Terms of service & Contract

The Counselling Process

I aim to provide a safe, non-judgmental and confidential environment where you can explore any personal issues or difficulties. I have completed the required training to practice counselling in the UK.  I am committed to an integrative approach using both my formal training and personal experiences into my practice.  This approach respects the validity of your lived experience and, as such, I will always endeavour to understand what you are bringing to counselling from your perspective and to facilitate you through the therapeutic process. 

In the instance that you wish for me to disclose information about your sessions to a third party we will ask for your written consent.

Please be aware that I am unable to disclose the identity of any of my clients to you.

You will be treated with the upmost respect and I request that the respect within our professional relationship be mutual. We ask that you respect yourself, others and the property while attending counselling. If the misuse of alcohol or non-prescribed drugs is something you are struggling with, we would ask that you keep in mind that the consumption of these substances may impact on the effectiveness of the counselling and we advise that you discuss this with me. 

I am committed to transparency and to complying with my responsibilities in accordance with the laws of Scotland and any dispute or difference in relation to this agreement shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the Scottish Courts.

Confidentiality
Everything that is discussed during your counselling sessions will be held in the strictest confidence.  However, confidentiality cannot be promised if there is a risk of harm to another person(s). If you disclose information that indicates a serious risk to the health or life to another member of the public, I may be legally obligated to report this to the said person or the authorities in order to safeguard them from harm. In such a situation, I will always aim to consult with you first.

To ensure Good Practice standards I am required to have regular professional supervision which provides support and aids in their development as ethical practitioners: this may involve client material being shared with the supervisor but they too are bound by confidentiality; care is taken to not disclose any information that could identify you as a client; and is ultimately to ensure that I am providing the best possible service.

Cost and Duration of Counselling
Sessions cost £50 and typically last 60 minutes in length. For face-to-face sessions, payment must be paid during the session or before. For online sessions, payment must be made 24 hours before session. The frequency of your sessions will be discussed and are dependent on the my availability. It is possible to change the duration of the sessions and this is at my discretion.

There are no maximum or minimum number of sessions and you may end the counselling relationship whenever you wish, and your decision will be fully respected. I will review your work together every six weeks in order to ensure your happy with the service being provided. Please inform me of your decision to end counselling at your earliest convenience.  I may invite you to attend a final session in order to have a well-managed ending. 

Cancellations and Lateness
If you are unable to attend a session please give at least 24 hours’ notice via email, text message or telephone call. Equally, I will aim to give you a minimum of 24 hours’ notice if they are unable to attend any agreed sessions for any reason.  If you do not cancel within the 24 hour period you will still be charged for the full session.

Regarding lateness, I will wait for the full 60 minutes for you to arrive however you may still be charged for the full session and the session may not be extended as this may run into another client’s time.  

Online and Telephone Sessions

All the terms and conditions stated in this contract apply to face-to-face, online and telephone counselling. The exceptions being that online sessions may vary in duration to allow set up time and to fix any issues that occur; and I ask for payment in advance (at least 24 hours prior) for online and telephone sessions.

All online video sessions are conducted via Zoom.

Troubleshooting

When you book online I require you to provide a telephone number. This is in the instance that during online counselling session we lose connection, for whatever reason, and the counselling is interrupted. In this instance, I will call you.

Alternatively, there is chat function on Zoom which can be used instead of a telephone call.

If I am unable to contact you via telephone, or the chat function, I will send you an e-mail to reschedule your appointment.

Recording Sessions

We understand that you may wish to record some or all of your sessions (partially or in full). You must seek my permission and both parties will be required to have copy of the recording.

Complaints
If you are dissatisfied with the service offered to you by me, for any reason, then I trust that you will discuss this with me, thereby enabling us to find a resolution in a way that you find supportive. 

If even after you have raised your issue with me and still feel that the handling of your complaint has not been dealt with in a satisfactory manner, then you can raise a complaint to COSCA via their complaint’s procedure.

If you do not feel clear or are concerned about any aspect of this contract, please ask me for clarification.