Privacy statement and terms and conditions

This information sheet will provide some further details about therapy. You can discuss any questions you may have about this information in your first appointment.

Good Practice

You may want to know whether what you speak about in therapy will remain confidential. From the first contact, any information a client shares with me will remain confidential. Some cases are discussed in supervision. It is considered good practice for counselling psychologists to receive regular supervision of the cases they undertake. Supervision can be seen as a form of quality control and a way of ensuring that good therapeutic standards are maintained. An experienced and accredited BPS/CBT therapist supervises my practice. When clinical information is shared in supervision it is always done so with no identifying information.
Furthermore, in the event of me being taken seriously unwell or my death my supervisor will have access to my diary and contact details of all my clients to be able to then make contact with you and to help with making alternative arrangements for therapy.

Audio-recording sessions

Occasionally it may be helpful for some of our sessions to be recorded to assist with supervision. We would discuss and agree this is in advance. You will not be personally identifiable and the recording will be deleted following supervision. You can choose if this is something you would be happy for me to do and you can withdraw your consent at any time.

Information sharing and confidentiality

Confidentiality can only be offered within accepted legal boundaries. If I believe there is a serious risk to your own or to another individual's personal safety, I am required by the ethical codes of my professional practice to inform your G.P. or other relevant external agencies. Should such an instance arise I will make every effort to discuss my concerns with you in the first instance and any action taken will be with your full knowledge, unless it is deemed with my clinical supervisor that such discussions would lead to an increase of risk of harm to self or others, in such cases I reserve the right to break confidentiality.
Under-18s
I will ask you in the first session whether there is any information you would prefer your parents/care-givers to not know. However, they will be informed of non-attendance and any risk issues in line with the above.

Additionally, I would also share relevant information with other professionals/agencies that are already involved in your care to ensure consistency in the treatment and it is considered good practice to do so even if there are no risk concerns. Again, this would generally be done with your full knowledge. During the initial consultation, issues of confidentiality are discussed, agreed and any questions that you may have will be answered.
I am registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office therefore your data is held in line with the appropriate legislation.

Urgent help

I do not provide an emergency service. If you need urgent help please contact your GP, or go to an A&E department of your local hospital. Alternatively, if you’re experiencing a crisis, and need support and advice, you can call the Samaritans 24 hour helpline on 116 123.

Fees

Each session lasts for 50 minutes. Occasionally we may need a longer session, this would be agreed in advance and payment will be increased accordingly. For clients that are funding their own treatment, the charge is £110 per session. Charges for sessions funded by an insurance company vary and are available on request.

For certain problem areas, such as agoraphobia, hoarding and specific phobias, treatment can be arranged to be held at your home or a venue specific to the problem area. The fees for these appointments will vary and will need to be negotiated.

Session payments by an individual must be made by bank transfer at least 24 hours prior to each session. In addition, a holding deposit of £110 must also be made 24 hours prior to the first session for both private paying clients and insurance clients.

Please make payment to:
S Virk, Barclays Bank, Sort Code 202977, Account Number 20000809.

Organizations/ Insurance companies are invoiced on a monthly basis or at the end of a given contract period.
Non-payment of fees may result in legal action being taken.

Fees are reviewed annually.

Cancellation/Postponement/Missed Appointments Policy

If you wish to cancel/re-schedule an appointment I require a minimum of 24 hours’ notice. Cancellations/re-scheduling notices received with less than 24 hours’ notice will incur the full charge of the session. Missed appointments will also be liable for the full session fee. Please note insurance companies do not cover fees incurred due to missed appointments or cancellations/re-scheduling, therefore, this will need to be covered by the client.