I am bound by the Codes of Ethics and Practice of the British Association of Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapists (BABCP).
I will offer you either CBT, EMDR, Brainspotting or Single Session Therapy depending on the issue that you have come to me with and your wishes as to the type of therapy you prefer. I will explain the options available to you and we will proceed with therapy following mutual agreement.
This is my commitment to you. With the exception of item 4 below you are not contracted to any specific number of sessions. You may terminate therapy without further cost at any time you wish.
The cost of therapy includes any written materials I may supply but excludes the cost of any books that I might suggest you read.
As part of my code(s) of practice, I must continue professional development and engage in regular clinical supervision. This ensures an ethical and professional service to clients. I may discuss your case in supervision but would not use any identifying details.
Confidentiality will be maintained within the codes of ethics and legal requirements. Confidentiality does not apply where it would mean that I, as your therapist, might break the law by withholding information or where withholding information means I would breach the code of ethics. Confidentiality may be breached if I consider there is a risk you may harm yourself or others. In such exceptional circumstances, where there is concern for your well-being or that of others, it may be necessary to seek help outside the therapeutic relationship. If I am considering breaching confidentiality, you will normally be consulted first.
In the case of a disclosure concerning acts of terrorism, vulnerable adult or child protection issues or drug trafficking, confidentiality will be breached, and such disclosures will be passed onto the relevant authority without delay. Due consideration should be exercised before disclosing anything of a previously unreported criminal nature, as I am obligated to contact relevant authorities.
Our therapeutic relationship will always remain professional, and we can agree upon its boundaries (such as contact outside of our sessions) during our sessions.
Notes will be taken during and after each session, which will be kept in accordance with the Data Protection Act (2018). These notes will be securely stored, and my insurer requires that they be kept for seven years. I will keep the minimum amount of information my insurer, Balens requires. Apart from the anonymous discussion of my cases with my clinical supervisor, my notes will not be disclosed to anyone unless required under a court of law subpoena. You have the right to inspect your records should you wish. I ask that if possible we carry out this request within a booked session.
I will offer our online sessions over a secure online video platform and will not record them or keep a transcript due to confidentiality.
If agreed payments for therapy are not being paid within a satisfactory timeframe, then I reserve the right to terminate therapy.
Cancellations
I understand that sometimes sudden events make it necessary for appointments to be cancelled. If a session is cancelled within 48 hours of the appointment then it is difficult for me to offer this slot to anyone else. In this instance I ask that we split the fee and 50% will be payable to you and the other 50% returned to you minus payment processing fees from Stripe/Paypal (if applicable).
If a session is cancelled within 24 hours of the appointment time then the full fee will be charged. I am trying to be fair to both of us. When you book a session with me you are booking my time and this period is blocked out for you only and cannot be given to anyone else. You are buying my time and expertise for you only.
If for any reason you are late for a session, I will wait for 15 minutes on the video platform. If I do not hear from you within that time, I will assume that you are not attending, and the session will be cancelled with the full fee still being chargeable.
Payments
Payment for therapy sessions is due in advance at the time of booking. You can pay by bank transfer, PayPal, or Stripe.
Please note I no longer work with private health insurance providers.
Endings
Therapy can, at times, be demanding, frustrating, and emotional. You may, at times, find this process very difficult and feel the need to end therapy. To an extent this is a part of the therapy process as you start to become aware of feelings and thoughts that may have been beneath your awareness previously. Your feedback on the process is really important, and I hope that you will feel able to let me know if you are unhappy with any aspects of the treatment being offered. Please try to communicate how you are feeling during the session if you can. This gives us both the chance to address and resolve any issues. In the normal course of events, you will probably know when you are ready to finish therapy, and we will agree together on the work we need to do to prepare for this. Please do try to speak with me if you would like to end therapy rather than not attend sessions. It can be so helpful if we work through the ending together rather than it being an abrupt or premature ending. Therapy involves feeling your feelings within a safe environment, and I would like to help you to validate and honour any feelings that you may have about the therapy process itself.
Therapists are people and of course you may not feel that the ‘fit’ is right for you, and vice versa for me too. This is something that is very normal to negotiate in therapy and it is fine for you to say that you would like to end therapy as the fit doesn’t feel right for you.
I will not suddenly or without warning terminate our contract, except in exceptional circumstances, which would become clear during our work together. This would be fully discussed at that time. Please note any threats or acts of violence will invalidate this agreement, and therapy will cease. Sessions will not take place if you arrive under the influence of alcohol or other substances. Sometimes, therapy may not be appropriate at times of crisis when there is a high risk to your safety, and in this situation, we would discuss together how you can access the crisis support you may need at that time.
You will be notified in advance of any holidays I take. However, there may also be occasions when sessions are cancelled because of illness or attending training sessions or meetings. I will give you as much notice as possible of any cancellations and offer an alternative time. Please notify me if there are any changes in your contact details.
If you have been referred by an outside agency, such as a solicitor or insurance company, and there is a pending civil court case—for example, if you have been injured in a road accident—I draw your attention to the fact that under the Data Protection Act (1988), I may be obliged to supply copies of our therapy records to a requesting appropriate party, providing you consent.
If you are unhappy with the service you receive, please discuss this with me. If you do not receive a satisfactory resolution, you have the right to complain to my professional body, the BABCP (babcp.com).