FULL TERMS AND CONDITIONS AGREEMENT
About This Agreement
This Counselling Agreement sets out the arrangements, expectations and boundaries for counselling between Angela Husband, trading as Healing Path Counselling, and you, the client.
The purpose of this agreement is to make sure that we both understand how counselling will work, including confidentiality, professional boundaries, appointments, fees, cancellation arrangements, record keeping, communication and the circumstances in which counselling may need to end.
We will discuss this agreement together before ongoing counselling begins. You are encouraged to ask questions about anything you do not understand or feel unsure about.
Counselling is a collaborative process. This agreement is intended to support a safe, respectful and professional therapeutic relationship.
I practise in accordance with the ethical and professional requirements applicable to my membership of the National Counselling and Psychotherapy Society (NCPS).
You can access the current NCPS Code of Ethics through the NCPS website.
The Initial Consultation
I offer an initial consultation of up to 60 minutes free of charge.
The purpose of the initial consultation is to:
Discuss what has brought you to counselling
Understand what you would like support with
Discuss your expectations of counselling
Explain how I work
Answer questions you may have
Discuss practical arrangements if we decide to work together.
The initial consultation is an opportunity for both of us to consider whether we feel that working together is appropriate.
The initial consultation does not automatically create an ongoing counselling relationship.
Either you or I may decide that another counsellor, service or professional would be more appropriate. If this is the case, I will aim to communicate this clearly and, where appropriate, signpost you towards other sources of support.
Information shared during an initial consultation will be treated with appropriate confidentiality, subject to legal and safeguarding considerations.
The Counselling Relationship
The counselling relationship begins when you and I have mutually agreed to enter into an ongoing counselling relationship.
Counselling provides a confidential and professional space in which you can explore thoughts, feelings, experiences, relationships and difficulties.
I will seek to work collaboratively with you and respect your autonomy, individuality, values, beliefs and right to make your own decisions.
I will not tell you what decisions you should make or make decisions on your behalf.
Counselling does not guarantee a particular outcome. It may sometimes involve difficult or uncomfortable emotions as part of the therapeutic process.
We will review the work periodically to consider whether counselling continues to be appropriate and helpful.
What You Can Expect From Me
As your counsellor, I will:
Treat you with dignity, respect and fairness
Provide a safe and professional therapeutic environment
Respect your autonomy and right to make your own choices
Maintain appropriate professional boundaries
Respect your confidentiality within the limits explained in this agreement
Work within my training, qualifications, competence and scope of practice
Maintain appropriate professional supervision
Undertake appropriate continuing professional development
Keep appropriate professional records
Handle your personal information in accordance with applicable data protection requirements
Explain relevant aspects of the counselling process
Discuss significant concerns with you where reasonably possible
Consider reasonable accessibility requirements
Recognise when your needs may fall outside my competence or the service I provide
Signpost or recommend other appropriate support where necessary.
I will not knowingly discriminate against you on the basis of protected characteristics or other personal characteristics.
What I Ask From You
To support safe and effective counselling, I ask that you:
Attend appointments at the agreed time
Provide as much notice as possible if you need to cancel or rearrange
Make payments in accordance with this agreement
Participate in counselling to the extent that you feel able
Tell me if you have concerns about the counselling process
Tell me if your circumstances change in a way that may affect your ability to participate safely in counselling
Respect the professional nature of the therapeutic relationship, and
Treat me respectfully.
You are not expected to discuss anything before you feel ready. You remain in control of what you choose to share, subject to the limits of confidentiality explained below.
If there are circumstances in which I believe that continuing counselling is no longer safe or appropriate, I will discuss this with you wherever reasonably possible.
Sessions and Appointments
Individual counselling and walk-and-talk sessions are offered as follows:
60-minute session/£60
90-minute session/£80
Sessions may be offered face-to-face, online, by telephone or as walk-and-talk counselling, subject to prior agreement.
The frequency of sessions will be agreed between us and may be weekly, fortnightly or another mutually agreed frequency.
The number of sessions is not necessarily fixed. We will review the counselling periodically and discuss whether continuing, changing or ending the work is appropriate.
Sessions begin and finish at the agreed times.
If you arrive late, the session will normally still finish at the originally agreed time, and the full session fee will remain payable.
If I am late or unable to attend, I will provide as much notice as reasonably possible and offer an alternative appointment where appropriate.
Fees and Payment
Payment is required on or in advance of each session.
When you begin ongoing counselling, payment for two sessions will be required at the first paid appointment.
The first payment covers your first counselling session.
The second payment will be held as credit towards your final counselling session.
This arrangement means that, when counselling ends appropriately and the agreed cancellation arrangements have been followed, your final session is already covered.
Payment for online and telephone counselling appointments
For online or telephone counselling appointments, payment must be made in advance of the scheduled appointment. If payment has not been received in advance, the appointment will not go ahead and will need to be rearranged once payment has been made.
Payment methods
I currently accept:
Cash
Debit card
Credit card
Apple Pay
Bank transfer
Bank transfer details will be provided when your appointment is booked.
Fees may be reviewed from time to time. If my fees change, I will provide reasonable notice before the new fees apply.
Any outstanding fees remain payable unless an alternative arrangement has been agreed.
Cancellation, Rearranging and Non-Attendance
I ask that you provide at least 48 hours' notice if you need to cancel or rearrange an appointment.
Appointments cancelled with less than 48 hours' notice will normally be charged at the full session rate.
Appointments that are missed without notice will normally also be charged at the full session rate.
Where appropriate, the session held as credit may be used to cover a late cancellation or missed appointment. If this happens, a further advance payment may then be required to restore the one-session credit arrangement.
I recognise that unexpected circumstances, emergencies and serious illness can occur. These circumstances will be considered individually, and, at my discretion, a cancellation charge may be waived or reduced where there are exceptional circumstances.
Repeated cancellations or non-attendance may lead us to review whether ongoing counselling is workable and appropriate.
Confidentiality
Confidentiality is one of the most important parts of the counselling relationship.
It helps create a safe, trusting and respectful space where you can talk openly about your thoughts, feelings and experiences.
Information you share with me during our work together will normally be treated as confidential.
This includes personal information such as your name, address, telephone number and email address, as well as information you choose to discuss during counselling.
I will maintain confidentiality in accordance with my professional responsibilities and the NCPS Code of Ethics.
However, confidentiality is not absolute.
There are circumstances in which information may need to be shared without your consent.
Limits of Confidentiality
Wherever reasonably possible and safe to do so, I will discuss concerns with you before information is shared.
However, I may need to share relevant information where:
I believe there is a serious risk of significant harm to you, or risk to another person.
I have concerns about the safety or wellbeing of a child or an adult at risk and believe that information needs to be shared in accordance with appropriate safeguarding procedures.
I am required or authorised to disclose information by law, court order or another applicable legal requirement.
Confidentiality may not apply where maintaining confidentiality would be inconsistent with my own safety or the safety of you, your family members or another member of the public.
These principles reflect the confidentiality requirements within the NCPS Code of Ethics and NCPS safeguarding guidance.
Where information does need to be shared, I will seek to make the decision carefully and ethically and will normally share only information that is relevant and necessary for the particular circumstances.
Professional Supervision
I attend regular professional/clinical supervision as part of my counselling practice.
Supervision is an important part of safe, ethical and reflective practice.
Relevant aspects of my counselling work may be discussed with my supervisor in order to support safe and effective practice.
Any information that I share with my supervisor will remain anonymous to protect your identity.
My supervisor is also bound by professional responsibilities relating to confidentiality and will never ask for any personal details of any person undertaking therapy.
Counselling Records and Notes
I may make brief notes following sessions where this is necessary and appropriate to support my professional work, continuity of care, safeguarding, supervision and professional accountability.
I aim to keep records proportionate to the needs of the counselling relationship.
Records may include:
Your name and contact details
Emergency contact information where provided
Appointment information
Relevant information provided during an initial assessment
Brief counselling notes
Information relating to safeguarding or risk where relevant
Payment and administrative records
Correspondence relating to your counselling
I will not keep unnecessary information
Privacy and Data Protection
Your personal information will be handled in accordance with applicable UK data protection law, including the UK GDPR and Data Protection Act 2018, as applicable.
I take the privacy and security of your personal information seriously and take appropriate steps to protect information from loss, misuse, unauthorised access or disclosure.
Your information will be used only for appropriate and legitimate purposes connected with providing and managing my counselling service, meeting professional responsibilities, dealing with safeguarding or risk, complying with legal requirements and managing the practice.
My current Privacy Notice is available on my website, which explains in more detail how your personal information is collected, used, stored and protected. A paper copy of this can be provided on request.
Who May Have Access to Your Information?
Access to your information will be limited to those who have a legitimate reason to access it.
This may include me as your counsellor and, where appropriate, my professional supervisor or another appropriate professional where disclosure is justified.
Information may also need to be disclosed to an appropriate authority, organisation or professional where there is a lawful basis for doing so, including the circumstances described within the confidentiality section of this agreement.
I will seek to limit information shared to what is relevant and necessary.
How Long Records Are Kept
I will retain personal information and counselling records only for as long as is necessary for the purposes for which they are held and in accordance with relevant legal, professional, insurance and practice requirements.
My current retention period is: 2 years
When information is no longer required, it will be securely deleted, destroyed or otherwise disposed of in an appropriate manner.
Your Data Protection Rights
Depending on the circumstances, you may have rights in relation to the personal information I hold about you.
These may include rights to:
Request access to your personal information
Request correction of inaccurate information
Request deletion where applicable
Object to or request restriction of certain processing
Raise concerns about how your personal information is handled
These rights are subject to legal requirements and exemptions and therefore may not apply in every circumstance.
If you wish to exercise a data protection right or ask a question about how your information is handled, please contact me using the details provided in this agreement or my Privacy Notice.
You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) if you have concerns about how your personal information has been handled.
Contact Between Sessions
Contact between sessions will be limited to practical matters such as:
Arranging appointments
Confirming appointments
Cancelling or rearranging appointments
Discussing practical issues relating to sessions
Other agreed administrative matters
Email, telephone and text messaging may be used for these purposes.
I do not provide counselling or therapeutic intervention by email, text message or social media.
I may not always provide an immediate response to messages, and you should not rely on contacting me for urgent or crisis support.
I will maintain appropriate professional boundaries around contact between sessions.
Telephone and Online Counselling
Where counselling takes place by telephone or online, we will take reasonable steps to protect privacy and confidentiality.
You are responsible for ensuring that you participate from a reasonably private and suitable environment.
I will also take reasonable steps to conduct sessions from an appropriate private environment.
Online communication carries some risks that are outside either party's complete control, including technical failures or security issues.
Recording of sessions is prohibited.
If an online or telephone session is interrupted, we will normally attempt to reconnect using the agreed method.
If I am unable to re-establish contact and have a significant concern about your immediate safety, I may take appropriate steps to establish your wellbeing.
Additionally, if I am unable to continue the session due to technical issues, I will contact you via telephone to complete the session or to request we rearrange the session.
Walk-and-Talk Counselling
Walk-and-talk counselling takes place outdoors in an agreed location, this would normally be in an area that is local to my practice where we can walk to and from. This route will have been risk assessed to ensure your privacy and safety.
Before commencing walk-and-talk counselling, we will discuss whether this format is suitable for you.
Walk-and-talk counselling involves additional practical considerations and risks, including:
Uneven or slippery surfaces
Weather conditions
Traffic
Physical illness or injury
Members of the public
Reduced privacy
Interruptions
Encountering people known to either of us
Encountering dogs out walking with their owners
Encountering horses and riders
We will take reasonable steps to minimise these risks.
You should wear suitable clothing and footwear and consider your own physical ability to participate.
If weather or other circumstances make walk-and-talk counselling unsuitable, I may suggest an alternative format or rearrange the appointment.
Walk-and-talk counselling takes place in public, complete confidentiality cannot be guaranteed, please bear this in mind when considering this type of therapy.
If we encounter somebody you know, I will maintain professional discretion and will not identify you as my client.
We can discuss beforehand how you would prefer us to respond if we encounter someone known to you.
Social Media and Online Boundaries
To protect your privacy and maintain appropriate professional boundaries, I will not accept any clients as personal contacts or followers on my personal social media accounts.
I will not communicate with you about counselling through social media platforms.
If you contact me through social media, I will not respond.
Recording, Photography and AI
Counselling sessions are not permitted be audio-recorded, video-recorded, photographed or otherwise recorded. I will not record counselling sessions.
Where technology, software or digital services are used in connection with your counselling, I will consider privacy, confidentiality and data protection implications.
I will not knowingly enter confidential client information into publicly available generative AI systems or other services where doing so would compromise your confidentiality.
If you choose to use AI to seek advice, or guidance as part of your counselling process, please be aware that its responses cannot be relied upon as a basis for therapeutic intervention. AI-generated advice or interpretations are not a substitute for the counselling process.
Professional Boundaries
The counselling relationship is a professional and supportive relationship, with clear boundaries in place to protect the therapeutic space. This means it is different from a friendship, social or romantic relationship.
I will maintain appropriate professional boundaries throughout our work together.
If circumstances arise that create a potential conflict of interest, dual relationship or significant boundary concern, I will discuss the matter in supervision and consider what action is necessary to protect your welfare and the integrity of the therapeutic relationship.
Contact Outside Counselling and Gifts
If we were to see each other outside of a session, I will avoid publicly identifying or acknowledging you as a client. If you approach me to speak with me, I will acknowledge you but will not engage in conversation, this is to respect and maintain your privacy
I may decline gifts or contact where I believe accepting them or engaging in such contact could affect professional boundaries or the therapeutic relationship.
Safeguarding and Risk
At appropriate points during counselling, I may ask questions about your safety and wellbeing.
You are encouraged to tell me if you are experiencing:
Thoughts of suicide
Thoughts of self-harm
Thoughts of harming another person
Abuse
Exploitation
Significant safeguarding concerns or any other serious safety concerns
Discussing these matters does not automatically mean that confidentiality will be breached.
However, if I believe that there is a serious risk of significant harm or a safeguarding concern requiring action, I may need to share relevant information or contact an appropriate service.
Where reasonably possible and safe to do so, I will discuss this with you first.
Emergencies and Crisis Support
Healing Path Counselling is not an emergency or crisis service.
Messages and emails may not be monitored continuously, and you should not rely on them when urgent assistance is required.
If you are in immediate danger or require urgent medical assistance, contact 999 or attend your nearest Accident & Emergency department.
For urgent mental health support in England, you can contact NHS 111 and select option 2
Working Within Competence
I will work within the limits of my training, qualifications, experience and professional competence.
If I believe that your needs fall outside my competence or the service I can appropriately provide, I will discuss this with you.
Where appropriate, I may recommend that you seek support from another counsellor, psychotherapist, GP, psychiatrist, healthcare professional or specialist service.
You remain free to decide whether to follow any recommendation.
Equality, Diversity and Accessibility
I aim to provide an inclusive, respectful and accessible counselling service.
I will respect your identity, values, beliefs, culture and personal circumstances.
If you have an accessibility requirement or need a reasonable adjustment to help you participate in counselling, please discuss this with me.
I will consider reasonable adjustments that are appropriate and practicable within my service.
Ending Counselling
You may decide to end counselling at any time.
Where possible, I encourage us to discuss the ending in advance so that we can work towards an appropriate final session.
Ending counselling can be an important part of the therapeutic process and may provide an opportunity to:
Review the work we have undertaken
Reflect on progress
Identify remaining concerns
Consider future support
Discuss any feelings about ending
Bring the therapeutic relationship to an appropriate conclusion.
The session held as credit will normally be used towards your final session, subject to the cancellation arrangements in this agreement.
If I Am Unable to Continue Practising
If circumstances arise in which I am unable to continue providing counselling, I will take reasonable steps to inform you and, where appropriate, provide information about alternative sources of support.
I will also make appropriate arrangements concerning outstanding appointments, payments and records.
Complaints and Concerns
If you have a concern about my service or our counselling relationship, I encourage you to raise it with me in the first instance where you feel able to do so.
You may raise a concern verbally or in writing.
Healing Path Counselling complaints contact:
Email: hello@healingpathcornwall.co.uk
I will listen to your concern and seek to address it fairly and appropriately.
You will not be disadvantaged for raising a genuine concern.
NCPS Complaints Procedure
As an NCPS member, I am subject to the NCPS Code of Ethics and the Society's professional conduct and complaints procedures.
If you do not feel able to resolve a concern with me, or if you wish to raise a professional concern directly with the NCPS, you can contact their Professional Conduct Department.
Email: conduct@ncps.com
Telephone: 01903 213 683
Post: Professional Conduct Department, National Counselling and Psychotherapy Society, 19 Grafton Road, Worthing, BN11 1QT
The current NCPS complaints procedure is available through their website @ https://ncps.com
The NCPS encourages clients, where appropriate and where they feel comfortable doing so, to try to resolve concerns with the member first. The NCPS can also consider concerns raised directly with the Society.
The NCPS may use informal resolution or mediation where appropriate and where the relevant parties agree. Its formal professional conduct process is separate from any financial dispute between a client and counsellor.
Privacy Complaints
If you have concerns about the way your personal information is handled, please contact me first so that I have an opportunity to address the matter.
You also have the right to raise a concern with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO).
Information about how your personal information is handled is set out in my Privacy Notice.
Review of the Counselling Agreement
This agreement may be reviewed during counselling where appropriate.
We may revisit the agreement if there is a significant change to:
The nature or format of counselling
Session frequency
Fees
Confidentiality arrangements
Communication arrangements
Your circumstances
The use of online or walk-and-talk counselling
Another material aspect of the therapeutic relationship.
Any significant change will be discussed with you.
Client Consent and Agreement
By signing this agreement, I confirm that:
I have read and understood this Counselling Agreement.
I have had an opportunity to ask questions about anything I do not understand.
I understand that counselling is a professional and collaborative relationship.
I understand that I remain responsible for my own decisions and actions.
I understand the fees and payment arrangements.
I understand that payment for two sessions is required when ongoing counselling begins, with the second payment being held as credit towards my final session.
I understand the 48-hour cancellation and rearrangement policy.
I understand that late cancellations and non-attendance may be charged at the full session rate.
I understand that confidentiality has limits and that information may need to be shared in circumstances involving serious risk, safeguarding, legal requirements or other circumstances described in this agreement.
I understand that relevant aspects of my counselling may be discussed within professional supervision, anonymously.
I understand that appropriate professional records may be maintained.
I understand how my personal information will be handled and have been provided with, or directed to, the Healing Path Counselling Privacy Notice.
I understand that counselling communications outside sessions are not an emergency or crisis service.
I understand the additional privacy and practical considerations associated with online, telephone and walk-and-talk counselling where applicable.
I understand the professional boundaries that apply to the counselling relationship.
I understand how to raise a concern or complaint with Healing Path Counselling and, where appropriate, the NCPS.
I understand that I may choose to end counselling, subject to the practical and financial arrangements set out in this agreement.
I consent to counselling being provided in accordance with this agreement.
CLIENT DETAILS
Client name: __________________________________________
Preferred name: _______________________________________
Date of birth: _________________________________________
Address: _____________________________________________
________________________________________________________
Telephone: ____________________________________________
Email: ________________________________________________
Emergency contact name: _______________________________
Emergency contact telephone: ___________________________
Relationship to client: _________________________________
I confirm that I have read, understood and agree to the terms of this Counselling Agreement.
Client name: __________________________________________
Signature: ____________________________________________
Date: ________________________________________________
COUNSELLOR SIGNATURE
I confirm that I have discussed this Counselling Agreement with the client and answered any questions raised.
Counsellor:
Signature: ____________________________________________
Date: ________________________________________________
AGREEMENT REVIEW
Date reviewed: ________________________________________
Reason for review: ____________________________________
________________________________________________________
Changes agreed: ______________________________________
________________________________________________________
Client initials: ___________
Counsellor initials:_______