Equalise Counselling Working Agreement

Therapy Aims and Objective

Giving you, the client, a secure, accepting environment in which to talk about anything that has been bothering you is the goal of therapy. I am here to talk with you about your circumstances and explore your situation so you can come up with solutions on your own. Your personal goals will be established, and they can be evaluated from time to time. You consent to collaborating with me in order to achieve the best possible outcome. I promise to treat you with respect at all times, and I would appreciate it if you would extend the same courtesy to me. In agreeing to this neither I nor anybody else will be physically harmed, and you also promise not to destroy any property. I reserve the right to end the appointment prematurely, and no refund will be given in the event of any shouting, violence, or intimidation.

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Professional Membership

I am a member of the following professional body and abide strictly by their codes of ethics:

British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) Registered Member 405193. MBACP. BACP Ethical Framework: https://www.bacp.co.uk/events-and-resources/ethics-and-standards/ethical-framework-for-the-counselling-professions/

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Frequency of Sessions

Initially, many clients find it helpful to attend once a week. All sessions will generally be at the same time, on the same day each week. If you want to change the time and/or day of your regular session at any point I will try to accommodate this.

 

Session Length

All sessions are 60 minutes long. It is expected that the session will start at the scheduled time that we agreed upon. It is not possible to extend a session past the prearranged end time if it starts later than expected because of a late client arrival.

 

Contract Termination by You

You may bring your counselling to an end at any point by letting me know that you do not wish to continue. I strongly recommend that wherever possible, endings are planned between us for therapeutic reasons. If you have purchased a session bundle, I can not give a refund for this but I can put a pause on them, meaning that you may resume them at a later date.

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Sessions in Person

These are held at 2 Southernhay W, Exeter EX1 1JG. The building's third floor houses my room. The door code for the bottom entry door is: C5678Z. Clients can park on Southernhay Road if they arrive by car. After 5pm, parking is free. I kindly request clients attend as close to the scheduled time as possible. This is to help protect client confidentiality so that one person is not leaving as another arrives. When you arrive on the third floor, please choose a seat on the hallway bench. I will find you when your appointment time begins. The entire cost of the session will be charged if a client shows up drunk or under the influence of any drugs. Nowhere on the premises, including the therapy room, is allowed for smoking.

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Online Sessions

Zoom is my preferred platform for online therapy because of its solid security record. I also provide Skype and WhatsApp since they can occasionally be more convenient for clients and serve as effective backups in case Zoom experiences technical difficulties. By consenting to online sessions, you acknowledge that no platform is 100% safe and that you do so at your own risk. When you schedule a session, you will receive a confirmation email with instructions on how to proceed. On the day of the session, if you experience any difficulties connecting, please contact me via phone, email, text message, or WhatsApp.

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Contact Between Sessions

I can be reached by clients but only for appointment postponement or rescheduling. In this event, please email me, text me, or leave a message on my answering machine. On workdays, I try to reply within 48 hours. I promise to get back to you in a few working days if you get in touch with me outside of these hours.

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Emergencies

Please contact your GP, a member of your support network, or ring 111 in the event of an emergency. Mind can be accessed by texting 86463 or by calling 0300 123 3393 during business hours. The National Advice Service of Rethink can be reached at 0300 5000 927. The Samaritans can be contacted at 116 123 during off-peak hours, or you can text SHOUT to 85258 to use the 'Shout' crisis text line.

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Data Protection and Privacy Policy

I am on the public register of data controllers and adhere to the Data Protection Act (1998), which you can read about here: www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1998/29/contents. My privacy policy can be accessed in full on my website: https://www.equalisecounselling.com/privacy-policy. Contact information as well as a basic health intake sheet will be encrypted and stored in keeping with BACP requirements for confidentiality and is held in compliance with the Data Protection Act. Notes are destroyed when no longer required.

 

Confidentiality

Neither you (the client) or myself (the therapist) will record/tape a session nor allow audio or visual transmission of sessions to third parties. Consent in writing must be sought by either party where one seeks to do so.

The therapist and client maintain complete confidentiality regarding all topics discussed during therapy. There are just the following as exceptions:

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• Where there is an imminent risk of serious harm to you or a third party, especially a child

• Where there is a legal requirement that I notify the appropriate authorities, such as in cases of child or vulnerable adult abuse, drug trafficking, or terrorist activity.

• I receive regular supervision from a fully competent supervisor who has earned a BACP accreditation, adhering to good practices and my professional associations' Code of Ethics and Practice. I will only address you by your first name if we need to talk about any parts of my work.

• In the case of my death or unexpected incapacity to practice, a qualified colleague bound by the same confidentiality requirements will notify you.

• If compelled by a Court of Law to reveal information or notes I keep.

• If you have explicitly granted me permission to write a letter of support on your behalf, they will only be able to see your basic contact information and not any further notes.

I promise to make every effort to inform you in advance of any breach of confidentiality so you know exactly what information is disclosed and to whom. Without the partner's prior approval, I will never divulge any private material that was discussed in an individual session.

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Supervision

To help ensure that I am giving you the best care possible and in compliance with the Code of Ethics of the BACP, I regularly attend supervision. The same professional standards apply to my supervisors as they do to me. I always treat your privacy with the highest respect when discussing my job under supervision. No personal information is provided.

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Complaints Procedure

If there is anything about your therapy that you are not happy with, please let me know as soon as possible so that I may try my best to address your issues. Nonetheless, you can get in touch with the BACP, who will walk you through the complaints process, if you feel that you are unable to communicate with me or that my job is unethical in any manner.

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Signposting On

Sometimes it is necessary for me to refer clients to other professionals. In such a situation, I will try to offer some suitable contacts who can help meet your needs and will first talk with you to make sure you understand why I'm referring you.

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Outside of Therapy

I won't be the first to acknowledge you if I encounter you in public because some clients don't want their friends or family to know they are receiving therapy. I will, however, normally be delighted to say hello if you stop me but we won't talk about anything that has been discussed in therapy.

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Social Media

I do not follow clients on Facebook or other social networking sites. Please do not add any of my personal accounts on Facebook, Instagram or any other social platform, as I will not be able to accept your request.

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Session Fee

• First session: £30 for 60 minutes

• Pay as you go sessions: £60 per 60 minute session

• Bundle of six sessions £330 (a saving of £60)

If you choose to pay for a bundle of 6 sessions, you must pay for this upfront. Bundles are not refundable if you decide to stop our sessions and do not return. You are welcome to pause them at any time with at least 24 notice and come back when you are ready to resume the sessions no matter what amount of time has passed. Regular reviews and modifications to fees may occur. Before making any modifications, clients will always be given at least one month's notice.

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Method of Payment

Payment is to be made at time of booking via bank transfer.

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Cancellations

The full session fee will be charged unless I am given 48 hours’ notice of cancellation. If you are unable to make it at the last minute due to an emergency, please let me know at your earliest opportunity, and I will do my best to reschedule the appointment at no extra cost to you.

 

If I must cancel an appointment, I will give you as much notice as possible and will do all that I can not to inconvenience you. I will give you at least two weeks’ notice of any planned holidays I may have and will appreciate it if you can do the same.

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Contact Details

Call, Text, or WhatsApp: 0750 1181 006

Email: equalisecounselling@yahoo.com

Website: https://www.equalisecounselling.com