An example contract
Our working agreementOur working agreement
It’s important that we have a shared understanding of our time together, something written down that we can both reflect on – a shared perspective on what might happen in the future.
The agreement covers who I am, what my approach is, common questions about confidentiality and working online, and what happens if there is an emergency. The contract below is a working example, although it’s quite fluid and if we do work together, you may get a slightly tweaked version.
Example contract
This agreement outlines how I work and what you can expect from a session.
The purpose of this informed consent document and the contract is to make you aware of your rights and responsibilities as a client, my rights and responsibilities as a counsellor, to make you aware of the limits of confidentiality, to give you some insight into the approach that I use, and what you can expect from participating in a counselling relationship with me.
I am a Counsellor/Psychotherapist. I counsel from a combination of perspectives that include Transpersonal, Family Systems Theory, and Person-centred, Gestalt and Transpersonal orientations. Transpersonal counselling is centred on the spiritual aspects of human life and Family Systems theory is based on who you became in the family you grew up in. Therefore, during counselling, I will ask you questions about your family history and look at how it may relate to your current situation. We will examine patterns in your life that you may feel are not effective, look at the beliefs that drive them, and explore new options. During counselling strong emotions and feeling can arise, to overcome your own personal problems may require courage and persistence. As your counsellor, I will not provide answers for you but help you to find your own answers as we move through the session.
I adhere to the Code of Conduct provided by the National Council for Psychotherapists, and I am a registered and full insured member (reg. 361073). My insurance covers professional indemnity and personal liability.
You can find out more about the Code of Conduct here; https://www.thencp.org/conduct
My profile is listed here; https://www.thencp.org/united-kingdom/liverpool/psychotherapy/amanda-phillips
I am also listed on the Private Practice Register and can take health insurance from Vitality Health, and Atnea Global Health.
Confidentiality
All the information that we share together is strictly confidential unless one of the following should occur:
- The courts request my files, or I am called as a witness in court.
- We discuss cases of child abuse that have not been previously reported. This includes physical harm, sexual abuse, sexual exploitation, and emotional harm. In this case, I am required by law to report to Social Services in the UK.
- If you threaten to harm yourself or another, which includes reference to the Terrorism Act.
In any of these cases, I would endeavour to discuss with you what was happening and why.
It is important for you to understand that you are the primary decision-maker in the direction your therapy takes, and therefore you have the right to full and active participation in the decisions that affect you. In addition, you have certain rights, which include the right to:
- Receive an appropriate referral to other resources as needed.
- Accept or reject any task, exercise or homework suggested by me.
- Be made aware of the rationale, risks, and benefits of any and all counselling interventions.
Working online
Given the nature of working online, there are further considerations to be made which include;
I will work in a private, quiet and uninterrupted space that is confidential, and I request that you can offer the same.
If the technology fails us, which may happen, we can communicate via text message or Whatsapp (my number is 07*** 9****6) to keep each other informed. If the session becomes a write off due to technological issues, we’ll discuss how we proceed.
I use Zoom which is a secure platform. You will be sent a link to join a meeting by email prior to our session, and you can access zoom via desktop/laptop, by phone or tablet. You will need a camera and headphones so that we can see and hear each other.
Fee Schedule
The counselling fee is £60 per 50 minutes individual session, payable prior to or at each visit.
I do advise clients that they may wish to clear their diaries for an hour or so after sessions so you can have a bit of quiet reflective time, or even take a nap as sessions can be emotionally draining.
Payment details will be on your invoice.
Cancellations:
Life can often throw curve balls! If you need to cancel and provide 24 hours’ notice, there will be no charge. If for some reason you need to cancel within the 24-hour period, please do get in touch and we can discuss it.
Record keeping
We are registered with the Information Commissioners Office (ICO) as a controller of sensitive data and work to their standards for storing any personal information. More information can be found at https://ico.org.uk
By signing this contract you agree to us keeping and processing your data. You can find out more in our privacy policy.
If you do not understand fully any portion of this statement or have questions about it, please do not sign below. You may request that we go over this disclosure and clarify any questions you may have.
By signing your name below, you agree to the terms of this contract.
What to expect during therapy
As your relationship grows with your therapist, depending on the modality that they have trained in, the therapist is likely to encourage you, to reflect on your wins and to challenge you too.
Therapy is not easy, it can bring up big emotions, remind us of painful past experiences and at the same time offer us celebrations for things that we might have not previously noticed. It is often described as a process. What we discuss in session can often takes days or weeks to process.
Therapy is about a growing self awareness, a noticing of who we are in different situations and a safe and comfortable space to explore.
I invite a review every 6 weeks or so, checking in with you to determine if we’re still on the right path, if the goal that you had initially has changed or altered, and offering time for feedback about what is working well for you, and what isn’t. Of course, this can be raised at any time during sessions too.
Often clients will notice that they are starting to feel more secure, have less material to bring to sessions and we might talk about endings, how you might want to move to less frequent appointments, or to bring this episode of therapy to a close. We might mark an ending with a reflection of our time spent together, an expression of gratitude for shared space and you will leave safe in the knowledge that you can return if you desire.