not answer it. Please be aware that if you would like to show text-based messages on your phone you are aware of the content being legal and within safeguarding remits (ie there are no inappropriate or sexualised images visible). You may not record the sessions.

Ethical Standards

I am a member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy and bound by their ethical code of practice. This framework is available at : www.bacp.co.uk/ethical_framework/

Sessions

Sessions last for one hour and will be on a day and time to be decided between us. This hour belongs to you, whether you choose to attend or not, and I will be present for the entire length of our session and so if you arrive part way through your allotted time, I will see you for the remainder of the time. If for any reason I have to cancel a session I will aim to provide you with 48 hours notice, you will not be charged for the session. Likewise I will expect you to give me 48 hours notice if you are unable to attend. I reserve the right to charge for a missed session where no or insufficient notice is given.

Fees

Individual counselling : £ 65.00 per sixty-minute session. Couple counselling : £ 80.00 per sixty minute session.

Number of Sessions

Our work is open-ended and we will have regular reviews.

Endings

Sometimes you may feel that the counselling is not helping you. In these circumstances it is best if you can come and discuss the difficulties rather than abruptly ending the counselling. Many of us experience difficult and sudden losses and if this happens in counselling these losses do not have the opportunity to be understood and resolved. So I believe one week’s notice before ending will give us a chance to discuss your decision with no pressure to continue. You will normally know when you are ready to finish counselling and we can discuss this in a session.

Insurance

I hold both public liability and professional indemnity insurance.

DBS

I hold an enhanced DBS Certificate.

Complaints

If you have a complaint about my work, this should be directed to the BACP, the body responsible for issues of professional conduct.