Please read the information below carefully as it forms an agreement as to how we will work together and outlines my professional obligations regarding confidentiality. If you have any queries regarding this agreement, please feel free to raise them during your first session so that we can discuss any queries you may have.
Qualifications
I am a qualified and accredited Cognitive Behavioural Therapist as well as an Interpersonal Psychotherapist; specialist training completed after qualifying as a person-centred existential counsellor. I am an accredited member of the British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies (BABCP) and as such abide by their standards and ethics. Please see - https://babcp.com/Standards for more information. I am also an accredited member of IPT UK and again, abide by their Code of Conduct which can be found online at https://www.iptuk.net/policies.html.
Anti-discriminatory practice
I am committed to providing an anti-discriminatory service. I strive to ensure that this practice is present in all our work together.
The way that I work
There are a variety of approaches to the way practitioners work with their clients. I have been trained in a therapeutic approach called Cognitive Behavioural Therapy as well as Interpersonal Psychotherapy. Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) aims to help you change the way you think (cognitive) and what you do (behaviour). Rather than looking at past causes, it focuses on current problems and practical solutions to help you feel better now. Whereas Interpersonal therapy (IPT) is useful for clients with depression due to loneliness, bereavement, conflict and life changes. Both CBT and IPT are evidence-based therapies for the treatment of depression and anxiety disorders.
The client has agreed to weekly sessions, which is crucial at the start of therapy, which will be held at the same time/location each week. These terms can be revisited and renegotiated as therapy progresses.
Duration and notice of termination
I provide both short and long-term therapy and we can discuss the planned duration of our work together during our initial session. We will review your progress at every 6th session to ensure that you are benefitting from therapy and to ensure that we are continuing to work towards your goals. Clients attend sessions on the basis that they agree to give advance notice of leaving therapy, and to meet for some final closing sessions. I recommend at least two sessions to address any unresolved issues and finish in a safe manner. Therefore, I require at least two sessions’ notice if you wish to terminate your therapy with me.
Contact between sessions
I can only see clients by prior appointment, and I am unable to correspond with clients between sessions. Therefore, if you require emergency or urgent professional assistance outside your therapy session, please contact NHS111 (option 2), your GP, the emergency services or the Samaritans freephone 116123. You can also text ‘SHOUT’ to 85258.
Fees
I charge a fee of £75 per 50-minute session.
Reduced fee rate
I offer a reduced fee of 20% per session to digital/online clients who are students, people on a low income or unemployed. Please note that this must be agreed prior to our first session, and I require proof such as a student union card or letter, or email/letter from the Department for Work and Pensions, in order for me to offer this service. I review my fees on an annual basis in March and will give you 1 calendar months’ notice of any proposed increase.
Payment
Session fees are required to be paid 24 hours prior to your session. Please pay via bank transfer prior to each session. Please input your initials and date of session as reference for your payment.
Insurance/Private Healthcare
I will invoice healthcare providers accordingly. If you are to pay a voluntary excess, you will need to pay the excess to me once your session has taken place. You will be sent a claims advice document from your healthcare provider which explains that you will need to pay your excess. Therefore, if applicable, please discuss this with me during your first session. Failure to pay excess will result in the termination of your sessions.
Cancellation policy
I understand that at times a session may need to be cancelled. At such times, I require a minimum of 24 hours’ notice of a cancellation via an email or text message to avoid a fee being charged. For cancellations made within 24 hours of the session, the full fee will be applicable. For non-attended sessions without prior notice, the full fee is applicable. If 3 sessions are missed consecutively, despite adhering to the cancellation policy, I reserve the right to offer the appointment to another client.
The Thame Barns Centre
If your sessions are taking place at The Thame Barns Centre, I require at least 48 hours’ notice to cancel a session. If a cancellation is made within 48 hours of the appointment a fee of £11 is applicable to cover room booking costs incurred. For any cancellations made within 24 hours of the session, the full fee will be applicable. For non-attended sessions without prior notice, the full fee is applicable.
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Late Policy
If you arrive late, unfortunately I will not be able to extend the session as this will impact on my other appointments. Therefore, in the case of lateness, the session will end at the allotted time.
Holidays
I require 3 weeks’ notice of any holiday arrangements and I will provide you with at least 3 weeks’ notice of my holidays.
Supervision
All members of BABCP are required to have regular supervision. My work continues to be supervised to ensure that it is safe, ethical and effective. Aspects of our work may be discussed during these sessions; however no identifiable details will be disclosed. My supervisor is a member of BABCP and as such, they are bound by the same confidentiality rules as myself.
Confidentiality
As a member of BABCP I am bound by their Standards of Conduct, Performance and Ethics to protect a client’s confidentiality. Therefore, everything that we discuss is confidential except in certain circumstances, which are listed below.
Harm to self or others
I reserve the right to break confidentiality if I think that you have become a danger to yourself or other people. I will attempt to discuss this with you and my supervisor first, but this may not always be possible.
For legal and ethical reasons
I am not bound by confidentiality if in good faith, I feel that I can assist in the prevention or detection of a serious crime, this includes safeguarding issues regarding children or vulnerable adults, crimes regarding substantial financial gains and losses, and acts of terrorism.
Keep safe policy
In certain cases where you may have declared a clear and definite intention to end your life, or if I have reason to believe this to be true, we may after a careful discussion agree to put in place a ’keep safe policy’ where you will agree to take certain measures, such as get in touch with your mental health crisis team, or talk to the Samaritans as a way of safeguarding and ensuring your safety.
Record keeping
As a member of BABCP I am required to keep accurate and appropriate notes of our work together. I record brief session notes securely on a laptop that is only used by me, and this is password protected at both the level of the individual document and the laptop itself to ensure confidentiality.
Attending under the influence
I am unable to deliver effective therapy to clients who try to attend sessions under the influence of non-prescribed medication or alcohol. In such cases I would discuss the issue with you, and we would agree a period of abstinence prior to the session and add this to the therapy contract.
Complaints
If there is anything that you don’t understand about this agreement, or if you would prefer it in a different format, please let me know.
Similarly, if you are not happy with any of our sessions or the standard of my work, I hope that you would feel able to talk to me about this.
If you feel unable to talk to me or in the event of a serious complaint, please contact BABCP’s website: https://babcp.com/About/Governance-and-Policy/Policy-and- Document where you will find the policy document the complaints procedure.
I have read this contract carefully and I understand and agree to its contents. I am aware that therapy will not commence until I have signed this agreement.
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A copy of this contract is available upon request.