Thinking about counselling with Verity?

This is a mutual agreement negotiated between the counsellor and the client prior to the commencement of counselling. It sets out my responsibilities towards you, the client, and also your responsibilities in the counselling relationship.

Sessions

Sessions last 1 hour and occur weekly at the same time and day where possible. If you miss the start of your session, I will remain in the meeting room for the duration of your session time to enable you to arrive part way through. However, the session will need to finish as planned to avoid impacting other sessions that may be scheduled after yours. If you are unable to attend your session, you will need to give at least 48 hours’ notice of cancellation via email otherwise your session fee will still be payable. At the start of counselling, we will discuss how many sessions you may need. I work on an open-ended basis and you are therefore not restricted to a limited number of sessions, unless specifically discussed. At any time, we can review our work together and if you are feeling that you are reaching the point of ending therapy, I require that you give at least one session’s notice so that we can have a planned and therapeutic ending.

Confidentiality

I value your confidentiality highly and view it as a very important aspect of the counselling relationship. Everything that is discussed in the counselling session is kept in the strictest confidence, aside from the conditions as laid out below:

• As a member of the BACP, I am required to have regular supervision and where I will discuss my work with a supervisor on a regular basis. However, I will not disclose anything that would enable you to be identified.
• If there is convincing evidence that you may cause harm to yourself or others, I might need to break confidentiality by informing your doctor, or in serious cases the police, again this would ideally only take place with your prior knowledge.
• In all other circumstances any disclosure would require a court order, even in circumstances in which you, the client, request such disclosure (e.g. court case, insurance claim, etc.).
• If there is any legal reason compelling me to do so.
• If there is reason to believe that someone is at risk of significant harm.

I keep brief notes of our sessions, which will be anonymised and securely stored electronically using the platform WriteUpp, which is designed specifically for those working in the health field.

Fees

Sessions cost £55 and are payable by bank transfer at least 24 hours before the session. You are able to pay for multiple sessions for your own convenience. Should no payment be received prior to the session, your session may be cancelled. Fees are reviewed each year in January.

Data Protection

In line with the data protection legislation in place and new legislation from May 2018, I have the responsibility to let you know how your details will be used:

• I am the only one who will have access to your details, which will be kept safe.
• I won’t use your details or pass them on to third parties.
• I will keep your data on file for 7 year after our last session or until you are 25 years old, unless you ask for it to be deleted sooner and there is no legal obligation for me to keep the notes.
• You reserve the right to see your notes.
• You have the right, under data protection law:
  • to access a copy of your personal data
  • to request deletion of your data in my records
  • to request limiting or ceasing data processing, where applicable
  • to compensation for substantial damage or distress caused by data processing, where applicable.
  • In any such cases, my insurer would be contacted to ensure that I cooperate with any request legally.

Contact

I have a work mobile phone. This number is provided to arrange or rearrange sessions. Due to the nature of my work it is unlikely that I will be able to answer my calls immediately and therefore iMessage or Whatsapp is recommended (I have poor signal and therefore text messages are not ideal). I regularly check my email account, enquiries@counsellingwithverity.com

I do not provide an emergency service – if you need help in a crisis, I advise contacting a 24-hour service such as Samaritans 116 123, for clients under 35 years old Papyrus help those with suicidal thoughts (call 0200 068 4141 text 07860 039 967) or call 999 in an emergency or the NHS on 111 for urgent advice.

I have a dedicated Counselling With Verity Facebook business page and Instagram account. You are welcome to like, follow and interact via these mediums but only do so holding in mind that this may compromise your confidentiality. I will not respond to direct messages with current clients and will not reveal publicly that you are a current or past client. Additionally, I do not connect with clients or ex-clients via social media on my personal accounts, nor I will not look you up on social media or on the internet.

Teaching Counselling

As a teacher of counselling, from time-to-time I use examples from my clinical work to provide insight and illustration of teaching points. I do not reveal anything that could identify the client and share with full respect and unconditional positive regard.