Fees, Terms and Conditions
Fees
- I charge £55:00 for each individual therapy session which is 50 minutes in duration either at my office or online.
- I charge £65:00 for each couples therapy session which is 60 minutes in duration at my office. I do not offer couples therapy online.
- Introductory sessions for individuals are available and are charged at a reduced rate of £30:00.
- I have a limited number of sessions available at £40.00 for individuals on a reduced income and may agree a further reduced rate for those on very limited incomes, please enquire.
- I accept cash, credit and debit cards.
- Fees are payable immediately at the end of each session or in advance for a set number of sessions.
- I can invoice your employer if they have agreed to pay for your therapy.
Appointments
- Individual therapy usually consists of a 50 minute appointment at the same agreed time each week or perhaps fortnightly as we move towards the end of a therapy.
- Sessions are held in person in my therapy room at 24 St Aidan’s Road, Carlisle, Cumbria, CA1 1LS or online via a teleconferencing software called Zoom.
- Zoom is available free to download on phones tablets and computers. Click here for details of zoom.
- Sessions for couples are 90 minutes minutes and vary between two and three weeks apart. Additional sessions may be arranged if required. Sessions for Couples are face to face only and not online.
Cancellation and missed sessions
- If you are unable to attend your appointment please let me know as soon as possible.
- The required notice for cancellation is 48 hours. Where there is less notice, or if you fail to attend your appointment, the full fee will be payable.
- I hope you appreciate that it is rarely possible to fill appointments at such short notice which is why I am obliged to charge for my time.
- I will give you as much advance notice as possible for holidays or of any other reason that I need to cancel a future appointment.
Insurance
As part of my practice I am fully insured for professional liability with a specialist provider of insurance for Psychotherapists. I also maintain third party accident insurance should any accident occur whilst you are on the premises. My insurance covers me for working face to face and online.
Professional Standards
As a member of various professional bodies I subscribe to a range of codes of ethics. Details of these memberships which can be viewed via the “Professional Standards” section under “Fees and Information” on my website. Copies of the codes are available on request.
Supervision
As a key part of professional development and ethical practice I have regular supervision of client work that I undertake with a supervising psychotherapist. Confidentiality is maintained and my supervisors are also bound by the same codes of conducts that I abide by. I may ask your permission to record our sessions to assist in supervision and treatment planning.
Confidentiality
- Confidentiality is an integral part of counselling and psychotherapy and is essential to building a strong and productive therapeutic relationship and ensuring a sense of safety.
- The therapeutic process encourages you to be as open and honest as possible and inevitably personal experiences and sensitive information is disclosed. It is vital therefore that you feel safe and can trust that everything discussed will remain completely confidential.
- All information will remain confidential unless we both agree to discuss something with a third party. The only circumstance where I would break confidentiality would be if there was a serious risk to your or another person’s safety.
- In very exceptional circumstances a therapist may be liable to civil or criminal court proceedings if they do not disclose client information. If at all possible this would be discussed with you beforehand and I would do all in my power to safeguard confidentiality despite the requirement to reveal certain information.
- When working online it is important that you are aware of and have as much control as possible over the confidentiality and privacy of our sessions. Find a private place where you will not be overheard or interrupted. We can discuss this in more detail during our first session online.
- There are certain legal limits to confidentiality which you should be aware of. If I believe there is a real and imminent risk to your safety or the safety of others I have an ethical and professional duty to ensure your safety and the safety of others, this may mean that I ask for help either from the emergency services or a doctor. I will always try to discuss any intended break in confidentiality with you first. I may also be asked to release any notes or records I hold by a court.
