Our Agreement With You
 (Terms and condtions) 

Our Terms of working

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Ethics
All counsellors within London Counsellors practice under the ethical framework set out by the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP). We are committed to working with you in an ethical, empowering, and growth-facilitating way.

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Fees
The fee for our counselling sessions is that which was discussed and agreed with your counsellor in your initial consultation. The fee will reflect whether you are an individual, couple, family, child, or young person. Payment must be made before the start of every booked session and is expected 48 hours before the session starts. If payment is not made before the session, and you attend, the session will be paused at the start to allow for payment. If a booked session is missed, payment will still be required.

 

Notice of Cancellation
48 hours’ notice is required to cancel a session without incurring a cancellation fee. The cancellation fee is the full cost of the session. Missed appointments or cancelled sessions are chargeable unless you discuss any absence with your therapist in advance to explore if discretion can be applied depending on the circumstances. As we do not operate on weekends, Monday sessions require notice by the preceding Thursday. Cancellations made outside this window incur the standard fee. This applies to all clients, including those whose sessions are funded by insurance. Insurance providers do not cover missed or late‑cancelled appointments, and you will be personally responsible for the fee.

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Missed Sessions
Our therapists commit to regular weekly appointments with our clients, holding diary time because of the importance of regularity and continuity of sessions. More than two missed or cancelled sessions in a row may result in you being placed back on the waiting list and your diary time being reallocated. Any planned absence must be agreed upon in advance with your therapist, who may be able to offer you an alternative session that week, subject to availability.

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Late Arrivals
If you are running late for a session, please contact your therapist as soon as possible. If no contact is made within 15 minutes of the scheduled start time, the session will be cancelled and will be charged at the full session fee.

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Limits to Confidentiality
London Counsellors Ltd is committed to maintaining the highest level of confidentiality. Exceptions to this policy are where I believe that you or someone else would be at serious risk of harm. Consultation may be sought with another professional, but in this unusual situation, the matter will be discussed with you and a mutually agreeable way forward will be sought, where possible. We are generally committed to empowering our clients to take effective steps to resolve any difficulty.

 

Clinical Supervision
Counsellors/Therapists have an obligation to use regular and ongoing supervision to enhance the quality of their work. This means that we speak to an external consultant/peer therapist about our work, but you will be anonymous within this process. Confidentiality is strictly held between you and your counsellor unless it was felt that you were at serious risk or someone else was at serious risk of harm.

 

Recording/Note-Taking
Recording sessions, including the recording of the voice or video of the therapist without their written permission, is a violation. Note-taking by hand or typed is permitted by both parties during the session. Your therapist will take notes and keep records of sessions, but only for the purpose of providing you with the best therapy. All notes are kept separate from any details that would identify you.

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Working Across Borders
Visiting, working, or living in a different country does not have to stop or end your therapy sessions. We are still able to offer sessions virtually via Zoom or telephone (via WhatsApp/Skype). The work being undertaken between you and your counsellor will be in accordance with the laws of the practitioner’s own country, which in this case is the United Kingdom, and any disputes will be subject to the United Kingdom's law.

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Children in Sessions
When adults are having their own personal therapy sessions, it is preferable that children are cared for by someone else during the session. If this is not possible, support will still be offered. The content and emotional volatility of the session may need to be tailored if the session could be overheard by the child. If a client does not have childcare during the session, please seek consent from the therapist for the session to go ahead with the child present.

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Session Privacy and Conduct
Sessions should be conducted with privacy, and we ask that no one else is present in the room unless prior consent is sought and granted. If there is an issue with having the session online, we can switch to telephone. If you do not have privacy in an office or at home, the session can take place in a car with the engine off to ensure confidentiality.

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Creative Tools and Regulation Aids
In sessions, you are welcome to use colouring, doodling, take notes, use a journal, fidget tools, or therapy putty,  anything that may keep your hands busy so that you can process emotionally. These can support emotional processing, offer regulation during difficult conversations, and help focus the mind. Many clients find that the combination of movement, creativity, and talking enhances clarity and groundedness.

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Neurodiversity and Adaptation
We aim to be responsive to neurodiversity. If there are specific ways of working that support your processing, concentration, or emotional regulation, please let us know. We are flexible in adapting the pace, communication style, or structure of sessions to suit your needs.

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Emotional Safety and Communication
Sometimes certain words feel too difficult to speak out loud. You are welcome to use the Zoom chat box at any time to express thoughts, feelings, or content that feels safer to write. Therapy should feel collaborative and accessible, and all communication routes are welcome.

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Working Online & Safety Information
You are free to attend online sessions from any location—home, work, a private outdoor space, or elsewhere. However, for safety reasons, if you are at a location different from the one we have on file, please send your current location to us at the start of the session via text, email, or the Zoom chat box. A postcode or identifiable landmark is helpful. You may also share your location through Google Maps. This information is used only in emergencies. This is because your therapist would be the last person you speak to in session, and in the rare event of a safety concern, we may need to direct emergency services to your location.

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First Session Format
Our first session typically begins with a brief introduction and housekeeping, including a review of these terms. This is followed by time for you to share what has been happening for you and what brings you to therapy at this moment. We conclude by reflecting on key insights and setting an initial direction for our work together.

 

Biweekly Sessions
If financial or time constraints are a concern, biweekly sessions can offer a helpful solution. These sessions are available after six weeks of weekly therapy for new clients. This allows us to establish a supportive and trusting therapeutic relationship, ensuring we deeply understand your needs and how best to support you. For returning clients, biweekly sessions can begin after four weeks of weekly therapy, building on the trust and understanding we've already developed.

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Discount Policy​

Discounts are granted based on your circumstances at the time. If your circumstances change, such as from student to employed or unemployed to employed, you have one month to remain on the discounted rate before it is adjusted to the appropriate rate. This adjustment allows us to extend the discount to others in need. Since we do not receive government funding, any discount offered is at the expense of our therapists. Consequently, we can only provide a limited number of low-cost or discounted sessions to ensure therapists are adequately compensated. Therefore, any discount is considered a returnable gift, and we kindly ask that you return the discount when your circumstances improve so that others who need it can access therapy as well.

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Non-Judgemental Guidance
We strive to provide a non-judgemental counselling experience. If at any point you feel judged or uncomfortable with something that happens in a session, please bring it up with your therapist. This is part of developing your voice, and your therapist has a duty of care to listen to your concerns and support you. Addressing difficulties or challenges will not stop your therapy but will be embraced by your therapist.

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Out and About Policy
If your therapist sees you outside of the counselling space, they will not approach or greet you unless you do so first. This protects your privacy and ensures you don't have to explain who they are to anyone you are with if you don't want to. If you greet your therapist, they will greet you back, but we ask that you respect their privacy by not starting long conversations with them or anyone they are with, such as their children.

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Financial Challenges
Life changes can affect finances, and this can be difficult or embarrassing to discuss. We ask that you speak with us at the start of the session about any financial challenges so we can work together to find a way forward.

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Day or Time Changes
Sometimes, you may need to change the day, time, or both for your session. We encourage you to ask, even up to an hour before the session. However, please be mindful that while we will accommodate changes when possible, there are times we may not be able to, and the late/missed session/cancellation policy will still apply.

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Insurance or Corporate Payment
We charge a slightly higher rate for insurance or corporate clients. If you intend to pay by this method, please inform us so we can provide the appropriate rate and ensure you receive the necessary paperwork to claim back the cost of the sessions.

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Clients Using Insurance
If your sessions are paid for by an insurance provider, please note that our cancellation policy still applies in full. Insurance companies do not cover missed or late-cancelled sessions, and you will be personally liable for the standard cancellation fee of £70-100. Your insurer will only fund attended sessions and will not reimburse any fees resulting from missed appointments.

Confidentiality remains the same for all clients, including those using insurance. We do not provide employers with session content, and we do not share any therapeutic details with your insurer beyond brief summaries when required—typically high‑level themes and confirmation of attendance. We also use a CORE form to help measure your wellbeing. This tool captures your experiences over the past seven days and forms part of your therapeutic baseline. We report only the numerical score where required and may reassess this at intervals to help track your progress.

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Length of Counselling
We provide counselling for as long as required on a weekly basis, with the preference of sessions taking place at the same time and day of the week. It is recommended that an initial block of 8-12 sessions is undertaken to give therapeutic change a chance. Regular reviews every 3-4 weeks are also recommended to choose the best way forward.

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Endings
Healthy endings are an important part of moving forward; therefore, we ask that before finishing counselling at least 2-4 weeks’ notice is given, thus giving our work together the opportunity to come to a positive end.

By adhering to these terms, we aim to create a safe, respectful, and effective therapeutic environment for all clients.