Our contract form will be provided to you for agreement and signature before we start. The contract will lay out the responsibilities of both parties when undertaking therapy. Upon your signature the document will constitute a binding agreement between us.
For your guidance please read the following notes with care and make a note of any questions for discussion with me before we start. These notes are for guidance only and do not form part of the contract. They may differ from the contract you are asked to sign.
Sessions
Sessions last 50-60 minutes and will be every week, typically on the same day and time, suitable to you and within my hours of operation. It is expected that the session will begin at the agreed time although there is a degree of flexibility to this.
Any session that begins after this time due to late client arrival cannot be extended beyond the agreed finish time.
After the first few therapy sessions I will be in a position to estimate and discuss with you the number of sessions required to address your difficulties. This could be anywhere between 8 and 20 sessions, depending upon the nature of your difficulties. If you wish to set a specific number of sessions yourself, we will discuss this and collaborate to work out the level of work we could achieve in that timescale.
As the Client, it is your responsibility to regularly attend sessions as this will help your progress.
Towards the end of therapy we will agree a final session date during which we will review your achievements and look to the future. After the final session has taken place, the door is open for you to book any future refresher sessions with me should you feel this is necessary. The reasons for this can vary but usually occur when you may be experiencing a period of stress and feels that a refresher session would be useful.
Influence of alcohol or substances
It is expected that when attending a session, you are free of any alcohol and drugs, unless they are prescription drugs of which I am made aware.
Cancellations and Holidays
If you need to cancel for any reason, please contact me through telephone, text or email as soon as possible. If you are unable to give more than 24 hours’ notice of a cancellation the full charge for the missed session may still apply.
I will aim to provide you with 48 hours’ notice if for any reason I have to cancel a session. Where possible I will try to offer you an alternative time.
I will give you a minimum of two weeks’ notice of any planned holiday dates when I will be unavailable. I require where possible at least two weeks’ notice from you of any planned holiday dates when you will be unavailable.
Contact between sessions
There should be little need for contact between sessions. However in instances where you do need to contact me, for example to cancel an appointment, please do so via email or text. Emails and messages will be responded to as time permits between sessions.
I am unable and not insured to offer a crisis or emergency service. It is understandable that you may experience distress at times but if you need to speak to someone immediately, please contact
- your GP
- NHS direct (111)
- or the Samaritans (116 123)
Termination of therapy
I have the right to terminate our therapy contract at any point if I feel that
- Therapy is no longer in your best interests or
- You are not able to benefit from therapy at this time
either of which can happen for a number of reasons. However this would be a last resort and would occur only after discussion with you.
You have the right to terminate therapy at any point with no questions asked. However, I would like you to give me one weeks notice before ending therapy. This is so that we have a chance to arrange a final session to discuss what you can take away from therapy and how you can build on it.
