Client Agreement for the provision of counselling with Chester Counselling

Counselling Agreement

Agreement for the Provision of Counselling by Claire McCluskey

The service offered to clients:

In counselling, both the Counsellor and the Client have rights and responsibilities. It may be helpful for you to read this before we begin our session together and to clarify any concerns you may have about counselling before we start.

Counselling provides you with the opportunity to present issues that are causing you concern, difficulty or distress to someone who is trained and experienced in providing psychological and relational help. I specialise in relationships, and in particular intimate relationships, regardless of sexual preference or beliefs.

Counsellor rights and responsibilities:

I am an accredited member of the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy and bound by their ethical framework. (See www.bacp.co.uk for further information).

1. Confidentiality & Supervision

As your therapist I will respect you as a person and endeavour to honour your trust.

I will respect your confidences and protect them form disclosure to others unless authorised by yourself or by law.

Exceptions to confidentiality are allegations of child abuse, when a serious crime has been committed or threatened or if there is serious risk of harm to yourself or others.

If I consider that you are at imminent risk of causing serious harm to yourself or others, I may seek additional assistance on your behalf or on behalf of vulnerable others.

This will normally be done with your consent unless the circumstances prevent this, in which case I will, where appropriate endeavour to inform you about what has been communicated and to whom.

You are recommended to let me know of anyone from whom you wish to receive additional support and with whom I can communicate with on a confidential basis between sessions should this be required. (e.g. other professional: social worker nurse or a doctor.)

As part of my professional development as a counsellor and in order to enhance the quality of the therapy being offered to you I may discuss my work with my therapeutic supervisor.

I attend regular sessions with an experienced and qualified BACP accredited supervisor.

Should I discuss your case, in order to safeguard confidentiality and protect your anonymity, I will not disclose your name or any possible identifiable details.

Before considering breaching confidentiality, I will consult with my counselling supervisor.

2. Records

As an aide memoire, I will keep brief confidential notes of our counselling sessions. Your notes will be locked in a filing cabinet at my premises, to which only I have a key. In accordance with the timescale for storage of records as recommended by my professional body: The British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) notes and records pertaining to your case will be retained for seven years. See Ethical Framework for Good Practice in Counselling and Psychotherapy (www.bacp.co.uk) for further information. After seven years all notes and records retained concerning your case will be destroyed by shredding. Records may be “weeded” out periodically to remove information that no longer serves a therapeutic purpose and does not form part of the brief factual work that we do together (e.g. flip chart work we may do in sessions).

Access to your notes and records

You have a right to access information held about you in line with the Data Protection Act (1998). For more information see www.ico.gov.uk/for_the_public/the_acts.aspx.

3. Assessment:

At the end of the first session, we will discuss what is likely to most helpful to you and how you want to proceed. Sessions are arranged by appointment, last 1 hour, and cost £45.

If I consider some other form of counselling may be more beneficial to you I will recommend that type of therapy and will try to assist you in obtaining it.

We may agree a number of sessions for ongoing work and the pace for this work, normally weekly on a protected time and day that is mutually suitable.

As this contract draws to a close we review the work to date and either re-contract or work to a close of counselling together. The counsellor is responsible for the process of counselling.

Your responsibilities as client

You are responsible for your own thoughts, feelings, actions, and for your own personal growth. You, as client, are responsible for the content of the work.

Your counsellor is here to help you to help yourself, to the best of your abilities.

Your responsibilities:

• To be open, honest and willing to share your concerns with your counsellor.
• To ask questions when you don't understand or when you need clarification.
• To report changes or unexpected events with your counsellor as related to your problem.
• To keep appointments or to give at least 24 hours advance notice when you need to cancel or reschedule an appointment and to pay the agreed fees to the counsellor. I reserve the right to charge a late cancellation fee of £20 with less than 24 hours notice or a non attendance for a session.
• Should you arrive late for a session, or decide to end a session before the scheduled time my standard fee remains applicable. If you arrive late for a session, I will not be able to extend the session beyond the allocated time.
• To communicate any changes in circumstances that might impact on your therapy.

Complaints Procedure

My aim is to provide you with the highest quality of counselling service which includes a safe and competent practice. I am here to help you to help yourself to the best of my ability.

If you have any concerns about the counselling and feel unable to resolve them directly with me or my supervisor, I will facilitate you to make a complaint to the BACP.