Client contract

Bethan Griffiths Counselling and Psychotherapy MSc UKCP MBACP

The sessions

·         Sessions last 50 minutes, starting at the same time and in the same place each week.

·         Please arrive on time. Sessions that begin late still need to end on time.

·         You can choose a fixed number of sessions for a short term problem, or an open-ended number for more long term, in depth work

·         In order to be able to fully access your thoughts and emotions, I request that you do not come to sessions intoxicated from alcohol or non-prescription drugs. If you come to a session intoxicated, it will be ended without refund, and we will meet again the following week.

Confidentiality

·         My Policy on confidentiality is informed by the standards of my professional body, the UK Council for Psychotherapy. (UKCP)

·         I will only be in contact between session in exceptional circumstances, such as an unexpected cancelation.

·         If we happen to meet in public, I will not acknowledge you unless you acknowledge me first, to avoid any potential questions your companions may have about my identity.

·         No-one will be given access to the content of our sessions, with the following exceptions:

o   It is a professional requirement that every therapist has a supervisor to enable the therapist to give best quality care. If I bring your work to supervision, then I will refer to you by another name and not mention any identifying features.

o   Where a child’s welfare is at serious risk. (I have a legal duty to report this under The Children Act 1989/2004)

o   Where your or another person’s life or safety is at serious risk. (I have a legal duty to report this under The Terrorism Act 2006) I am not obliged to report non-life-threatening crimes involving adults.

o   If I am required by court order to give information.

Data

·         Information I collect about you (phone number, email, GP, etc) Is kept in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation Act 2018 (GDPR) and the standards of the UKCP. This means your data will never be shared with others unless under direct instruction from a court or yourself.

·         Following each session I will make brief notes to help me in subsequent sessions. These will not identify you by name, and will be destroyed when no longer relevant to the current work. They are kept in a locked box for security.

·         You have the right to see your notes, but if you wish to take a copy away you will need to sign to say that you have requested, received, and agree to take full responsibility for these notes in your care.

·         I will never keep any notes longer than 6 years, as advised by the Law Society.

Payment

·         The fee should be paid in cash at the beginning of the session.

·         Receipts can be given on request.

·         Sessions cancelled fewer than 24 hours in advance will be charged for a full session.

·         If there is a session I cannot attend, I will give you the maximum notice I can, and give you an alternative time if possible.

Professional body

·         My professional body is the UKCP. Should you wish to make a complaint about my conduct, I welcome meeting with you about it first. If you do not feel this is possible, complaints should be made to the UKCP via their website (www.psychotherapy.org.uk) or by phone (020 7014 9955).

Signed by client

Signature ___________________________________________________________________

Name ______________________________________________________________________

Date _________________

Signed by therapist

Signature ___________________________________________________________________

Name ______________________________________________________________________

Date _________________