Counselling Information

Counselling information sheet and working agreement 2024

Counselling takes place when a counsellor sees a client in private and confidential setting to explore a difficulty the client is having, distress they may be experiencing or perhaps their dissatisfaction with life or loss of a sense of direction and purpose. It is always at the request of the client. The overall aim of counselling is to provide an opportunity for the client to work towards living in a way which he or she experiences as more satisfying and resourceful. The counsellor’s role is to facilitate the client’s work in ways which respect the client’s values, personal resources and capacity for choice within his or her cultural context.

CONFIDENTIALITY

Counselling offers the highest level of confidentiality consistent with the law and the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy’s 2020 Ethical Framework For the Counselling professions. Nothing you tell me will be disclosed to others except in the following circumstances:

1. I am required to have counselling supervision. Supervision is a formal relationship which enables counsellors to discuss their counselling work. I will refer to you by your first name only in supervision unless you wish me to use a pseudonym. I am willing to give you the names of my supervisors when we meet. My supervisor is the only person who would have access to the details on your Personal Record Sheet in the event of my death or incapacity in order to be able to contact you.

2. I may make brief handwritten notes after our sessions for supervision purposes. You will not be identified and they will be securely stored. I do not record notes on my computer. Your signature on the Personal Record Sheet will be taken to be agreement to the keeping these notes. All written notes will be shredded after supervision. Please see attached sheet about the privacy of your personal information under the General Data Protection Regulation 2020.

3. If you tell me about a crime involving significant risk of serious harm to another person’s life or of serious abuse of another person (especially in relation to a child or young person) I cannot guarantee confidentiality.

4. Statutory law requires me to tell the relevant authorities if I become aware of international terrorist activities or money laundering from drug trafficking.

5. Where you give me consent for confidentiality to be broken (e.g. to your GP, Psychiatrist, Social Services or the Emergency Services or parent if you are under 18). 

6. If you tell me that you intend to kill yourself or cause yourself serious bodily harm or if you abuse or threaten me in a way which violates my personal safety I cannot guarantee confidentiality.

Sessions and fees

For fees please see attached sheet. Please pay by cash or cheque at the end of the session or by BACS in advance of the session. Please put fee agreed between us on Personal Record sheet. I will review fees with you annually and will not increase the fee agreed within one calendar year of our initial session.

In the event that I am not able to attend an appointment we have made I will give you as much notice as possible and offer an alternative time. If you have to cancel an appointment please let me know as early as possible. If you do not attend an 
appointment or give me less than 48 hours' notice of cancellation of an appointment I will charge at the normal rate. In the event of ‘being prevented’ (e.g. sudden illness or a genuine emergency) I will charge 50% of the session fee. If you do not attend an appointment and I do not hear from you I will assume you do not want to continue the counselling relationship unless and until you make further contact.

No smoking is allowed inside the building. For therapeutic reasons I reserve the right not to see you if you are under the influence of alcohol or drugs. I also reserve the right to terminate the counselling contract immediately if you behave violently or threateningly during a session.

Clients' rights

I will adhere to the BACP Ethical Framework for The Couselling Professions click here for a copy.

Our relationship

There can be no other contact or relationship between us other than that of counsellor and client. Please let me know how you want us to respond if we ever meet by chance outside of the counselling sessions.  

GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) Privacy notice regarding personal information

From 25th May 2018 changes in the GDPR have come into force. It applies to anyone involved in the collection, storage and handling of personal data and I am required to inform you of how I will be responding to these changes. 

From time to time I may need to contact you via telephone, text message or email you with information about your appointments or any updates in details relevant to the service I provide. In order to for me to be compliant with GDPR I am asking you to consent to use your personal information in that way by signing the Record Sheet. If you do not wish to agree I will of course continue to see you but I will not be able to update you on changes to appointments or information relevant to our work together.

The purpose of retaining information you give me following our initial contact is to provide you with the best service I can (e.g. booking and confirming appointments) and this is also “the legitimate interest of the therapist” which provides the lawful basis under which I hold and use your information.

The information that will be held is that contained on the record sheet below, contact details retained on my phone and any specific communications with you (texts, voicemails and emails) and hand-written records of our sessions.
Once we have ended therapy I will keep my records of you for a year before destroying them securely. 
I am committed to ensuring that your personal data is secure in order to prevent unauthorised access or disclosure. 
I will not share your details with any third party without your consent.

Full details of your rights, including access, rectification, processing and complaint procedure can be found on the Information Commisssioner’s Office website: www.ico.org.uk

Please contact me on:
07808 766 067
Please contact me on:
07808 766 067
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