Therapy Agreement

1. Appointments can be booked via email, telephone call, text message, or in person with me. The time and frequency of our appointments will be agreed upon at the first session and booked as a regular slot. Your session lasts 50 minutes, and if you are late, you will still have to finish at the usual end time.

2. Information from our sessions will be kept confidential between you and me. Confidentiality may need to be broken if I consider there is a risk that you may harm yourself or others. In such exceptional circumstances, where there is a concern for your well-being or that of others, seeking help outside the therapeutic relationship may be necessary. In such an event where I am considering breaking confidentiality, you will usually be consulted first, as your trust and safety are my utmost priorities. I do not record the video and/or audio of your sessions, and you agree not to record the video and/or audio of your sessions. I use Zoom for online sessions and secure email.

3. In the case of disclosure concerning vulnerable adult or child protection issues, acts of terrorism, or drug trafficking, confidentiality will be broken, and such disclosures will be passed on to the relevant authority without delay. I work within UK Law, jurisdiction, and guidance.

4. I adhere to strict UK governance around safeguarding, ethical practice, confidentiality, and data protection as a member of the HCPC, BAAT, and the EFT and Mindfulness Centre based in the UK. As part of my code of practice, I must continue professional development and engage in regular, ongoing clinical supervision. This is to ensure an ethical and professional service to clients. I may discuss your case in clinical supervision but would not use any identifying details. If required, I may inform your GP that we have begun working together. This does not include confidential information about the referral but is a standard letter with the start date of our work together, including my registration details. The sharing of any other information would require additional consent.

5. Artwork made in therapy is classed as clinical material and will not be shared with any other party. I will safely store your artwork between sessions, and at the close of our work together, you can take your artwork home with you. This will be discussed as part of your closing plan. Some clients like to keep all their work, and some want to keep part of it; I will dispose of unwanted artwork confidentially. If you do not return to collect your artwork, it will be disposed of confidentially for you. If we work online, I ask you to store your artwork confidentially and safely between your sessions.

6. Our therapeutic relationship will remain a professional one at all times. Contact in between sessions will be for administrative purposes only. If I happen to see you outside of your session, I will not greet you to protect your confidentiality. We will not follow each other’s personal accounts on social media. You may follow my business account on social media to access resources and information.

7. We will discuss your therapy journey and goals regularly. I will ask for your feedback on sessions, and we will regularly review our work together. You will probably know when you are ready to finish therapy, and we will work together to prepare for the end of your therapy. Some clients like to come back for top-up sessions once their regular therapy has closed, and this can be arranged.

8. Therapy can be a journey of discovery, a process of finding new ways of being in the world, moments of insight, collaboration, and increased well-being. At times, therapy can also be challenging, and we will work through this together if we encounter emotional, demanding, or frustrating aspects. We will work at your pace in a trauma-informed manner to make your journey as smooth as possible and use co-regulation techniques to support you.

9. During the consultation, we will discuss any accommodations you may need in sessions, either in person or online. It is essential that you feel comfortable and fully able to engage in your session, so we can co-create the space and adapt sessions to suit your needs.

10. Payment of services must be made in advance via BACS payment (bank transfer) 48 hours before the agreed session time or in cash at the start of the session. Therapy costs include art materials, resources, tapping scripts, guided meditations, and homework tasks where applicable. I will provide at least one month’s notice if fees have to increase.

11. If you need to cancel an appointment, please give as much notice as possible - a minimum of 48 hours' notice is required, or full payment will be due. Notice can be given via email, text, telephone, or voice message. If there are less than 48 hours of notice given, then full payment will be required. Please let me know about any significant breaks in therapy you may need to take due to holidays/work/study commitments so we can plan and prepare for this accordingly.

12. If you are unwell, please do not attend your session, especially if you have an infectious illness. Please wait until you are symptom-free to participate. If you feel well enough to have your session but are still symptomatic, we can hold your session online via Zoom. Just text/email me before your session, and I will send you a link.

13. If I need to cancel a session, you will be given as much notice as possible, and the session will be rearranged. I will inform you of any holidays I am taking ahead of time.

14. Your feedback on the therapy process will be asked for frequently, and if you feel unhappy with any aspects of the treatment being offered, please try to communicate this directly to me so we can work it through. This allows us both to address and resolve any issues in real time if they arise. If you do not receive a satisfactory resolution, you can complain to my professional bodies: BAAT, HCPC, or the EFT and Mindfulness Centre.

15. Please note that Healing Moon is not a service for mental health or medical emergencies. In an emergency, please contact your GP, any mental health professionals involved in your care, or your local A&E department. In the UK, contact NHS Choices on 111, the Samaritans on 116 123, or your local crisis team. For local clients, the Cheshire and Wirral Mental Health crisis line is 0800 145 6485, and more details can be found here: https://www.cwp.nhs.uk/crisis/