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By booking either an initial consultation or regular counselling sessions, you agree to the following terms and conditions. This is an agreement between you as the client and your counsellor. This gives CONSENT to your counsellor to work with you. 

The following is agreed by the client: 

• Confidentiality: The content of your counselling sessions is confidential, except as follows: 

1. Professional supervision: all counsellors are required to have professional supervision to maintain the efficacy of their practice and to safeguard the interests of their clients. Your counsellor's supervisors are also bound by strict codes of confidentiality. 

2. Serious harm/compliance with law: The Edinburgh Counselling Service and/or your counsellor may share information where we have reason to believe that this may prevent serious harm being caused to you or another – in this case, where possible, we would do this with your knowledge and consent. We may also share information where the law requires us to do so and/or where we would be at risk of prosecution if that information was not passed on. 

3. Therapy Administration: The Edinburgh Counselling Service and your counsellor may share some details for administrative purposes, for example about scheduling appointments, cancellations, absences, payment or any other administrative changes relevant to your counselling sessions. This will not include discussing the content of your sessions.

• Attendance: You will get the most out of therapy if you come consistently every week. We do on occasion see clients on a fortnightly, monthly or irregular basis, but we must first explore this together and decide that this is the best way forward for you. 

• Time: Sessions finish after 50 minutes. 

• Cancellation Policy: Due to high demand, initial consultations are strictly non-refundable. We understand that sometimes it's just not possible to make it to your appointment. If you are unable to attend a regular counselling session, at least 72 hours’ notice is required. If a session is cancelled with sufficient notice and payment has already been taken, the payment will roll over to the next session. If less than 72 hours’ notice is given, the full fee will be charged. Arriving more than 15 minutes late to an appointment constitutes missed. If there are more than two cancellations or missed appointments within any two month period, the full fee will be charged for any further missed or cancelled sessions. Depending on the circumstances, it may also be appropriate to end your counselling sessions. This is because counselling requires a level of commitment to facilitate the counselling process. If you miss a session unexpectedly, your counsellor or The Edinburgh Counselling Service may email you to ask whether you would like your usual session the following week.

• Payment: Individual counselling sessions cost £60, and can be paid in advance of each session individually, or in blocks of 4 sessions (£240) or 6 sessions (£360). Payment is always in advance and session fees are to be paid at time of booking each appointment. Couples, family and group counselling sessions cost £80 per 50 minute appointment and £130 per 90 minute appointment. When you arrange your next appointment at the end of each session, you will be expected to make payment afterwards. We use this payment method as our practice is usually full, so please ensure you pay promptly to secure your session as slots book fast. All session fees will be paid at least 72 hours before the appointment to your counsellor. If payment is not received at this stage, unfortunately the session cannot take place. Repeated late payment will result in therapy being suspended. You will be provided with the relevant bank details at the time of booking. 

•Annual Fee Review: Please note your counsellor will review their fees annually. However, they work long term with clients so if you're not in a position to pay the increased fee, due to a reduction in income, or financial instability, please let them know and you can discuss a mutually agreeable way forward, and revisit once your finances are stabilised. 

• Contact between sessions: The therapy relationship begins and ends at the therapy room. Basic queries are welcome via email but other questions should be presented during therapy sessions. Therapy issues are not discussed by phone or email, unless there are special circumstances that have been agreed to beforehand. This is to help protect client confidentiality. If you ever find yourself in a crisis/emergency situation and you require urgent help, there are some contacts and resources on our website and at the end of your working agreement if you are a regular client, which you can refer to. 

• Ending Therapy: If and when you decide to end therapy, your counsellor asks that you let them know so you can leave space of at least 1-2 sessions to process your ending together. This is to facilitate closure and ensure a therapeutic ending. You can read more about this here. 

• GP Consent: You agree that if necessary, your counsellor and/or The Edinburgh Counselling Service can contact your General Medical Practitioner and/or other professionals currently involved in your care.  Only in exceptional circumstances would contact be made without your prior knowledge.
You understand that your counsellor and The Edinburgh Counselling Service are bound by a strict code of ethics and confidentiality and that generally only in extreme situations where there is risk to yourself or to other people would contact be made.  

•Concession counselling: The Edinburgh Counselling Service wants to help make therapy more accessible for people from all walks of life. For this reason, we hold a certain amount of concession spaces for those experiencing financial hardship who otherwise would not be able to access therapy. Concessions are for weekly face to face appointments. By attending these sessions, you agree that you understand that low cost counselling sessions are provided by either a Counselling Psychology Trainee, Trainee Counsellor or Trainee Psychotherapist. All trainees are closely supervised by their clinical supervisor and their training institution to ensure a high quality of counselling provision.

• By attending counselling with your counsellor, you are confirming that you are a legal adult and do not class yourself as a ‘vulnerable adult’ (therefore disabled or mentally ill AND unable to self-care or communicate effectively or protect yourself from exploitation or abuse). If you are under 16 you have your parent’s consent to undergo therapy.

• By attending counselling with your counsellor, you are agreeing that safety instructions will be followed by you as the client and you as the client indemnify the counsellor and The Edinburgh Counselling Service from any damage or injury at any level and to any person resulting from the therapeutic work.

• By engaging in therapy services with a practitioner within The Edinburgh Counselling Service, the client acknowledges and understands that their counsellor operates as a self-employed professional affiliated with The Edinburgh Counselling Service. While the counsellor provides therapeutic services under the framework and policies of The Edinburgh Counselling Service, they act as an independent practitioner and are not an employee of the organisation.

Declaration: By booking any sessions with us, you confirm that you have read the terms and conditions and agree to those terms. You undertake therapy on the understanding that it is a collaborative process, and that progress depends in part upon your own motivation and participation.