Humansense

Because good emotional health makes sense

Counselling Agreement

Counselling Agreement for Therapy with Humansense

If you are considering therapy, please read the information below as this sets out the boundaries for our online therapy work together.

This is an informed consent form, and you are asked to read and agree to the terms before we can begin therapy work together.

There is a downloadable version at the bottom of the page.

Counselling sessions

Online face-to-face sessions

Zoom – There is no need to sign up for Zoom. We send you a link.

WhatsApp – This works off your phone number. You need to have WhatsApp installed.

You will need to be ready to connect at the agreed time for sessions. We will contact you at the start of each session. Sessions are 50 minutes long. If we have agreed to more than one session then a time for the next meeting will be made at the end of the conducted session

Phone – we use WhatsApp, and this is free. Landline calls are also available.

Payment of Sessions

Payment for sessions needs to be made at least 48 hours before your booked session or it will be considered cancelled.  Payments can be made weekly but must be paid 48 hours in advance at the latest.  For ease of admin, Monday sessions need to be paid by 7 pm UK time on the Thursday of the week before, for all other sessions, payment must reach us by Friday 5 pm UK time. Your therapist will send you ways to pay via BACS.

Late or Missed sessions and Cancellation

Sessions are organised for an agreed date and time. If you are late attending the session, we will stay online for 15 minutes to allow for any eventualities. If you do not make contact within this time, then the session will be considered missed and will be cancelled. You will be charged for this. If you are late attending your session, we will still end at the original time for the session.

When cancelling a session, you are asked to give a minimum of 48 hours’ notice by either email or SMS. If you miss your agreed session and have not given sufficient notice, then your payment will be kept.

We check our emails and phones daily and will respond to you as quickly as possible.

Attending sessions

We work with all clients professionally. We ask that you do not attend therapy sessions under the influence of alcohol or drugs and ask you to dress appropriately for online (face-to-face) sessions.

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Session Times and Personal Space

Preparing for sessions

Your session times are important, and this is your “space”. Being prepared is an important part of therapy. Ensuring that you are comfortable, having a safe and private space to work from is important, and having a pen and paper for you to make notes, etc., a glass of water if you become thirsty, and some tissues can be useful.

All session times are 50 minutes long (individual therapy) or 1 hour 15 minutes (couple therapy) and are conducted at an agreed time between you and your therapist.

After Sessions

It is also important to give yourself a bit of time and space after each session. The therapy uses energy and can bring up a host of emotions. Ensuring you have some time after a session is healthy self-care. Try to make sure you do not have to rush off for an appointment or pick up the children straight away. Having a cup of tea or a glass of water and doing something pleasurable for 5 – 10 minutes can help. Your therapist will talk with you about this during the initial assessment.

Emotional Responses

It can be quite normal to experience a range of emotions whilst engaged in therapy, both during and in between sessions. This can include feelings of sadness, anger, or elation, for example. It can be usual to feel tired after sessions, particularly at the start of therapy, and sometimes sleep can be disrupted, or dreaming may become more intense. Keeping a note of any significant thoughts, feelings, or dreams can be helpful,l as can keeping a journal. These can be shared with your therapist and can be a valuable tool within your therapy process.

Reviews and Ending sessions

Part of the therapy process involves regular reviews between you and your therapist. This is to ensure that work is progressing and you are still getting what you need from the sessions. All therapy comes to an end at some point. Regular reviews help with appropriately planned endings as this is an important part of the therapy journey.

Technical Difficulties

If technical difficulties are experienced, for example, a computer or internet breakdown, we will undertake to contact each other via text (SMS) message so that an alternative session can be made.

Confidentiality, anonymity, and breaching

The work we do together is confidential. However, there are particular circumstances in which, as therapists, we can break confidentiality, and this comes under the code of ethical guidelines for counsellors and psychotherapists as set by the BACP. A need for breaking confidentiality focuses on keeping you, as the client and others safe from harm. If, through our work together, there is a genuine risk for your safety or the safety of others, then we have a duty of care to raise that concern with appropriate professionals to support you further. We will always explore this with you first.

Supervision

As part of our professional practice and adhering to the BACP guidelines, we have regular individual supervision. Supervision is a process of reviewing the work we do with another psychotherapist. This is to help ensure that we are working safely and in the best interests of clients. Client anonymity is kept, so you will not be identified. Only aspects of the work we do may be discussed.

Discussing your Therapy

Our work together is confidential. We ensure that all information is kept safe and protected. We ask that you do the same. It would not be appropriate to post/share on social networks/forums any written correspondence between us from our work together.

Dual Relationship

As therapists, we aim to develop a trusting and friendly working relationship; however, as a therapist, we are not a “friend”. To maintain the confidentiality and the boundaries of our work, it is not appropriate to engage “socially” on any social network, social or professional forums.

Computer Privacy, Safety and Data Protection

When working online, it is important to maintain security through reasonable measures to ensure confidentiality and safe working procedures.
Firewall and Antivirus – these can be installed to protect your software and hardware from third parties or viruses. McAfee and Norton antivirus protection are available.
Password Protection – Many of us have personal computers, and ensuring you have a password gives you extra security so that others do not gain access to your documents and information you have stored. If you have access to a shared computer, it is essential that you have a password that other people do not have access to. Saving information to your password-protected key/ dongle gives you added security.
Own personal security – please ensure that you have a private and safe space in which to have your sessions and that you will not be disturbed whilst in session.
Data Protection – When we have completed our work, all material such as email exchanges, etc are removed from the computer and safely stored on a password-protected memory stick. Any electronic records of our work will be deleted at the end of our contracted work.  All transcripts, counselling emails, and notes that are made as part of our work are owned by the therapist. Please do not post extracts or whole copies of our communication on social forums or to third parties.

Emergency contacts

Online counselling is not suitable if you are experiencing an enduring mental health illness or are experiencing acute distress. If you feel you are in crisis or are in danger of harming yourself, then it is imperative that you contact the emergency services for help or go to your nearest A&E department.

Please see the Emergency Contacts resource list for crisis support.