Client Contract – Terms and Conditions
These terms apply to the services that we (Breastfeeding Psychology, trading name of Dr Kelsey O’Reilly, also referred to as us/we/our/psychologist) provide to you, (client).
Confidentiality
Confidentiality is agreed between the psychologist and the client. All information discussed is confidential and will not be discussed with any third party, except with the below exceptions
1) There is significant risk of harm to the client, or a third party which could be reasonably mitigated by breaching confidentiality
2) With the permission of the client, and where the psychologist agrees a disclosure of information to a third party would be beneficial to the client.
If the psychologist decides a confidentiality breach is necessary, they will endeavour to discuss this matter with the client and any recommendations will be documented. If this discussion is not possible due to any limitations or unforeseen circumstances (e.g., time limitations, urgency of the matter, availability, illness), the psychologist may have to proceed with the breach of confidentiality without prior notice to the client.
As expected by our professional accrediting bodies, we have regular clinical supervision to ensure the high quality of our psychological services. Therefore, some information will be shared with the psychologist’s clinical supervisor who is also accredited with a professional body and abide by the ethical framework, confidentiality and guidelines of their profession. No personal identifiable information will be used to discuss the client, however, discussion topics from the therapy sessions will be used in order to ensure that the psychologist is getting and giving the best assistance possible. As part of offering a high-quality service, and as a criteria of professional accreditation, we regularly make audio and/or video recordings of sessions. Recordings are solely used for supervision purposes (as above). We would always seek your consent before recording a session, and you are under no obligation to agree to this. In a group setting, confidentiality is expected of all clients with information shared by others, but no guarantees can be made to this, and so consideration of this is recommended.
Data Retention
Any email enquiries will be deleted after 6 months if you do not become a client. If you do become a client, your information will be stored securely for the duration of your therapy and for 7 years thereafter to fulfil our legal requirements. Following this, your records will be securely deleted. We use a secure password protected practice-management electronic system which complies with UK GDPR regulations. You have the right to request access to the data we hold on you.
Assessment and Therapy
We offer a free of charge or obligation 15-minute telephone consultation before deciding to commence assessment and therapy. This is an opportunity for both psychologist and client to briefly discuss the presenting problem, ways of working and practicalities of sessions. At the end of this appointment, if starting therapy together is mutually agreed, an assessment appointment is arranged and registration and consent forms are completed.
The assessment session usually comprises the psychologist asking key questions about the difficulty or problem you are bringing to therapy. We may also ask you to complete some brief questionnaires to help us get a clear picture of the extent of the difficulties you describe. As part of the assessment, we will discuss with you what desired outcomes you hope to gain from therapy and our indication whether the group therapy is the most suitable option (if we don’t feel this is suitable, you will be refunded the package price minus £125 fee for this assessment appointment). On rare occasions after initial assessment, we may not feel that we can offer the best therapy approach to help you and in these cases, we will help you to find a suitable therapist with the required skills.
Our group therapy package then comprises 5 90-minute sessions in a small group of other clients. This therapy draws on Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT), and Acceptance and Commitment therapy (ACT) to provide a flexible structure for psychological support. If you need to contact us between appointments please do so by email. We do not provide therapeutic support outside of therapy sessions. We aim to respond to emails within 3 working days. Following this course of sessions, you will be offered a follow-up individual consultation to discuss your response to therapy, and recommendations for next steps.
In order to allow a safe and productive environment for therapy, the client should not be under the influence of alcohol or non-prescribed drugs. If the psychologist has any reason to believe that this may be the case, then they will not allow you to continue with the session will end. Threatening, abusive or violent behaviour will not be tolerated and will result in the immediate termination of therapy.
Any material produced in the session (e.g., video/audio recordings, session notes, written homework, and psychoeducational material) is the psychologist’s intellectual property and copyright. The correspondence and all therapy material shared between the client and the psychologist is to be used only by the client. All written and verbal communication is issued and intended according to the client’s individual treatment plan. Therefore, copying, reproducing or displaying this information publicly or electronically is not permitted and legal action may be taken against the client if that is found to be the case. The client under no circumstances is permitted to record (video, audio) the session (on the phone or any other device) unless the psychologist has issued consent in writing. The client under no circumstances is permitted to make public or share any recording (video, audio) of the session on any platform and legal action may be taken against the client if that is found to be the case.
Payment and Cancellation Policy
To confirm your place on the group, payment should be made in full at the time of booking either via embedded Stripe interface on website or BACS transfer. If you choose not to go ahead within 14 days of purchasing this package (and no appointments have been attended, and it is at least 48 hours before any scheduled appointment) a full refund will be returnable to you. We will try our utmost to avoid having to cancel a clinical session, and if it is unavoidable, to give you the most notice possible. There is no charge for appointments cancelled by us, and if you have already made advance payment this will either be refunded or applied to your next session.
You can choose to withdraw from therapy at any time and are under no commitment to complete the agreed course of therapy. Similarly, if after discussion with you, we believe that the psychological treatment we are providing to you is no longer beneficial, we may recommend other approaches or options and sign post you to those options.
GP and Emergency Contact Details
We routinely ask for the details of an emergency contact and your GP. We will only contact your next of kin or GP if we have any immediate concerns for your safety. We would endeavour to seek your permission for this, however, we reserve the right to contact your next of kin or your GP without your consent if we have significant concerns about your safety.
Complaints and Standards
Your psychologist will use reasonable care and skill in providing the service that is agreed. Clients are different and so is every therapy session. There are no guarantees of successful outcomes and while we are committed to providing as helpful and compassionate a service as possible, we do not accept any liability in relation to the therapy and modalities used in session.
We always welcome feedback from our clients and, whilst we shall use all reasonable endeavours to provide a high standard of care, we nevertheless want to hear from you if you have any cause for complaint. If you have any complaint about our services please contact us directly by email in the first instance. If this does not feel possible and you feel you have encountered an issue of fitness to practise, you can contact the Health and Care Professions Council by following this link: https://www.hcpc-uk.org/concerns/raising-concerns/
Emergencies
This practice is not suitable for those experiencing a mental health crisis or emergency. If you require urgent help then please contact your GP, use the NHS 111 service for advice, phone 999 or attend A&E. You can also contact the Samaritans’ anonymous helpline on 116 123.
If you have questions about any of the content in this document, please contact Dr Kelsey O’Reilly at
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