Therapy contract information

This page offers essential details about the counselling process and our professional agreement. My goal is to ensure you feel confident and well-informed as we begin working together. During our first session, we will review and discuss the therapy contract to make sure everything is clear and transparent.

Understanding Confidentiality

As your therapist, I understand the importance of maintaining confidentiality and take this responsibility very seriously.

The content of our sessions is kept strictly confidential between you and me. However, there may be some limitations of confidentiality that you need to be aware of.

Limits of Confidentiality

While confidentiality is central to therapy, there are rare circumstances where it may need to be broken.
If I believe there is a serious risk of harm to you or to others, I may need to contact external agencies to ensure safety.
Wherever possible, I will discuss the situation with you first and agree on a course of action. In such cases, you may be asked to sign an Authorisation to Share Information form.

However, there are specific legal situations where I am required to break confidentiality without prior consent or notification, including (but not limited to):

  • The Terrorism Act (2000)

  • The Children Act (1989 / 2004)

  • The Drug Trafficking Offences Act (1986, amended by the Criminal Justice Act 1993)

  • The Road Traffic Act (1988)

  • Court orders

If you have any questions or concerns about confidentiality or these exceptions, please feel free to bring them into our sessions. We can talk them through openly at any time.

 

Sessions & Cancelations

Sessions

Therapy sessions last 50 minutes and can be scheduled weekly or fortnightly, depending on what feels most supportive for you.

Your chosen time and day will be reserved for you throughout our work together unless we agree to review or adjust the arrangement.

To allow the therapeutic process to develop meaningfully, I recommend a minimum commitment of six sessions. This gives us time to build trust and begin exploring your goals in depth.

Cancellations

If you need to cancel or reschedule a session, please provide at least 48 hours’ notice.

You can let me know by email or phone. If I’m unavailable to answer, you’re welcome to leave a voicemail, and I’ll respond as soon as possible.

Cancellations made with less than 48 hours’ notice will incur the full session fee, as outlined in our agreement.

 

 

Boundaries

Counselling is a professional relationship, which means our contact outside of sessions will be limited to administrative matters such as scheduling appointments.

Our agreement ensures that any communication between sessions is strictly for practical purposes. We can decide on the method that works best for you — whether that’s phone, text, or email.

For ethical reasons, I do not accept social media requests or gifts. Please know, though, that your appreciation is always valued and deeply meaningful to me.

To maintain the integrity of our professional relationship, it’s important to avoid dual relationships. This means our interactions will remain within the boundaries of counselling, and we won’t engage in any other kind of relationship beyond this setting.

Establishing clear boundaries helps protect the therapeutic process and ensures it remains focused on your needs.

If you ever feel unsure or uncomfortable about anything, I encourage you to bring it into our sessions so we can address it together and find a resolution.

My contact hours are Monday to Friday, between 9:00 AM and 5:00 PM.

Please note that I do not provide emergency crisis support.
If you need immediate help, you can contact Samaritans at 116 123 or NHS 111 for urgent assistance.

 

Questions?

If you have any questions or require further clarification regarding our therapy contract, please don't hesitate to reach out.