Counselling Information / Agreement

I have been working as a counsellor since 2003 and my training in the Person-Centred approach means I believe we all have capacity for healing and growth, despite any obstacles that may get in the way. I will support you to explore your feelings and how you experience yourself in the world and in relation to others. The aim is to empower you to be able to take control over your life and make choices that feel right for you. I will offer you a neutral and confidential space to help you make sense of your feelings.

How therapy will be provided

At your initial session which we can:

  • meet and talk about what brought you to therapy

  • discuss whether I can offer the right or appropriate support

  • discuss fees and session times/dates/cancellations

  • if you don’t feel that I am the right person for you, an onward referral will be offered to you.

If we decide to work together, sessions are open ended, take place weekly, last 60 minutes and cost £60.
Fees are payable prior to the introductory session by BACS, I will send details

(I am able to offer a limited amount of spaces at a negotiated rate)

If you need to cancel for any reason, please give me at least 48hrs notice, where possible. A payment of your usual fee is requested if cancelling with less than 48hrs notice or if you give no notice at all.

Confidentiality

Although our sessions are confidential, there are some circumstances where I am required to break confidentiality.

If you provide me with information that appears to indicate an immediate threat to your own life or health, or to anyone else’s, I may need to report that information to your GP, the police or the emergency services. However, before taking this action I would discuss this with you.

As part of my on-going training and personal development as a Counsellor, I attend regular supervision sessions. At these sessions I discuss my client work with my supervisor, however to ensure confidentiality I will not identify you by name.

In the unlikely event that our work has to terminate because, for example, I am involved in a serious accident and am unable to inform you personally, I will have entrusted a BACP or UKCP registered and highly trusted colleague the task of contacting you and discussing the situation with you. In this event my colleague will then have access to your contact details and the basic details of what our work is e.g. long-term therapy, consultancy and any information that is ethically necessary to impart.

Additional information

I will keep brief records of our work together in a secure place. These notes and any emails or text messages will be destroyed/deleted two years after we have ended working together.

As a member of the National Counselling and Psychotherapy Society, I adhere to their Code of Ethics – for further information, go to https://ncps.com/assets/uploads/docs/National-Counselling-Society-Code-of-Ethics.pdf

For data protection purposes, I am registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office under reference ZB018745 and I am listed as the Data Controller.

Your responsibility as a client

I would expect you to communicate as openly and honestly as possible and to ask me about anything that is unclear to you or causing you concern. I would also expect you to attend and pay for sessions promptly and to communicate any changes in circumstances that might impact on your Counselling.

Please ensure your mobile phone is switched off at the beginning of any session and inform me if you need to keep it on for emergency purposes.

Working arrangements online

I am happy to offer sessions online via Google Meet or Whatsapp. Please let me know of you need any help accessing this platform. I will send you a link either on the day we are due to meet or the day beforehand.

Here are a few things we may find helpful when working on video call:

  • Make sure you have a good wifi connection.

  • If we experience any technical/connection issues we can, if required, both log out, wait a moment and then log back in again. If successful, we’ll continue, if not we can agree a different method (e.g. phone) or reschedule the session if issues aren’t able to be resolved.

  • For both of our safety and confidentiality, where possible log in or be ready for your session in the quietest and most private space available. Setting aside the space and time for your session will be a valuable contribution to your self-care.

  • After the session, ensure that you’ve closed all internet pages that relate to our time together to maintain your privacy.

  • Afterwards, if you can, try and take some time to move from the therapy space back into your living space. This might involve a transitional activity such as a walk, cup of tea, writing some notes, sitting quietly or perhaps the simple measure of moving from the room or place you have had your session into a different space.

August 2024