All clients will be offered an introductory 30 minute free session.  This is also an opportunity for us both to decide whether or not we feel able to work with each other.

Confidentiality

All information brought to a counselling session will remain confidential between the client and the counsellor. All counsellors are required to be in supervision and I do take relevant issues from counselling sessions into supervision. However, I take care to preserve your anonymity in supervision.

The only time I might need to break confidentiality is if I believe that the client’s actions could constitute a danger to themselves or any other person.  The confidentiality policy would also be breached if a client disclosed anything relating to an illegal action or intention.  In the case of an issue arising which led to concerns about Child Protection, the counsellor would have to pass on the relevant information. The counsellor will make every effort to discuss the issue with the client before speaking to their supervisor.  No client information is kept on computer.

Commitment

On agreeing to counselling, you are entering a verbal contract to attend at the agreed time and place.

The fee will have already been agreed in the initial consultation.  Please make payment before each session by BACs payment or by cash at the start of the session.  Please use your name as the reference when making payment so that I know it is you that has paid.

Counselling can be extremely beneficial, but very often, it can be a difficult process.  It is very important that you realise that it is better to continue with your appointments than to stop suddenly.  Your counsellor will help you to cope with difficult emotions so that you can work through your feelings.

Length of Counselling

You will be offered weekly sessions, which will last for one hour.  If you are late for an appointment, the ending time will remain the same as another client may be waiting.

I will regularly review with you how you feel sessions are going.  When you feel you have had as many sessions as you currently need please discuss this with me so we can arrange an ending session. This ending session provides an opportunity to look back over counselling and give and receive feedback about what has taken place.

Missed Sessions

If a session is missed without notification, I will phone to make sure you are well.

It is important that you let me know if you cannot attend your appointment. Where less than 24 hours’ notice of cancellation is given, I ask to be reimbursed for the full session fee. If we are able to rearrange your session for another time that same week there will be no cancellation charge.

I will also give you as much warning as I can of any breaks I am taking.

I am a member of The British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy and as an individual member of BACP is bound by its Ethical Framework for Good Practice in Counselling and Psychotherapy and subject to the Professional Conduct Procedure therein.