What is the Therapeutic Agreement about?
Before online counselling via e-mail or chat can begin, we must agree when and how the sessions will take place. It is helpful that we agree our expectations about the timing of counselling communications because we have to trust each other to respond when expected. We also need to have a back-up plan for a technology crash (the internet and computers are still not 100% effective all of the time) or other emergency situation. I will send to you a copy of the basic Agreement. If may be possible to alter parts of the agreement to suit you before you agree to it. Therefore, if you have any queries regarding the therapeutic agreement, I am happy for you to ask me any questions about it before and after you have signed it. It may be that during the stages of the counselling I may need to alter aspects of the agreement myself as the aspects of the counselling are unravelled and therapeutic relationship is built. I would talk this through with you first. When you are ready to begin, you complete the Agreement and acknowledge your consent to the terms and conditions, before returning it to me. You will also send me notification of your payment. When I have received your signed agreement, consent to the terms of conditions and your payment, we will then be ready to begin our therapeutic work together.
You must agree to the Therapeutic Agreement before your online counselling sessions begin.
The agreement will be sent to you as an e-mail attachment when:
- You have completed your initial assessment application form, and
- I have responded to your application form explained that I consider that online counselling is suitable for you.
- Note, you will not be sent a therapeutic agreement if I do not feel your problem areas are suitable for online counselling work using with e-mail or live chat correspondence. I will however, suggest alternative sources of help for you.
Here is the Therapeutic Agreement you must agree to before your online counselling sessions can begin. This agreement will be sent to you as an e-mail attachment when:
- You have completed your initial assessment application form and
- I have responded to your application form explained that I consider that online counselling is suitable for you.
- You will not be sent a therapeutic agreement if I do not feel your problem areas are suitable for online counselling work using with e-mail or live chat correspondence. I will however, suggest alternative sources of help for you.
Therapeutic Agreement
COUNSELLOR SECTION
In agreeing to offer you online counselling either via live chat or via e-mail, the terms and conditions are laid out in this therapeutic agreement. The following points form the basis for our working agreement.
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If you choose to book online chat, this will take place using a private Messenger chatroom (a confidential Instant Messenger can be downloaded free for personal use from www.skype.com). Please check the security information regarding encryption on skype's website www.skype.com/security/security. If you prefer, you can use an alternative download to skype such as www.bitwiseim.com
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If you prefer to have counselling via e-mail, I will send all of my e-mail correspondences to you from my e-mail address at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it '; document.write( '' ); document.write( addy_text83446 ); document.write( '<\/a>' ); //--> This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it I then encrypt all of your e-mails once I have received them. However, it is your responsibility to encrypt the e-mails you send and receive to and from myself. If you prefer your emails to be encrypted to maintain your privacy, you can send e-mails to me and receive e-mails from me which are encrypted if we both use Hushmail (www.hushmail.com). You will need to let me know whether you want me to send e-mails to you using this method otherwise I would be my plain e-mail address. Emails (direct link here to book a session) can be exchanged in plain text or by Hushmail in my online counselling service. I ask you to indicate your preference in the Client section of this Agreement.
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I will respond to all your emails on a day that has been mutually agreed each week.
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I will respond to each of your booked emails within 48 hours of receiving them. I will let you know when this is not possible.
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Each e-mail response is referred to as a Therapeutic E-mail which I charge for. You can purchase a number the emails in a pre-paid package. (Fees). You may have a query after you have read your therapeutic e-mail. If so, I will briefly attempt to answer your queries at no additional charge. Any practical queries relating to administration e.g. changing your appointment, I do not charge for.
Live chat sessions (direct link here to book a session) need to be booked in advance by email. It normally takes 24 hours to arrange but can sometimes be done more quickly.
Cancellation policy.
Referral
- It is not always possible to know if working online is the most appropriate way for you to get help. If I believed that face to face counselling would be a better way to help you I would suggest that either we hold face to face sessions or, if this were not possible, I would help you to find a counsellor near to you and support you whilst you made the change to face to face counselling. If I felt that another online counsellor might be better placed to help you than I am (because they had specialised skill or experience) I would suggest a change and support you whilst you made it.
Emergency Contact
- In the event of complete technology failure, I suggest we each send a text message to our mobile phones and use the same system to let the other know when they are back online. My mobile phone number is 0759 5509 053.
Payment
- The charges for my counselling services are set in fees (direct link here). I respond to your emails and hold live sessions after I receive notification of payment. Payment can be made using:
Google Checkout (fees)
Paypal (fees)
Internet bank transfer (on request)
HOW WE CAN WORK TOGETHER ONLINE - BASIS OF OUR AGREEMENT
CLIENT SECTION
- For online counselling via e-mail and live chat, first of all you are expected to send me a basic outline of your problem area. and You are expected to complete a registration form (link)
- You will need to provide your consent to the terms and conditions specified in this therapeutic agreement below. If you tick yet to this, this confirms that you have read through and agree to the Therapeutic Agreement. It also confirms that you are over 18 years of age and that the information you have given to me here is accurate to the best of your knowledge. You have a right to raise any concerns or queries you have about the Therapeutic Agreement before giving your written consent to it by ticking the box below. Together by mutual consent during the counselling process, aspects of the therapeutic may be changed where appropriate. Of copy of the new agreement would be sent to you and you would be asked to provide your written consent to the changes that have been made.