You can read the full Terms and Conditions below. There is also a downloadable version of the T&C available, which you will need to 'digitally sign' before we can meet for an initial consultation. Further details on how to do this will be emailed to you if you choose to proceed with a consultation. If anything in the T&Cs is unclear, please do get in touch and we can talk through them.
Exeter Child Anxiety Clinic Terms and Conditions for Psychological Therapy
1. I am bound by the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) Standards of Conduct. Copies of the codes of conduct can be found at the following website: https://www.hcpc-uk.org/resources/standards/standards-of-conduct-performance-and-ethics/
2. Free initial consultation: The purpose of this consultation is for me to ask some broad questions, in order to ascertain whether your child might be suitable for the approach offered at Exeter Child Anxiety Clinic. It is also an opportunity for you and your child to ask any questions. Following this, if we agree that further assessment is appropriate, we will schedule a time for this. I will try to be as transparent as possible about the waiting time between initial consultation and assessment.
3. Psychological Assessment: Before starting a course of psychological therapy, it is essential that your child completes a Psychological Assessment with me. This session will usually last 90 minutes, during which I will ask about presenting difficulties along with relevant background information and current functioning. I will ask you to complete a pre-assessment form before our initial assessment and to return this to me 48 hours before your appointment. I may ask to meet with your child alone for all or part of this assessment. The assessment information will help us develop a psychological formulation together, which summarises what your child is struggling with, why these difficulties might have developed, and crucially, what is keeping the problem going. This formulation then forms the basis of our treatment plan together. At the end of the assessment, if I feel able to offer your child appropriate treatment, I will outline what this might look, like including likely treatment length. If I do not think I am able to offer your child appropriate treatment, I will discuss this with you and where possible support you in making links with other sources and organisations. You are not contracted to a specific number of sessions and I reserve the right to end therapy if this is indicated.
4. Although experienced in working with complex cases, in my private practice I do not generally work with clients who require lots of additional input in terms of liaising with other professionals, as this takes up a significant amount of additional time which I am not in a position to accommodate. If additional liaison or report writing is required at any point in therapy, I will charge for this time accordingly and I may require a contract to be agreed regarding number of hours dedicated to this each month. I do not write Court reports.
5. Length of Therapy Sessions: The duration of a psychological therapy session is 60 minutes (90 minutes for assessment). I may amend the duration for therapeutic reasons and will discuss this with you. If you are late for a session, I will contact you via email and wait for you for 20 minutes. If I have not heard from you in this time, I will assume you are not attending and I will consider this a non-attendance and end the session. In the case of non-attendance without notice, the full session will be charged. If you do attend the session within that 20 minute period, I will see you for the remainder of your appointment time but will be unable to work beyond the allotted finish time as this will disrupt the clinic for other clients who may be waiting. Similarly, if you decide you do not wish to use all your allocated time, I will need to charge in full for this since I have set the time aside for you.
6. Frequency of sessions: Typically, therapy sessions take place weekly in order to achieve maximum benefits. However, I am aware that due to time or financial reasons this is not always realistic. Frequency of sessions can be discussed at any point. I will endeavour to arrange the next appointment at the end of each session. Where this has not been arranged, please contact me within five working days of your appointment, to schedule the next. Please be advised that I run a busy practice and cannot hold spaces in therapy open indefinitely for you. If you have not made contact with me to book again within 2 weeks of your last appointment, I will need to reallocate that space to another client. If you regularly miss or cancel appointments and this is hindering your progress in therapy, I will discuss the implications of this and potential discharge.
7. Location of Sessions: Sessions will predominantly take place online, via Zoom. I do not currently hold a clinic space. We may occasionally hold sessions in the community for therapeutic reasons; this can be discussed during the course of therapy. Please make sure you have access to Zoom prior to your first appointment. I will send you an electronic email invite, which will contain a link to the scheduled appointment.
8. Cancellation or Non-Attendance: If you are unable to attend your appointment, please let me know by email at least 48 hours in advance, in order to ensure you do not incur a fee. I understand that sometimes life events happen that may make it necessary for you to cancel appointments with less than 48 hours’ notice. On these occasions, I reserve the right to charge a fee. In general, if you give less than 48 hours but more than 24 hours’ notice of your intention to cancel an agreed therapy session, I will need to charge 50% of the full fee. If you give less than 24 hours’ notice, or if there is a repeat pattern of cancellations/non-attendances, I will charge the full fee for the session. Please advise me of any periods of time that you are unable to attend with as much notice as possible. I will give you as much advance notice as possible regarding dates when sessions might not take place due to my own availability. However, there may also be occasions when sessions may be cancelled at short notice due to unforeseen circumstances. In such cases, you will not be charged and I will offer an alternative time. If for any reason, I am late for a session, you will be reimbursed accordingly.
9. Recording: It is important that you do NOT record the sessions. I will not be recording any of our sessions unless I have prior consent from you and this has been mutually agreed.
10. Time of sessions: My sessions are run within school hours only 9am-2pm on Thursdays. Please be advised that if your circumstances change and you are no longer able to attend in these hours, I cannot accommodate alternative hours and therapy will need to be drawn to a close.
11. Booking and payment of treatment sessions: Bookings should be made by email to admin@exeterchildanxietyclinic.com. You are required to make payment for your session by the day before your appointment in order to guarantee your session. BACS details will be emailed to you on booking your first appointment and can be sent again if needed. Short and necessary telephone or email contact between sessions will not generally be charged. Unpaid invoices not settled within 14 days may incur a 1.5% per month late payment charge. Outside agencies will be contacted about the recovery of unpaid fees that are overdue by 90 days. As the therapist, I will be entitled to recover the full amount of any administrative or legal costs or expenses incurred in the recovery of unpaid invoices. I do not accept payment by insurance.
12. Communication and Contact: Please note that most email providers do not guarantee a secure network. Please be aware of this when contacting me via email as no responsibility shall be held for unauthorised disclosure of information through the use of an unsecured network. While I use email for all booking and payments, please do not share personal information related to the therapy content by this means. Please share this within the therapeutic session only. In the event of a mental health emergency, please attend your GP, local Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) or A&E Department. You can also the Samaritans for 24 hour phone support. I cannot deal with mental health emergencies. To help best manage my time, and for the benefit of all my clients, I cannot respond to lengthy emails in between appointments. If you have a number of queries, this is best addressed in a scheduled appointment. If you have an urgent query however, then please contact me via the contact details provided.
13. Ending Therapy: I will have discussed the treatment plan with you at assessment and we will regularly review progress throughout therapy, maintaining an open narrative about the likely endpoint of therapy. However, if you decide that you do not wish to continue with therapy, please let me know as soon as possible.
14. Accountability, Safety and Efficacy of sessions: In line with professional codes of practice, I am required to regularly engage in continuing professional development activities and receive on-going clinical supervision. I may discuss your case in supervision but will not use any identifying details. As with any therapy, I cannot guarantee that you will benefit as we had hoped at the outset.
15. Confidentiality: Confidentiality will be maintained within the codes of ethics and legal requirements. Confidentiality does not apply where it would mean that I withhold information that would result in me breaking the law or breaching the codes of ethics. Safeguarding is my main concern in supporting your child and if I consider there is a risk of harm to your child or to others, I will discuss this with you (where possible and appropriate) and share this with relevant professionals. For this reason, I require the contact details of your child’s GP and school, but where appropriate it may be beneficial for me to liaise with other professionals involved in your child’s care. I may choose not to discuss this with you if I believe that in doing so, I increase imminent risk of harm. In the case of a disclosure concerning acts of terrorism, vulnerable adult or child protection issues or drug trafficking, confidentiality will be breached and such disclosures will be passed onto the relevant authority without delay. Due consideration should be exercised before disclosing anything of a previously unreported criminal nature, as I am obligated to contact relevant authorities. You / your child must NOT let anyone else listen in to any part of online sessions without my prior agreement.
16. Therapeutic Boundaries: I will not suddenly or without warning terminate therapy, except in exceptional circumstances. Please note any threats or acts of violence are unacceptable and will lead to immediate termination of treatment. Sessions will not take place if you or your child arrive under the influence of substances. You are responsible for ensuring your child is in a suitable place to have their session. This includes access to a computer in a room where they can speak freely and not be overheard. If your child is not in a private space where they will not be interrupted or overheard and I am not comfortable going ahead with the session, I will cancel the session but will still charge in full for this.
17. Fees:
Psychological Assessment (90 minutes) £135.00
Psychological Therapy session (60 minutes): £120
The cost of therapy includes any written materials I supply, but excludes the cost of any recommended books / online resources. Fees are subject to regular review.
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