Client Contract
Code of Conduct:
Everybody is expected to observe the 'Code of Conduct'.
Confidentiality:
Confidentiality will be maintained in accordance with our confidentiality policy.
Initial Sessions:
An initial 6 sessions will be offered, after which the progress will be reviewed.
Session Duration:
Therapy sessions will last for approximately 50 minutes for a clinical hour session or 25 minutes for a clinical half-hour session.
Cancellations:
If you cannot attend or need to cancel for any reason, please contact the practice at the earliest opportunity. Likewise, if your therapist is unable to attend, they will try to contact you as soon as possible.
Cancellation Fee:
If you cancel your session within 24 hours of its start time, you will be charged half the cost of that session. If you cancel your session within 3 hours of its start time you will be charged the full amount.
Code of Conduct
General Behaviour:
At Jodie James Counselling Services, it is expected that both staff and clients treat everyone they encounter with respect and courtesy.
Confidentiality:
Your information will not be shared outside of the therapeutic relationship without prior agreement and in accordance with our Confidentiality Policy. Occasionally, it may be necessary to breach a person’s confidentiality without their consent for the following reasons:
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An individual poses a serious risk to themselves or others.
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An act of treason has been or is about to be committed.
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An act of terrorism has been or is about to be committed.
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A child may be at risk or that a child is being or has been abused.
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A vulnerable adult may be at risk or is being abused.
Physical Attacks:
Physical attacks against any member of staff, client, and/or other persons will not be tolerated.
Theft:
Theft of property will not be tolerated.
Antisocial Behaviour:
Antisocial behaviour (specifically but not exclusively) in the forms of persistent verbal abuse, intimidation, harassment, and/or behaviour caused by alcohol or substance misuse will not be tolerated.
Discrimination:
Any form of discrimination against other people will not be tolerated.
Sexually Inappropriate Behaviour:
Behaviour which is sexually inappropriate will not be tolerated.
In the event of any of these situations occurring, we reserve the right to:
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Exclude the persons involved temporarily or permanently from the office.
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Summarily withdraw services being provided.
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Involve the police.
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Invoke the grievance, complaints, disciplinary or other appropriate policy.
Confidentiality Policy:
Our aim is to provide a safe and welcoming environment for all staff, members, and users of our services. To achieve this, it is essential that confidentiality remains a priority at all times.
Please note: Where possible and appropriate, one-to-one confidentiality will be maintained. However, the overriding principle of the confidentiality policy is one of corporate responsibility – i.e., that information is held by the organisation rather than the individual.
Client Details:
All personal details will be kept in a secure place (locked filing cabinet or password-protected electronic format), and access will only be provided as necessary to other staff for the completion of duties, e.g., contact in the case of cancellation, etc. Access MUST be approved by senior management unless previously agreed with the client.
Personal details will not be passed to a third party without prior consent from the individual except where necessary for the completion of duties or under the conditions governing breach of confidentiality (see part four). Access MUST be approved by senior management.
Circumstances under which confidentiality may be broken:
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Serious risk to self and/or others – Where a staff member has reason to believe that an individual poses a serious risk to self and/or others.
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Terrorism – if a staff member has reason to believe that an act of terrorism has been or is about to be committed. Disclosure is mandatory.
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Child protection issues – if a staff member receives information that indicates that a child may be at risk. If any staff member believes that a child has been or is being abused, all interaction must stop immediately. Disclosure is mandatory.
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Vulnerable adults – If a staff member receives information that a vulnerable adult may be at risk from abuse, whether that abuse be verbal, physical, sexual, emotional, or financial.
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Treason – if a staff member has reason to believe that an act of treason has been or is about to be committed. Disclosure is mandatory.
Under any of the above circumstances, the staff member will report the breach with the individual’s knowledge (if personal safety is not compromised) but not necessarily their consent. With the available information, the staff member may choose to inform the individual, if it is safe to do so, as well as the person they are passing this information to, e.g., the police. Again, this action may be taken with the individual's knowledge but not necessarily their consent.
Remote Contract (Telephone or Zoom)
Please read the following information before your first appointment. The information is in addition to the in-person client contract that will be provided as a separate document.
As the sessions are held remotely, for safety reasons your therapist will need your location each week before the session takes place. This is to safeguard you in case an emergency occurs.
Please note that after each session, the address is deleted and not stored by the therapist.
An important part of talk therapy is that you feel heard and understood. This is no different for remote therapy. One of the most important things is the relationship you have with your therapist. You may think that this is undermined when you are not in the same room as your therapist or if you can’t see them. There are things therapists can do to help create that connection and build a relationship when it comes to remote sessions. Please read the following requests carefully. You will be asked to acknowledge that you have done this prior to starting.
Confidentiality
You should do all you can to find a private and undisturbed place for the sessions. If you feel confident that you cannot be overheard, you will be able to engage in the session more fully. You may need to be creative about finding confidential space, perhaps even sitting outside in the car, if you have one. You will also need to ensure that any vulnerable members of your household have adequate care and supervision for this time.
You and your therapist will agree not to make any kind of recording of sessions conducted by phone or video link. You are responsible for the security of your devices, employing password protection, having regularly updated virus checkers, and firewalls installed, etc.
The therapist will ensure that their devices are always secure as above.
Technology
If you are meeting on Zoom, you will need to have downloaded the programme before the first session. If the connection is lost due to technical difficulties, the therapist will always attempt to re-establish the connection. If this is not possible, they will contact you by an alternative method (such as email or telephone) to either continue the session or reschedule. Please ensure devices are fully charged if possible and that you have chargers to hand.
Netiquette
Working from the home environment may lead to the process feeling more informal, which may affect how you prepare for and experience the sessions. It can help the talk therapy process if you take the following steps:
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Prior to the session starting, turn off other devices (such as phones, TV, etc.) to minimise distractions.
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Set up a space where you can sit comfortably for the duration of the session, preferably with your device supported hands-free and set up so that you remain clearly visible with adequate lighting and without needing to make adjustments during the session.
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Commit to the agreed timings and session duration.
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Please put all other activities aside so that you can focus on the session.
Practical arrangements and contact
Any contact by email or telephone in between sessions will be limited to practical arrangements and information only. Sensitive and personal material should be kept for the session itself.
Engaging in talk therapy either by telephone or video-link will feel different from the usual ways of working. It may be the first time you have used this approach, and this can seem daunting. However, it has been recognised that sometimes people find it easier to talk and express themselves remotely than in a room with their therapist. Webcam conversations can sometimes feel different in both pace and tone. This can be explored together - how to begin the sessions carefully and slowly, also a careful and measured ending to each session can be planned so that you do not feel abruptly cut off.
After the session ends, it can be important to take a little time to adjust back to the life around you. (There would normally be a transition period before and after a face-to-face session as you travel to and from the consulting room.) It might be worth planning a short walk or a little time to yourself for a short period after a session in order to reflect and reconnect gradually with other things.
Please discuss any concerns you have with your therapist at the earliest opportunity.