Terms & Conditions
Counselling Contract
Session Times and Cost
Counselling sessions are for 50 minutes and start from the agreed session time. I will be available from the agreed time only. Following your initial session, I will reserve this slot for you, on a weekly or fortnightly basis, to ensure continuity.
The cost of sessions will be agreed prior to our first appointment. My standard rates are £50 for individual sessions, and £65 for couple sessions. Payment should be made by bank transfer in advance of each session no later than 48 working hours prior to the arranged date/time. Payment is required for confirmation of the appointment.
I charge the full session fee for no-shows, or cancellations with less than 48 hours’ notice.
When referencing the payment please use your full name. If agreed payments remain outstanding,
I reserve the right to cease providing counselling services.
Cancellations, Holidays and Missed Appointment
Your agreed counselling sessions are your protected time for as long as your counselling continues and cannot be given to anyone else.
As such, I operate a 48-hour cancellation policy. Cancellations made less than 48 hours before the scheduled appointment – or non-attendances – will result in the full session fee being charged.
It is understood that sometimes emergencies happen which result in clients cancelling their appointment at the last minute or being unable to provide notification. On these occasions, it is at my discretion if a fee will be charged.
Online Sessions
I use Teams for online sessions and will send the link by email to you the day before our appointment at the latest. If you are unfamiliar with Teams or working online, please let me know and I can send a guide with further information. When you click the link, you will enter a waiting room and I will admit you into the meeting at the agreed start time. I will be in a confidential space where nobody can overhear our sessions. Please ensure you are also in a confidential space and cannot be overheard. I cannot continue a session with anyone under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
Holidays
Please advise of any planned absences or holidays at least 1 week in advance. For lengthy breaks (longer than 2 weeks), it may not be possible to maintain your scheduled slot. In such cases I will work with you to agree an alternative time to continue your counselling upon your return.
You will also be notified of any dates I am unavailable in advance. There may also be occasions when sessions are cancelled by myself due to illness or family responsibilities. I will try to give as much notice as possible of any cancellation and will always offer an alternative time where available.
Confidentiality
Sessions are fully confidential. If I were to discuss your case in professional supervision, no identifying details would be used. However, there are exceptional circumstances where I may be legally obliged to share relevant information. Further information is detailed in our confidentiality agreement as well as information regarding how your personal information is held and used.
None of us should publish or share any content from our communications, either written or verbally, to a third party or post this to any social media site or blog. Please be advised that any requests to connect with me through personal social media, or any other non-professional channel, will be politely declined to respect both of our confidentiality and the professional boundary.
Professional Boundaries
Our counselling relationship is a professional one at all times. You can email me directly at kirstymarielaing@gmail.com for scheduling purposes only. This email account is only used for scheduling/amending appointments and is not checked regularly.
If you need to speak to someone urgently, at any time, the Samaritans have a 24-hour helpline 116 123 (free phone). Breathing Space is also available on 0800 83 85 87 (Weekdays: Monday-Thursday 6pm to 2am, and 24 hours/day on weekends: Friday 6pm to Monday 6am).
When there is ongoing domestic abuse or there are ongoing court proceedings for domestic abuse, I cannot offer couple work. For help and resources with domestic abuse of any kind please refer to Scottish Women’s Aid https://womensaid.scot/ Helpline 0800 027 1234, or email helpline@sdafmh.org.uk. Scottish Women’s Aid is not just for women, they welcome all genders experiencing domestic abuse.
Ending Counselling
The length of counselling for each client is personal and completely dependent on your situation. I will review with you on a regular basis, I also invite you to share how you’re feeling about your progress and goals. You can end your counselling at any point by giving 48 hours’ notice before your next session. Ideally please communicate your intention to end counselling ahead of time, a final session can be used to review your progress, and offer tools to support you going forward.
Code of Practice
I am bound by the Code of Ethics and Practice of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP), of which I am a registered member. A copy of the code of practice and ethics is available on request, or may be viewed on the BACP website:
Confidentiality Agreement
I, Kirsty Laing, provide a confidential counselling service. In order to offer this service, I am required to hold personal information from my clients. Any information you provide will be kept confidential and is the responsibility of Kirsty Laing (Under the Data Protection Act 1998 and General Data Protection Regulation 2018). Your personal information will not be used for any other purpose than for the provision of the counselling service.
I will not disclose this information to other individuals or external agencies without your permission, except in the following circumstances:
If there is a legal obligation.
If there are serious concerns regarding your safety, or the safety of another person.
A disclosure is made suggesting you or your partner have benefitted from the proceeds of crime. (Under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 and/or relevant money laundering regulations).
A disclosure is made relating to a serious crime.
In the event that I have to break confidentiality, where possible, I will endeavour to communicate this to you first.
Your counselling records will be kept securely for five years. After the prescribed time your data will be disposed of securely.
Under GDPR regulations you have a right to review or change your personal data, or withdraw your consent. If you wish to do so, please contact Kirsty Laing who will progress the access request within one month. If you are not satisfied with my response or believe I am not processing your personal data in accordance with the law, you can complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).
