Frequently Asked Questions

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The BACP is a membership and accreditation body within the counselling, psychotherapy & coaching space that aims for professional conduct to the highest and ethical position possible. Who review all members to ensure they are highly skills, trained and ethical with the services they provide. The BACP also sets standards for high quality professional conduct, continues training standards, along with standards for qualifications and training.

As being a registered member of the BACP in both the counselling division and coaching division, who's undertaken BACP accredited training, its a requirement that I adhere to the BACP Ethical Framework. This is a commitment towards ensure the services I provide are ethical,  in the best interests of my clients and ensure I offer best practice that is also safe and respectful. 

For further information on the BACP Ethical Framework, please click here. Where you can visit the BACP website for further details and download a PDF of the full framework for your own reading.

As being fully insured and a member of the BACP its a legal requirement that information about you is needed to be held for up to six years from the point of our last session. After six years your data will be deleted. 

Data held about you is stored securely, digitally within my file system. GDPR is followed to ensure your data kept safe and secure. I also use industry best practice to ensure your data is encrypted and locked down. 

As both a BACP and insurance requirement, a small amount of information is kept about you. Such as contact details, payment logs, attendance logs and signed contract of agreeing to the service.

Session notes are taken after each attended session. A very brief non-descript summary of our session is taken, amounting to a handful of bullet points that do not name and describe anyone or anything mentioned. Aiming to respect confidentiality.  An example of this can be:

123 attended online, no safeguarding issues. Discusses family challenges and used counselling to explore this further. 

All data held also serves a purpose for safeguarding and risk management.  

As a registered member of the BACP its a requirement that I attend clinical supervision on a regular basis. The objective of clinical supervision is to help me continue to develop skills, awareness and understanding. While ensuring I continuously provide a safe and ethical service. Any client work taken to supervision is non-descriptive and non-identifiable.

An example could be:

I'm working with client who has anxiety and feels to struggle with some of the tools I've offered. What alternatives could be offered?

My Service is based around confidentially. What is shared within sessions does not leave those sessions. I ensure the service offers privacy and respects what you share as deeply personal.

There are a handful of exceptions where confidentially shall be broken. This is a case by case situation. However it would surround situations of safeguarding and safety where your own immediate personal safety or that of others is at risk. Along with risks to children.

When confidentially is going to be broken, this will be identified within our session and discussed.

Immediate safeguarding and safety concerns shall be raised with my clinical supervisor, where the next steps shall be coordinated appropriately.

Breaking confidentially is a rare situation to happen, although both a legal requirement by UK law and also of the BACP to ensure we provide a safe and ethical service.

As like with any service, Counselling, Psychotherapy and Coaching also use a contract. Which is a common and ethical aspect of providing such a service. 

Our contractual agreement is a formal and important aspect. Outlining a mutual understanding in a range of areas. I view our contract as a live document that we can work together in updating if required. 

Some aspects of contracting can be verbal, not all eventualities can be listed down. 

As our work evolves, we might verbally and/or in writing alter our agreement or add additions to our arrangements. These can be in areas, such as a change in session days or times, an arrangement on something within the session, our approach within the work.

Changes from my side might have to be made, inline with with legal and ethical requirements. 

All changes to the contract will be openly discussed as and when.

Overall the contract will inform you on some of the following areas. 

• Date/time of sessions be held
• Location of sessions
• Data processing
• Cancelation process
• Ending process
• methods of communication outside of sessions
• information on medial issues
• Payment methods and schedule 
• What service is being provided

BACP info on contracting

Payment will be by bank transfer and needs to be made 48 hours before our session. 

Block booking is also offered, where you are able to book a block of sessions ahead of time and pay in advance.

When we agree to working together my business bank account details will be provided as part of contracting.  

Receipts and invoicing can be provided on request

Payments can be accepted by a third party. Where payment is being made by a third party, such as an employer or someone else rather than yourself directly, its expected they will engage within a payment contract. 

Such contract will outline how payments are going to be made, who is the point of contact and further limits of confidentially. 

Before we can engage with working together within this situation

• Chris and the third party has been in contact to agree the following:
  • A payment schedule has been agreed between the third party and Chris. Where agreed dates/days and times of where payments are made.
  • Agreed timelines for submitting invoiced if applicable.  where/who do invoices  need to be submitted to.
  • Timelines/number of sessions where applicable.
  • Employer goals, objectives and motives, if appliable. For example leadership coaching.
  • Points of contact/escalation with the third party/employer for payment issues and receipts. 
• Third party/Employer reads, agrees and submits the third party/employer payment contract. 

48 hours notice will be required if you are looking to cancel a session, however I understand that life is not always a simple flow and offer an understanding to the odd last minute changes now and then. Life does sometimes throw a curve ball. 

If you choose to cancel a session before the 48 hours, no fee will be charged. A full fee will be charged if cancelling after 48 hours before the session.

If in the unfortunate event I have to cancel your session on my behalf, all efforts will be made to inform you with as much notice as possible.

In either events, we can collaborate and rearrange your session at another mutually suitable time/days where possible or agree to continue on our next usual scheduled session. In the event where cancelation was on my behalf, no session fee will be charged.