I AGREE TO OK TALK TERMS

Ethical Counsellor

Our work is carried out in accordance with the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy “BACP” and National Counselling Society Ethical Framework and this contract also emphasises the use of the Ethical Framework so you know that you can both trust me to honour our agreement and ultimately preserve confidentiality.

Confidentiality

All of my counselling work is confidential. Counsellors are ethically required to have supervision and I may therefore discuss your case if I need to seek any guidance to assist you. However, your identity will never be revealed and the only time that I may break the code of confidentiality is if I consider that you are at a serious risk of causing harm to yourself or others or when I am compelled to do so by law.

If at any point during our counselling sessions I feel that you are in need of emergency support, I may ask for your consent to contact your GP.

Time, location and payment

The counselling sessions will be booked using the online booking system and you can choose an available time slot. The duration of the session will be for 50 minutes.

The location for our counselling session will be discussed between us and we can meet at a mutually agreeable location.

The payment for the counselling session will be paid upfront and you can book either individual counselling sessions on an ad hoc basis or book a block of six sessions. The cost of the sessions will be agreed between us prior to them starting and I advise you to check any insurance you may have that could assist in payment for our sessions.

Session overtime

The sessions are designed to last 50 minutes but naturally you may feel you need to stay longer for personal reasons. You are welcome to stay longer but please be advised that you will be charged £1 per minute after the initial 50 minute session has expired. Payment for the overtime must be paid upon the completion of the overtime by either cash or a card payment.

Cancellation Policy

If you do decide to cancel an appointment then this is not a problem and will not affect your right to book with me again in the future. Please be advised that if you do cancel within 48 hours of a session starting, then you will not get a refund. If you cancel with more than 48 hours until the start of a session then you will be entitled to either a full refund or a mutually agreeable rescheduled appointment.

Social media

As a professional I will not have any contact with you outside of our sessions to preserve impartiality. I will only accept contact outside of our sessions for practical reasons. I will not enter into email or telephone counselling without prior authorisation/agreement with you. I do use social media but will not accept social networking requests or chat with you through this medium as I believe it may compromise our counselling relationship. Of course I may conduct counselling sessions with you through the protected online website.

Termination of counselling

The termination of our contract will be mutually agreed between us, however you do reserve the right to cancel the contract at any time. Please remember in accordance with the above Cancellation policy that if you do decide to cancel the contract ‘early’, then you must give at least 48 hours notice prior to the next session starting to take advantage of a full refund.

Security

Please ensure that you secure your computer and emails against unauthorised viewing by third parties. I recommend that if we carry out online counselling sessions then you use a private computer and not a work or public computer. Please ensure you keep your anti-viral protection up to date and I will endeavour to do the same.

Technology breakdown arrangements

Should you experience a technical breakdown which prevents you from carrying out the counselling session online, then please contact my by mobile (the number will be given to you before we start our first session of counselling) so that we can discuss how to rearrange the session. I will also undertake to contact you by telephone should I experience a technical breakdown.

Confidentiality and the extent of the session

Please be advised that if I am instructed to provide counselling with a client (of any age) then my duty will be specifically to that individual and thus the content of what we discuss in the session will remain absolutely confidential.

Therefore I will not provide any information to third parties about the content of the session unless I have the specific consent of the client. At no point will I act as an expert in Court Proceedings in accordance with CPR 35, and neither will I draft expert reports or provide my professional opinions on any case.