Terms of Business

All relationships have unwritten rules and often experience relationship difficulties because neither party is aware of the other person’s rules.

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The therapeutic relationship needs to be much clearer than that. As an ethical requirement and also in order to provide the therapeutic process with the best chance of success, I offer written terms and conditions about what is required from my perspective. This contract offers a clearly defined framework that provides a good foundation for a therapeutic relationship. 

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I ask that you read each section carefully and if there’s anything you don’t understand, don’t hesitate to discuss this with me.    

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Payment

 

Payment for therapy is required on the day of our booked session, or in advance.

 

Clients can pay:

-  Cash at the beginning or end of the session 

-  Monthly in advance by bank transfer or standing order (Note: payments made by online transfer are only possible if made monthly in advance and not on the day due to the extra administration this demands of me.)

 

My bank details are:  

-  Name:  LC Somerfield 

-  Account No:  37853768

-  Sort code:  77-91-12

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Payment for Absences (including client holidays)

 

It is unhelpful to the process of psychotherapy to have too many interruptions. You have been allocated a weekly slot which is yours and yours alone. My key advice to you, regardless of whether your absence is planned or unplanned, is to notify me at your very earliest opportunity.

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Unfortunately, due to the nature of my work, if you are unable to make your therapy appointment, your session fee will remain payable. Naturally, should unforeseen or unavoidable circumstances arise, please contact me at your earliest opportunity, and should we be able to re-arrange your session for another time during that same week, then we can proceed as normal.

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This may sound unfair at first, particularly if you are not self-employed, but if you think about it this way, it becomes easier to understand. Imagine if your employer phoned you and said, “I’m not well/attending funeral/going on holiday/fancy a day off, so I won’t be needing you today/this week/this month and I won’t therefore pay you," you would probably find that shocking. Similarly, my business overheads such as consulting room rental, equipment, travel expenses, etc remain constant.

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As a private practitioner it is essential for me to plan my chargeable time accurately, and without a robust contract I would not be able to predict my income with any certainty at all. These contractual boundaries are necessary to protect my income and enable me to continue to be able to do the work I love.

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Remote Therapy Sessions & How To Prepare

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These sessions are useful when we are unable to meet face to face. As a result of Covid-19 lockdown policies in 2020/21, society has become accustomed to communicating using technology. Face to face therapy sessions should always however be our goal outside such imposed guidelines.

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At the time of writing, my main remote therapy technology is Zoom (www.zoom.us). I will provide you with an invitation link and password, and to avoid confusion, I ask you to be responsible for joining our session on time.

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Please ensure your device (computer/laptop/tablet/smart phone) has a reliable power connection or battery charge level and that your internet connection is stable. Should technical or signal problems mean the session becomes impossible, the fee will still be payable.

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You should physically position yourself in a comfortable private space and try to ensure you will not be interrupted.

 

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My Holidays

 

I usually take Bank Holidays, two weeks at Easter, two weeks during August or early September and the week before and the week of Christmas. There will be additional absences of mine due to professional training, running seminars and, obviously, occasional absence due to sickness. I will advise of any known absences as soon as possible. 

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Attending Therapy when Unwell/Contagious

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I respectfully request that clients do not attend their therapy session in person when they know they are contagious as this often causes me to become infected and forces to take time off work. I know it is tempting to attend, especially if you are to be charged when you don’t attend, but at such times we can revert to the use of technology and conduct a remote session.

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Fee Increases

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I increase my fees every 2 years (naturally, the point at which my fees increase may not coincide with your personal therapy 2 year anniversary). I will give 4 weeks’ notice of any planned fee increase and this will be discussed with you; any financial issues this may cause you can be discussed freely with me and I will of course attempt to be as helpful as possible.

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Duration of Sessions and Attendance Requirement

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Therapy sessions need to be a minimum of once a week and the sessions last 50 minutes (which is known as a ‘therapeutic hour’).

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Altered States Through Drink and/or Drugs

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It is important that clients attend therapy sessions sober. Please do not attend if you are in an altered state through drink or drugs. If you have to cancel because of this, your session fee will be payable.

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Making Contact

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You can leave messages on my mobile phone (07762 738238) or email me (lynn@lynnsomerfield.com). Please use the mobile number for urgent messages. I strongly prefer a 'standard text message' to my phone rather than a WhatsApp or Messenger message as too many channels of communication lead to missed messages and confusion.

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Ending Therapy

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4 weeks’ notice is requested by me at the end of your therapy. This enables a proper ending to our journey. During this time, we can review your therapeutic experience, explore what you’ve learned and benefitted from therapy and address any other issues that might arise.

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Confidentiality

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All sessions are conducted in confidence; this confidence is applied to any records kept, in accordance with the Data Protection Act and UKCP guidelines.  

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Confidence will not be broken except:

• Where you give consent for the confidence to be broken;

• Where I am compelled by a court of law; 

• Where the information you give me is of such gravity that confidentiality cannot be maintained. For example, in cases of serious crime or if you are planning to endanger yourself or someone else.

 

In addition to these three possible exceptions, I receive regular supervision. This is a professional requirement for all counsellors and psychotherapists. Supervision is required to protect the client’s interests and to assist me in my professional development. I therefore sometimes share the content of sessions with a supervisor, although the supervisor is not privy to details such as your full name.

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Professional Accrediting Body

 

I am an accredited by the UKCP (United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapists and a Member of the British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy) and I abide by their code of conduct.  

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GDPR

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Data protection rules require me to separately provide information on how your data is stored and this will be sent to you separately.