Working Agreement
Confidentiality:
Our sessions (whether in person and online) are confidential but there are exceptions to confidentiality when there is risk of serious harm to you or someone else. Exceptions include:
– Risks to yourself or others
– Harm to children or vulnerable adults
– Acts of terrorism, money laundering or drug trafficking
– Ongoing court proceedings
Where there is a potential or actual risk to you or another person, my policy is to share this specific information with a relevant agency (e.g, social services/GP). I will always try to discuss my concerns with you before sharing information, but if I believe there is an immediate risk, I may share information with the relevant agency before speaking to you as part of my responsibility to safeguarding.
Cost and Payment:
Sessions are held at the same time each week (unless you are notified or unless otherwise agreed). Each session costs £70 and will last for 50 minutes. Fees are payable 24hrs in advance of each session via bank transfer. If payment is not received 24hrs before the session, it will not be able to go ahead.
We may work to an agreed number of sessions or sessions can be ongoing for as long as needed.
A reduced fee for any concessionary sessions will be discussed and agreed individually.
Cancellation Policy:
If you need to cancel or reschedule your appointment, please give a minimum of 48hrs notice via email.
Cancellations made within 48hrs of the scheduled session will incur a 50% charge of the full session fee. Cancellations made within 24hrs of the scheduled session will incur a 100% charge.
Expectations:
Please arrive on time for each scheduled session. This ensures that you receive the full benefit of your appointment. Please be aware that if you arrive late, the session will still end at the originally scheduled time.
Please do not come to sessions (in person or online) under the influence of alcohol or drugs, as the session will not be able to take place.
You will not bring friends or family to the sessions unless previously agreed.
During your counselling with me, we can discuss any other support that you may need. I might suggest other agencies if appropriate, but I will not be able to make referrals to other agencies on your behalf.
I will not use AI for any part of my therapeutic work with you; please let me know if you use AI during our work together.
Additional Elements for Online Working:
Please make sure your computer or mobile is working/charged before the session starts, and that your microphone and video are on.
I will use headphones during our sessions to ensure complete confidentiality; you are welcome to use headphones too.
Make sure you are in a quiet, private location and you will not be disturbed for the duration of the session. Please make sure the door to the room you are sitting in is closed.
If you are using your computer for the session, please keep your mobile on silent or switched off during the session to avoid distraction.
So that I can see you clearly, please ensure the room you are in has adequate lighting.
It can help to have a box of tissues and a glass of water nearby if needed.
The session must not be recorded in any way either via audio or video recording.
You will not let anyone else listen in to any part of the online session via phone or any other device unless previously agreed.
Please join the meeting at the agreed time. I will wait online for 10 minutes for you to join the call before sending a message via text/email, and then for a further 10 minutes, after which point the session will be unable to take place.
If we get disconnected during a session, we will both attempt to reconnect the video call. If reconnection is not possible, I will call the telephone number that you have given me.
Please make sure you have read and understood the Working Agreement. Let me know if you have any questions or would like me to go through any of the points above.
Privacy Policy
To comply with the UK’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), I need to let you know how I will use your data, including what details I will collect, and how I will store, process and destroy them, if you become a client.
I will collect the following personal details:
- Name (in the case of under 18’s I will also take a parent or guardians name)
- Date of birth
- Address
- Contact number (for under 18’s I will take a parent or guardians contact number too)
- Email address
- Contact details for an emergency contact (for use if something were to happen to you during a session)
- Details of any relevant mental or physical health issues and medication
- GP contact details
Storage of Personal Details
Any notes that I take for my own records are kept locally on a password protected device and I am the only person with access. I do not use cloud storage.
Personal details and notes are held in an archived digital folder for 7 years following the end of our work together, to comply with my legal requirements.
After 7 years, any notes relating to our work together and your personal details on file will be permanently deleted from my device.
Sharing of Personal Details
AI: I do not use AI in my therapeutic work and will not share my notes or your personal details with AI at any time.
Supervision: To remain ethical and professional, and in line with the requirements of my professional body, the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy, my work is regularly supervised by a qualified supervisor. You are referred to by your first name only in supervision, and conversations between my supervisor and I are confidential (in the same way our sessions are confidential). My Supervisor is bound by the same ethical, professional and confidentiality requirements as I am.
Therapeutic Will: To comply with my professional and ethical responsibilities, I have appointed two Therapeutic Executors (Katherine MacNamara and Nathalie Coomba) to attend to my clients in the event of my death or incapacitation. The Executors are qualified therapists who are also members of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy, and therefore committed to client confidentiality. If I was to pass away or be incapacitated, one of them would contact you to let you know of the situation, and to offer you support where appropriate. My Executors are also responsible for the confidential disposal of all case notes and personal details in this event.
Exceptions to Confidentiality: If I have reason to believe that you or someone else is at risk of serious harm, I will break confidentiality. I will endeavour to discuss this breach with you first, so that we can come to an agreement about who needs to be informed. However, if an agreement is not reached and I still believe that you or someone else is at risk or serious harm, I will discuss the situation with my Supervisor and decide how to proceed. Where a threat of terrorism, money laundering or drug trafficking is disclosed, I am obliged by law to inform the relevant authorities.
Your Rights
You have the right . . .
- To be informed of the information that I store about you.
- To ask to see the information that I hold about you
- To ask that I rectify any information that you deem inaccurate, unnecessary or incomplete (if I need to keep a record to comply with legal requirements than I may decline this request).
Please let me know if you have any questions.
Before starting our work together, please complete the following form to confirm that you have read and agree to the Working Agreement and Privacy Policy as outlined above: