Terms and conditions 

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This document details crucial information about my professional services and the general rules I follow with all clients in my care. 

 

Confidentiality 

Your therapy will entail discussing some very intimate things, such as your thoughts, feelings, and actions. To some extent, my ability to help you will really depend on how open you are about yourself during our meetings. Anything that you disclose remains confidential. It is important that during our sessions you feel you can talk openly with me and that your right to privacy is protected. This generally means that I cannot discuss you or your case with any third parties without your consent. 

 

Records 

I may take some notes about our sessions. These tend to be brief and include mostly information about the dates we met, and occasionally the topics covered and any problems or goals we have. 

 

Exceptions to confidentiality 

There are some situations that may arise where confidentiality can be broken. Although these situations are rare, you should be made aware of what they are: 

1. If you threaten to harm another person, I am required by law to protect anyone I feel may be in danger. This could include making contact with the person or people who have been threatened and, in some cases, notifying the police. 

2. Likewise, if you threaten to cause severe harm to yourself, and I believe your threat to be serious, then I am ethically required to protect you in any way I see fit. In situations such as these, my intervention may involve talking to you about going to a hospital, or, in some extreme cases I may have to call the police. 

3. If I suspect that any child, elderly person, or other vulnerable individual is at risk from abuse or neglect, the law requires me to report this to the appropriate body. Laws such as these are in force to protect any dependable persons from being physically hurt. 

4. If I receive a subpoena or a court order requesting your records, I will be required to provide any relevant information. 

5. In order for me to provide you with the best treatment, I may need to seek advice from other mental health professionals. All psychotherapists consult with a Clinical Supervisor on a regular basis for the duration of their career to ensure best practice is maintained. If I do need to talk with my clinical supervisor or colleagues about your case in order to help you, this will be done with your best interests in mind. Your identity will always be kept confidential so your name will never be disclosed. Furthermore, the content of what we discuss will also be treated with the same level of confidentiality and the same exceptions to confidentiality will apply to other professionals as well. 

 

Fees 

The fee for the initial assessment and for subsequent sessions for a standard 50-minute individual session is agreed prior to the initial meeting. 

 

Payment 

You are expected to pay by cash, cheque or transfer at the end of each month, when I will regularly send you an invoice with the number of sessions we made during that month. You will find all the details for transfer on the invoice. 

 

Cancellations and missed sessions 

The frequency will be agreed at the beginning of the therapy and it will be found the mutual convenient time for the sessions. I tend to meet my clients at the same day and time every week, or where required every two weeks. It’s very important to attend therapy with regularity in order to get results; protecting some space in your diary makes this easier to achieve. 

In cases where clients are unable to commit to attending regular sessions because of their unpredictable working patterns, if clinically appropriate I offer the possibility to book appointments as often as they are able to attend, by agreeing each time a mutually convenient time. This means that sessions may not always take place on the same day and time, no regular slot is reserved for the client and the cancellations terms are as per regular sessions. 

Sessions cancelled with less than 48 hours’ notice will be charged at the full amount, unless I can find another slot in my calendar in order to reschedule the lost session within the next planned session (usually within one week). In this case the vis a vis session will be charged 20 pounds more, which is the cost of the slot; no charge in addition for skype sessions. No charge will be made on sessions when more than 48 hours’ notice is given. 

 

Late Arrivals 

If for any reason you arrive late for the session, I will still see you but the session will terminate as per schedule so you will not have a full session. 

 

Ethical Framework: In my therapeutic practice I abide to the ethical guidelines outlined by Health & Care Professions Council - HCPC 

 

Emergency 

I do not offer emergency support as I cannot guarantee my availability to you. If you are in danger 

in any way please contact emergency services, your GP or the Samaritans (020 7734 2800 or 116 

123).