The purpose of this document is to outline our working relationship and what you can expect from our online sessions together. Counselling provides a space for you to express yourself and work through your concerns with a professional. While I will not give advice or tell you what to do, I will encourage you to share whatever feels important, and I will listen and support you in working towards the changes you seek. As a person-centred counsellor I am ground in humanistic practice. This means that you are at the heart of our work, and you choose what you wish to explore in our sessions. Further information about how I work is available at www.rachelsprunt.com. If you require a printed copy of this contract, please do not hesitate to ask for one.

Online sessions

• We will meet online via zoom. This can be downloaded on to your computer, phone or tablet prior to our session or access through your web browser here https://www.zoom.com/.
• I will send you a zoom invite by email upon receipt of payment.
• Each session lasts 50 minutes and beings at the agreed start time.
• I kindly ask you are ready to begin your session at the agreed time, in a quiet and private space where you will not be disturbed or overheard. Please also ensure you are using a device with a working microphone and camera, connected to a stable internet connection, so you can make full use of your session.
• Counselling sessions are open-ended unless we agree otherwise. 

Fees

• The fee is £60 per 50 minute session, payable by bank transfer or online no later than 48 hours before each session.
• Bank details for payment will be supplied following our initial conversation.

Arriving late or technical problems

• If you arrive late, the session will still end at the appointment time and the full fee will still apply.
• If you are more than 20 minutes late without prior warning, I will attempt to contact you via telephone and text. If I am unable to reach you the session will be cancelled, and the full fee will still apply.
• If you are unable to log on to our session due to technical issues, please call or text me on 07523149688. If I am unable to log on to our session due to technical issues, I will call or text you. If we remain unable to log on after 10 minutes, we may need to continue that session via telephone.
• I will never intentionally disconnect or end a session prematurely; however, it is possible that we may become disconnected during a session. Should this happen please try to log back into our online session, I will do the same. If you are unable to reconnect, please call or text me on 07523149688, and I will do the same. If we are unable to reconnect within 10 minutes, we may need to continue that session via telephone.

Cancellation

• Cancellations within 48 hours of an agrees session that cannot be rescheduled within the same week will incur the full fee, except in exceptional circumstances.
• If I need to cancel a session, I will give you as much notice as possible and will try to arrange an alternative time. You will not be charged if I am unable to attend.
• I will notify you in advance of any breaks, such as holidays or dates I am unavailable, and ask that you do the same.

Attendance

• Please keep absences to a minimum and commit to regular attendance as this is crucial for effective counselling.
• Counselling can sometimes feel challenging and emotional, and you may find you feel reluctant to attend. This can be part of your therapeutic processes and as such I strongly encourage you to discuss such feelings with me if they do arise. 
• If you are under the influence of non-prescribed drugs or alcohol during your online appointment, I will be unable to offer you a session and the full fee will apply.
• Abusive and sexualised behaviour will result in the immediate termination of the session, and the full fee will still apply. 

Ending

• You are free to end the sessions at any time, and I will always respect your decision to end counselling.
• Endings are important in counselling, and it is best practice not to end abruptly. If you are finding counselling difficult, or wish to end our sessions, I encourage you to discuss this with me first so we have the opportunity to resolve any issues and end our work together safely.
• I reserve the right to end our sessions if I am unable to continue or believe you will not benefit from ongoing counselling with me.

Important considerations for online counselling

• When engaging in counselling online it is important to be aware of certain challenges and considerations. Misunderstanding may occur more easily since it can be harder to notice non-verbal information, or it may take longer to build our working relationship. If you experience any concerns about this, please share them with me so we can address them together. 
• Online counselling may not be suitable during an acute mental health crisis or if you are experiencing suicidal thoughts or feel at risk of harming yourself or others. In such cases, face to face sessions may be more appropriate and if I am unable to facilitate this, I will assist you in finding an alternative provision.
• Some clients find online counselling freeing, which can lead to sharing more quickly that anticipated. It is worth being aware of this as sharing too much too soon can lead to feelings of vulnerability, especially if we are still building our working relationship. By being mindful of this we can manage the pace of our sessions to ensure you feel safe and comfortable with what you are sharing. 
• Due to insurance and legal purposes, no sessions can be conducted whilst a client is outside of the UK.

Contact between sessions

• To arrange, reschedule or cancel appointments please email hello@rachelsprunt.com or send a text or WhatsApp to 07523149688. I will respond during normal business hours. Please note 48 hours’ notice is required or the full fee will still apply.
• I do not operate a crisis or emergency service. For urgent emotional support please contact your GP, NHS 111, or the Samaritans on 116 123. In an emergency call 999 or visit your nearest hospital A&E department.
• Contact between sessions is best kept to scheduling and administrative matters. If you choose to contact me between sessions regarding a non-scheduling issue, I will not respond or discuss it with you until our next session, unless it is an urgent safeguarding matter.
• Please be aware that emails and texts are not completely secure so if you send me content related to your counselling sessions, it is vulnerable to unauthorised access. As such, I recommend you use a password protected document to communicate sensitive information.
• To protect your confidentiality, I will not initiate contact if we cross paths outside our sessions.
• Please visit www.rachelsprunt.com for my social media policy, which details how you can expect me to respond to interactions between us online. If you require a printed copy, please do not hesitate to ask for one.

Confidentiality

Both your attendance at counselling sessions, and everything we discuss will remain strictly confidential. However, there are some exceptions: 

• To ensure ethical practice, I attend regular clinical supervision to discuss my work. My supervisor is bound by the same ethical standards as me, and your details will always be anonymised.
• I must report disclosures about acts of terrorism, drug trafficking or money laundering.
• I must report risks or threats of harm to others, and reserve the right to breach confidentiality if I believe you are at significant risk of causing serious harm to yourself or others.
• I must report any information you reveal about children and vulnerable adults at serious risk of harm.
• I must comply if subpoenaed to give evidence in court.
• If you ask me to breach your confidentiality.

Where possible I will discuss any breaches of confidentiality with you first before taking further action.

Notes, record keeping, data protection and therapeutic executor

• I am registered with the Information Commissioners’ Office and follow General Data Protection Regulation guidelines. My full privacy policy can be found online at www.rachelsprunt.com. If you require a printed copy of this, please do not hesitate to ask for one.
• I keep brief anonymised notes which are stored in accordance with data protection legislation.
• Besides your notes, I only store your phone number, email address and any electronic messages that you send.
• I keep records securely for a period of 72 months after counselling has ended and they are then destroyed.
• No one except me has access to your records. However, in the event of my death or incapacitation secure access to the contract details of my current clients will be transferred to a therapeutic executor. This is a qualified counsellor bound by the same ethical code as me, who will ensure current clients are informed and supported, and will confidentially destroy any notes and records. 

Agreement review

This agreement can be re-negotiated at any time at the request of either party, and I will notify you in writing of any changes we make to this agreement.

Ethics and professional practice

I am a registered member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapists (BACP) and abide by their Ethical Framework. My membership number is M412688. As such, I am subject to their complaint’s procedure. If you are dissatisfied with the service provided, please discuss your concerns with me as a first step and I will attempt to address them constructively. If we are unable to come to a satisfactory conclusion then you can contact the BACP via https://www.bacp.co.uk/about-therapy/get-help-with-counselling-concerns-service/  who will further advise you.

Strathclyde Inventory research tool

I am committed to continuously enhancing the quality and effectiveness of my counselling support. The Strathclyde Inventory is a person-centred questionnaire and offers a structured and evidence-

based approach to assessing client progress, therapeutic outcomes, and engagement. By implementing this tool, I can gain deeper insights into your experiences and movements in personal growth. The results can also serve as a starting point for discussion in counselling sessions and support further collaboration in your counselling sessions.

You will be invited to complete the Strathclyde Inventory questions during our second session and during each calendar month thereafter. The completion of the questionnaire is not mandatory.

Agreement to terms

The information set out above are the terms and conditions to which you agree to if you begin counselling with me.