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Counselling Time Contract

Client-Therapist Contract

This contract is between you and your therapist. It outlines the practical details of engaging in psychotherapeutic counselling with Counselling-Time.

By attending your first session, you are agreeing to these terms and to the way counselling is provided. If you have any questions, worries, or need anything clarified, please talk to your therapist before or during your first session.

Confidentiality

What you share in therapy is kept confidential between you and your therapist. This means your sessions are private and what you say will not be shared with others.

Counselling-Time may break confidentiality in the following circumstances:

  • With your explicit consent
  • When compelled by a court of law
  • In situations of serious risk where confidentiality cannot be maintained, such as:
    • Imminent danger to yourself or others.
    • Serious safeguarding concerns.

If confidentiality needs to be breached, your information may be shared with your GP, the local crisis team, or relevant authorities. Where possible, we will discuss this with you before making a disclosure.

Clinical supervision

Your therapist attends regular clinical supervision with a senior therapist. This is an ongoing requirement of their accrediting body (BACP / UKCP) and helps ensure safe and effective practice. To protect your privacy, their supervisor will not know you personally or professionally. Any discussion in supervision will be confidential, and you will be referred to by your first name only, and only verbally.

Erasing your information

When we have finished working together, your therapist will hold on to written/electronic notes that are relevant to the therapy for up to five years. This is so they have a reference of your work in situations such as you returning to therapy or if there is a legal request for the information. After this time, your records will be deleted from the GDPR compliant data storage site.

Professional codes of conduct

Counsellors at Counselling-Time adhere to professional codes of conduct as defined by our accrediting organisation, BACP/UKCP. This includes a commitment to confidentiality in line with GDPR regulations.

Ending therapy

Ending therapy is an important part of the therapeutic process. It allows time to reflect on your journey, recognise what has changed, and bring a sense of closure. To support a healthy and thoughtful ending, we recommend giving 2 to 4 sessions’ notice. This helps ensure there is enough time to reflect, prepare, and end the work in a supportive way.

Timing

After your first consultation, you will be able to schedule regular sessions with your therapist, each lasting 50 minutes. The first few weeks are a chance for you to decide if this sort of support feels right for you.

Around the 4-week mark, you and your therapist will review your progress and plan the next steps together. Sessions are held weekly at a regular time. We will also discuss whether you would like to continue sessions during holidays or if you are expecting to take breaks.

Phone calls, texts and emails

We aim to keep calls, messages and emails to the minimum and limit the sharing of names or confidential information in order to protect your personal data and to contain the work to weekly sessions. If you need to speak outside of session times, calls will be scheduled and charged at an agreed rate.

Rates/Cancellations

We operate a standard rate of £80 per 50 minute session, which will be paid in advance on our online booking system. If a reduced rate has been agreed with your therapist, that will be honoured for a time-limited period and may be invoiced separately. Once sessions are booked/agreed, 36hrs notice is required for a cancellation and 24hrs for re-scheduling, otherwise sessions will be charged for.

Your sessions

Your therapist will contact you at the agreed session start time. If there is no response, they will leave the meeting room open for 20 minutes. If you have not made contact and don’t arrive after 20 minutes the session will be considered a missed session and cannot be refunded.

For remote sessions, please:

  • Avoid sharing sensitive information in written form e.g. emails.
  • Ensure conversations cannot be overheard by others. Using headphones is recommended.
  • Be in a quiet, distraction-free environment to maintain confidentiality.
  • If your counsellor observes that you are in a public or inappropriate space (e.g., a street or shop), they may stop the session to protect your confidentiality. Charges will still apply.

Emergencies

Counselling-Time is not a crisis service. If you are in a mental health emergency or need urgent support, please use the following resources:

  • NHS Urgent Mental Health Help: Click here
  • NHS 24: Call 111
  • Local A&E
  • Your GP
  • Samaritans: Call 116 123
  • Breathing Space: Call 0800 83 85 87 (Scotland only)

Testimonials

I have really noticed a difference at home, since starting her sessions, she seems
better within herself.

Parent

Therapy gave me a space to think about my insecurities, the times when I overthink, and my friendship issues.

Student

She is no longer upset in the mornings or in class. While she’s still not comfortable answering questions in a big group, she participates in lessons and does well. She will occasionally contribute in class and can ask for help when she needs it.

Teacher

It was good to share my feelings with someone whose job is to listen and understand someone’s feelings. It’s a fun place to be creative.

Student

My daughter really enjoys going to see you and looks forward to her weekly sessions. I don’t hear too much about them as I think it is important to her that they are private. She does however, want to recreate the activities at home. I have really appreciated you taking the time to communicate with me and keep me up to date on my daughter’s progress.

Parent

We feel that his attainment and emotional regulation have improved. His Dad spoke very highly of the experience that he had with you and thanked us for the referral to you.

Teacher

My son has settled in very well, has started being more confident and more comfortable speaking up. I believe the sessions with Magda have been an important part of this. I appreciate the termly face-to-face updates that Magda has provided to follow my son’s progress.

Parent

Child in Time is a wonderful organisation. Child in Time provide therapists in my current primary school and we have found the experience to be hugely supportive. The way the therapists are able to support pupils, staff and families is invaluable. I would unreservedly recommend Child in Time to anyone.

Teacher

Karen was wonderful. It’s such a helpful service – our daughter is on the spectrum, so spending an hour talking about the impact on us was truly restorative.

Parent

Empathetic, professional, knowledgeable, personable counselling. Highly recommended on all fronts.

Parent

This was a massive help to me as a parent of a child with recently diagnosed ADHD and autism. The therapist was so easy to talk to. Talking through my concerns and my son’s behaviour, has definitely made a difference to both my understanding and how to help him regulate his emotions better. I’ll definitely be booking again.

Parent