top of page

Therapeutic Contract

If you are thinking of beginning sessions with me or would like a refresher on the contract we agreed at the beginning of sessions, please continue reading.

​

Key facts

  • Sessions held at least once weekly for 50 minutes, charged at £60.

  • I ask for one week's notice of cancellations. I may be able to move our session to a different time or day with at least 48 hour's notice.

  • I encourage an ending session, if the client would like to leave.

  • Online sessions conducted on Whereby.

  • I cannot delay or extend sessions in case of fault on the client's end.

  • In person sessions are available in South Bristol between 0930 and 1530.

  • Sessions are confidential except in cases of money laundering, terrorism, drug trafficing or child abuse.

​

Sessions

To ensure continuity and provide you with a regular chance to speak about what is troubling you it is best to have sessions at least once weekly and more frequent sessions are possible. It can be difficult enough for an individual to contain their emotional troubles in consecutive weeks let alone any longer. Having sessions at least once weekly ensures that any difficult topics that are raised are able to be discussed in further detail soon after the initial discussion.

​

Individual sessions are 50 minutes long, take place at the same time and date that are initially agreed between you and I and can continue as long as they are needed. It takes time to build up trust between client and therapist and for the client to connect with their emotional difficulties so I encourage clients to allow months if not years for sessions. The time period we see each other is always up for discussion, however, and it is important this is an ongoing topic of discussion in sessions. If you would like to finish therapy, I recommend holding a final session to explore how ending will affect you and to think about how to maintain a self-reflective and supportive space after sessions.

​

Online sessions are conducted over Whereby and you can find their privacy policy by clicking the link. It is important to note that I will do my best to maintain confidentiality and privacy online but it is impossible for me to do so absolutely because there are situations outside of my control, for instance anyone you may have in your house. If you have any concerns about this, please raise them with me and we can discuss.

 

Please check your internet and telephony prior to sessions, it is your responsibility to ensure they are functioning. If there are technology issues during online sessions we will first attempt to use an alternative platform. If this does not work I will call you on your telephone. If there is a fault on my end of the telephone line, I would ask to rearrange the session at a later date when the fault will be cleared. If the fault is on the client's end of the line and we are unable to complete the session, I would ask the full fee for the session be paid and I cannot delay or extend sessions due to faults on the client's end.

​

In person sessions are available at my home just off North Street in South Bristol. I am able to offer in person sessions between 0900 and 1530 when I can ensure there will be no one else in the house.  Please note my therapy space is not wheelchair accessible.

​

Fees and time off

My current fees are £60 per session, in person, online and by telephone. There is no charge when I am away and I aim to give my clients notice of my intention to take a time off at least one month in advance. I ask my clients to do the same. If we have discussed a client's time off, there is no charge, but if a client cancels a session within a week I would ask they pay the full fee. I am unable to reschedule sessions within 48 hours or after the session was due to be held and would expect payment for that session as usual. I inform my clients when I am seriously ill and sessions can be held online if they are typically in person; we will discuss if online sessions are an option for you when contracting in the first session. As discussed above, continuity and regularity is important in therapy and breaks can cause disruption to sessions and affects our ability to explore the content that my clients bring.

​

Confidentiality

All information in sessions is kept confidential between myself and my clients. I see clients in a private office which is not overheard by anyone else; it is important that you find a space that is private and confidential if you are considering online therapy. I will only break confidentiality if a client were to disclose that they were planning on causing harm to another person including the abuse of children, if they are planning on committing an act of terrorism or in cases of drug trafficking and money laundering. If I needed to break confidentiality, this would only be after I speak with my client first and, hopefully, with their cooperation.

​

Privacy

The topics we discuss in sessions are your choice and you can be as open or closed as you feel you need to be. The more open you are, the more we will be able to think about you and the way you live your life, thereby allowing us to understand where your difficulties are coming from and how to can move on from them.

​

Contact outside of sessions

I ask that contact outside of sessions be kept to a minimum and only in cases where you are unable to attend a session. I do not check my work emails or work phone every day so I may not reply to any messages for a few days.

​

I do not acknowledge clients (both current and past) in public unless they acknowledge me first. Feel free to say hello if you would like, otherwise we can pass each other by. I will check in with you if I see you in public at our next session, however, as it can be an odd experience that is worth exploring.

​

Social media

I do not search online for any client that I work with, but I understand that some clients like to search for information about prospective therapists they wish to engage with. I maintain a business presence on social media and it is your choice whether to follow any of these accounts. I will not friend/follow/like any social media accounts of former and current clients, however, as this would be a breaking of the boundary that we set when we agree to begin a therapeutic relationship.

​

You can find more information about psychotherapy here.

​

You can find my privacy policy here.

​

If you have any questions about the above please raise them at any time.

bottom of page