Counselling agreement

1. About me

I am Tracy Simpson, a counsellor. I am a registered member of BACP (reference 45587) and I work in line with its Ethical Framework for the Counselling Professions. My qualifications include a Graduate Diploma in Integrative Counselling from Leeds University and a Diploma in Supervision from The Leeds Centre for Psychological Development. I hold professional indemnity insurance with Oxygen. My practice address is South Yorkshire Physiotherapy Centre, Day Street, Barnsley S70 1NW, and you can reach me at hello@barnsleycounselling.co.uk and 07903 274683. You can check my registration on the BACP register.

2. Purpose of this agreement

This agreement explains how we will work together and what you can expect from counselling with me. It is here to support clarity, safety and informed consent. Please ask about anything that is unclear before you sign, and at any point during our work together. Counselling is a collaborative process, and no particular outcome can be promised.

3. Sessions

Sessions last 50 minutes and usually take place weekly, either online or in person, as agreed. If you arrive late, the session will still end at the agreed time. We will review how the work is going from time to time, and we can discuss any changes together. The work may be open-ended or for an agreed number of sessions, as we decide at the outset.

4. Fees

Sessions start from £70, depending on the type of counselling we agree at the outset. Current rates for every session type are listed on my fees page. Payment is by Stripe or bank transfer before each session. If a payment is missed, I will raise it with you, and repeated non-payment may mean we pause or end sessions until the matter is resolved. If I plan to change my fees, I will give you at least one month’s notice in writing.

5. Cancellations and missed sessions

Sometimes you will need to cancel a session. If you let me know at least 48 hours beforehand, there is no charge. Sessions cancelled with less notice than that, or not attended, are charged at the full session fee (this will never be more than the cost of one session), unless there are exceptional circumstances and we agree otherwise. If I have to cancel a session, I will give you as much notice as I can and you will not be charged; if I cancel at short notice, I will offer you a replacement session. I will tell you about my planned breaks and holidays in advance, and I ask you to do the same where you can.

6. Confidentiality and its limits

What you tell me is confidential. I will not pass on what you share with me unless one of the situations below applies. It is important you understand these limits before we begin.

Where disclosure may be required or justified. I may need to share information without your consent if I am required to do so by law, if a court orders disclosure, if there are safeguarding concerns involving a child or an adult at risk, or if I believe there is a serious risk of harm to you or to another person. Wherever it is safe and appropriate to do so, I will aim to discuss this with you first. Any disclosure will be limited to what is relevant and necessary.

Apart from the situations above, I will not share information about you without your consent. I also discuss my work in supervision, which I explain next.

7. Supervision

As part of safe and ethical practice, I discuss my work in regular clinical supervision, in anonymised form where possible. Its purpose is to support the quality and safety of the counselling I provide. I take care not to share identifying information unnecessarily, and my supervisor is also bound by confidentiality.

8. Records and your information

I keep brief notes of our sessions, together with your contact details and relevant administrative information, so that I can work with you safely and effectively. They are stored securely and kept confidential. I keep records for 7 years after our work ends (for clients under 18 when counselling ends, until they are 25, or 26 if they were 17 when counselling ended), then I destroy them securely. My separate privacy notice explains in more detail how I collect, use, store, retain and protect your information, your rights in relation to it, and any limited circumstances in which information may be shared. You should read this agreement alongside it. You can read my privacy notice here.

9. Contact between sessions

The best way to reach me is email, telephone or text, for practical matters such as appointments. I aim to reply within one working day during my working hours (9am to 6pm, Monday to Friday). Please do not use social media to contact me; to protect your confidentiality I do not accept social media connection requests from clients, and I will not acknowledge you first if we pass in public.

In an emergency. Counselling is not a substitute for medical, psychiatric, or emergency care, and I am not able to offer crisis support between sessions. If you need urgent help, contact your GP, call NHS 111, or in an emergency call 999 or go to A&E. You can also call the Samaritans free on 116 123 (24 hours) or text SHOUT to 85258.

10. Endings

You can end counselling whenever you choose, though where possible I encourage us to have a final session to close our work well. I may end our work if I believe counselling is no longer helping you or if a different kind of support would serve you better. I may also need to end it in the case of repeated non-payment, repeated missed sessions, or a serious or ongoing breach of the boundaries in this agreement. If I end our work for any reason, I will discuss it with you and help you find alternatives where I can.

11. If I become unable to practise

If I am suddenly unable to continue working because of serious illness, incapacity, or death, a trusted colleague will contact you to let you know and to help you find ongoing support. They will only access or use the minimum information necessary for that purpose and will be bound by the same confidentiality as I am.

12. Concerns and complaints

If you are unhappy with anything about our work, I hope you will feel able to raise it with me first, in a session or by email, and I will take it seriously and try to put it right. If we cannot resolve the matter that way, you also have the right to complain to BACP, which operates a professional conduct procedure for concerns about the practice or conduct of its members.

13. Working online or by telephone

Sessions take place by a mutually agreed secure video platform, or by telephone if we agree. You are responsible for being in a private, comfortable space where you will not be overheard or interrupted, and where you feel able to talk freely; I will do the same at my end. You are also responsible for being physically in the United Kingdom during our sessions, as my insurance and registration cover UK-based practice only. If you are outside the United Kingdom, or cannot tell me where you will be, I may not be able to go ahead with the session, as this affects safe practice and my insurance. Before each session, please give me the address where you will be and the name and telephone number of an emergency contact, so I can arrange help in the unlikely event of an emergency during a session. If the technology fails, we will try to reconnect for ten minutes, then switch to telephone; if we lose more than half the session this way, I will offer a replacement. Sessions must not be recorded by either of us without the other’s written agreement.

You’re welcome to ask questions about any of this before you decide to go ahead. See also: Terms and conditions and my privacy policy.