ONLINE COUNSELLING CONTRACT
This contract is an agreement between you as the client and me as the counsellor which serves to protect you, enable me to provide you with an ethical and professional service by defining the boundaries of our working relationship, how we will work together and outlining my professional obligations. By you appointing me as your counsellor and accepting my offer of services in exchange for the agreed fee, we agree to the terms of this contract.
THE COUNSELLING PROCESS – THE WAY THAT I WORK
As a registered member of the BACP I work according to their Ethical Framework.
My role as your counsellor is to relate and respond to you with the aim of providing you with opportunities to explore, clarify and work towards living in a more personally satisfying and resourceful way. I will strive to collaborate with you so that we can work out what is helpful for you, and to help you to discover your own inner resources, promote psychological and emotional healing, and/or find solutions.
I practise a person-centred approach to counselling which means that I seek to provide you with a safe, honest, empathic and non-judgmental space for you to talk about whatever you want. Counselling is not about giving you advice or solutions to your problems but rather helping you to find your own answers and direction. My task is to help you to understand how you interact with the world and yourself, and how to develop a greater sense of self-awareness in a safe environment. This non-directive, validating process can promote self-discovery, empower you and facilitate positive change.
Counselling aims to help you get in touch with your feelings and become more comfortable with and accept difficult emotions. It is important to be aware that this process can sometimes, during and between counselling sessions, result in you experiencing uncomfortable feelings that you might have previously suppressed to protect yourself. Although this can feel distressing, this can be a sign that positive change is taking place within you and that you are ready to engage with these difficult emotions so that you can process and integrate them. My task as your counsellor is to support you through this process which is directed by you in a way that you can feel safe.
FEES
I currently charge a fee of £50 per 60 minutes session. I follow a no payment / no appointment policy. The agreed fee is to be paid at least 24 hours before each session by bank transfer to confirm the appointment. If you have not paid before the session, I reserve the right to not offer you the appointment and cancel it.
BANK DETAILS
Payment is by bank transfer only before each appointment. My bank account details are: Account Name: Michael Clement Sort Code: 30-96-56 Account Number: 37230468
ADDITIONAL FEES
Any additional work outside of counselling sessions such as letter and report writing, and court appearances will be subject to the same hourly fee rate.
ANNUAL FEE REVIEW
I review my fees on an annual basis in and will give you 3 calendar months’ notice of any proposed increase. This is normally an increase of £5 per session in line with inflation. If you are unable to afford this increase, please let me know.
COUNSELLING APPOINTMENTS
The making of appointments is dependent on mutual availability. Whilst I will try to offer you regular weekly appointments this might not always be possible and cannot be guaranteed. Appointments are made on a first-come-first served basis and if I offer you an appointment, I am unable to hold it for you unless you confirm it.
CANCELLATION OF APPOINTMENTS
A minimum of 24 hours’ notice by email or text is required to cancel or change an appointment. If you cancel or change an appointment with less than 24 hours' notice or fail to attend an appointment without notice, then you will still be liable for the full fee. If you cancel 2 appointments at short notice or fail to attend an appointment without notice, then I reserve the right to not offer you any further appointments. If you wish to make another appointment you are first required to pay the outstanding fee for late cancellation or missed appointments.
APPOINTMENT TIMES
I will open the video meeting at the agreed appointment time. If you are not immediately available, I will wait for 10 minutes. If you are having difficulty accessing the video meeting, then please text or phone me on my mobile phone and we can arrange an alternative way to conduct the session. If you have not contacted me after this time, then I will assume that you will not be attending the session, and the appointment will be cancelled. If you are late for an appointment, I am unable to go over the agreed finishing time as I have following appointments.
NUMBER OF SESSIONS AND ENDINGS
Counselling sessions are on an appointment-by-appointment basis with no obligation for you to continue. You are not required to attend a minimum of sessions. Should you continue with several sessions, and at some stage, an ending of counselling seems imminent or appropriate, then I will endeavor to inform you well in advance of any approaching ending and be sensitive to your expectations and concerns when we are approaching the end of our work together. Should you decide not to continue counselling, then I ask that you give me at least one week’s notice so we have a chance to discuss your decision and have closure but there will be no pressure for you to continue.
REFERRALS
Part of my commitment to you is to work to professional standards within my competence. There are certain situations where it might be appropriate for me to refer you to other professionals or agencies. These would include the need for non-counselling help with your issues, having a mental health or other issue that prevents you from engaging with talking therapy, the need for specialist treatment provided by agencies and other professionals or where the type of therapy I offer is no longer appropriate to your needs. The process of referral is important to ensure that you get the right help at the right time. I will always discuss this with you first, and should referral be appropriate, I will obtain your consent.
RECORD KEEPING
As a member of BACP I am required to keep accurate and appropriate notes of our work together I make brief written notes of each counselling session. All your personal information and notes relating to counselling sessions are stored securely in accordance with the requirements of GDPR, the Data Protection Act 2018 and the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) with whom I am registered.
CONFIDENTIALITY
Excluding the exceptions below, everything you disclose to me during our sessions remains confidential. I have a supervisor with whom I regularly discuss my client work to ensure that it is safe, ethical and effective However, I would not disclose any of your details that would enable you to be identified. In any event, my supervisor is a registered BACP practitioner and is bound by the same ethical code of practice as myself.
EXCEPTIONS TO CONFIDENTIALITY
The only time that I am legally required to breach confidentiality is if you disclose to me information regarding current or imminent acts of terrorism, drug trafficking, money laundering, other acts included in the Serious Crime Act (2015) or if a vulnerable adult or a person under the age of 18 is currently at risk of harm.
If I have reason to believe that you might be of risk of harm to yourself, then I have no legal requirement to breach confidentiality unless this could result in harm to others. If I have reason to believe that you intend to deliberately harm yourself, then I might have an ethical responsibility to breach confidentiality by informing your GP if you have disclosed their details, or in serious cases, the police, emergency services, or another appropriate third party. Wherever possible, and if it is considered appropriate, I will inform you of this and obtain your consent.
It is important to know that if you disclose to me that you are having suicidal thoughts without having any specific plan to harm to end your life, I will not consider that sufficient reason to breach confidentiality. Rather I would encourage you to discuss any suicidal thoughts as it could be very beneficial to your therapy.
The only time I am legally required to disclose the contents of our therapy sessions is when requested to do so by order of a Court of Law. If so, I will notify you and you are entitled to have access to your notes. I am under no legal obligation to provide information when directly requested by the police or lawyers except for information requested by the police regarding a hit and run road traffic accident. Should the police make a request to me for a copy of your counselling records, I will inform you. Should you agree to such a request, you will need to provide me with your written consent. You are under no legal obligation to agree to such a request unless it is by means of a Court Order.
COMPLAINTS
If you have any concerns about my professional practice, I ask that you discuss these with me first. If you are unable to resolve them with me, then you may address them to the BACP. Information is available on their website:
INSURANCE & LEGAL PROTECTION
I have professional liability insurance with Towergate Insurance and am covered to work online/over the phone with clients in the UK as well as those who live abroad outside the United Kingdom. You are protected by the Consumer Protection Act 1987 and the Consumer Rights Act 2015. The work being undertaken will be in accordance with U.K. law and any disputes will be subject to the same laws.
EMERGENCY SERVICE & CONTACTS
I do not provide crisis counselling, out-of-hours or an emergency service. If you feel you are in crisis or are in danger of harming yourself or others, then you are advised to phone the emergency services (999), NHS 111 Crisis Mental Health Support (option 2), phone Samaritans (116123), text Shout crisis text line (text the word SHOUT to 85258), go to your nearest A&E Department or contact your GP.
CONTRACT REVIEW
This contract can be reviewed at any time at the request of either the client or the counsellor. If this contract needs to be amended, then any changes can be discussed, mutually agreed and a revised written contract produced.
Counsellor: Michael Clement
May 2025
Cient: Please can you confirm by email that you have read, understood and agreed to this contract.
