Terms and conditions
Effective Date: 02/09/25
1. Confidentiality Policy
2. Attendance and Cancellation Policy
3. Discontinuation and Termination of Treatment
4. Payment Policy
3 . Discontinuation and Termination of Treatment
By choosing to engage in therapy with Therapy it, you acknowledge and agree to comply with the policies outlined below.
1. Confidentiality Policy
Purpose
Therapy it is committed to protecting the privacy and confidentiality of all clients. This policy sets out how client information is handled in accordance with the British Association for Behavioural & Cognitive Psychotherapies (BABCP) Standards of Conduct, Performance and Ethics, the Data Protection Act 2018, and the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR).
Commitment to Confidentiality and Client Responsibilities
- All personal information shared is treated as strictly confidential.
- Information will not be disclosed to third parties without the client’s consent, except in the circumstances described in our Limits to Confidentiality below.
- Confidentiality applies to all forms of communication, including verbal, written, and electronic records.
- Clients may not make audio or video recordings of therapy sessions without their therapist’s consent, and any recordings may not be disseminated in any form or on any medium without prior permission.
To protect client confidentiality, no other details about the client or their treatment will be shared with the third party without the client’s consent, beyond the facts of attendance, type of session, or missed/late appointments that may incur a fee.
Confidentiality and Third-Party Payment or Referral
If a third party is responsible for payment (e.g., relative or insurance provider), the client agrees that the third party will be informed of:
- Dates of attended appointments.
- The nature of each session (e.g., assessment or treatment).
- Dates of missed or cancelled appointments where notice was less than the minimum required.
Confidentiality in Joint Sessions
In cases where treatment is sought or undertaken jointly by two clients, such as in couple therapy, specific confidentiality considerations apply.
Any communication with the therapist by one client outside of scheduled joint sessions is generally not confidential to the other client. Both the fact of the communication and its content may be shared with the other client, except in the following circumstances:
- An individual appointment has been scheduled for one client.
- The communication concerns a serious risk or safety issue.
- There is a legal obligation to disclose information to relevant individuals or authorities.
Should a client disclose information outside of joint sessions that they do not wish to be shared with their fellow client, the therapist will assess whether maintaining confidentiality is likely to adversely affect the effectiveness of joint therapy. If it is determined that withholding this information would compromise the likelihood of successful treatment, the joint therapy will be discontinued, and any further scheduled appointments will be cancelled.
Confidentiality and Third-Party Contact
Occasionally, third parties (e.g., relatives or other professionals) may contact Therapy it regarding a client or provide information they believe may be relevant to the client’s treatment.
If a third party shares information of a personally sensitive nature about a client, either before, during, or after treatment, the therapist is generally obliged under the Data Protection Act 2018 and UK GDPR to inform the client. This obligation arises from:
- Article 5(1)(a) UK GDPR – requiring processing of personal data in a lawful, fair, and transparent manner.
- Article 14 UK GDPR – requiring the practitioner to provide information to the data subject (the client) when personal data are obtained from someone other than the client.
The client will be informed of:
- The fact that contact occurred.
- The substantive content of the information disclosed.
Therapy it will not be held liable for a breach of confidentiality when communicating:
- The fact of contact.
- Any information shared by the third party, including records of the communication (e.g., emails, texts, letters).
Exceptions may apply where:
- The information concerns a serious risk or safety matter.
- There is a legal obligation to disclose information to relevant individuals or authorities.
Limits to Confidentiality
Information you disclose to Therapy it is treated as strictly confidential and will not be shared with others, except in certain circumstances, including, but not necessarily limited to, situations where:
- There is a risk of serious harm to the client or others.
- There is a safeguarding concern regarding a child or vulnerable adult.
- Disclosure is required by law, regulation, or court order.
- The client provides consent for the therapist to discuss their treatment with another health professional (e.g., a General Practitioner), where it is clinically necessary.
Where possible, the client will be informed before any disclosure is made, unless doing so would increase risk or is not legally permissible.
In the event that the treating therapist is unexpectedly unable to deliver treatment (e.g., due to serious illness or death), the therapist is obliged to have a Clinical Will in place. A Professional Executor will have access to confidential client records solely for the purposes of:
- Informing clients that the therapist is no longer able to provide treatment.
Professional Supervision
To maintain high professional standards, therapists working for Therapy it participate in regular clinical supervision with an experienced clinician. This is a professional obligation in line with accreditation and clinical requirements, ensuring that the support provided to clients remains safe, effective, and ethical. Supervision may involve discussion of aspects of therapy; however, identifying details are anonymised to protect client confidentiality.
Record Keeping and Data Protection
- Session notes are kept in the form of brief summaries that are stored digitally and securely in compliance with UK GDPR.
- Records are retained for as long as necessary but can be up to 7 years and then digitally deleted.
- Clients are entitled to request access to any personal information held about them.
Policy Review
- This policy is reviewed periodically and updated as required to maintain compliance with legal, regulatory, and professional standards, including in response to changes in legislation.
2. Attendance and Cancellation Policy
When you schedule an appointment, you are making a commitment to attend at the agreed time.
- If you are unable to attend, you must cancel by giving at least 48 hours’ notice prior to your appointment via email or telephone. Appointments not cancelled within this timeframe will incur the full session fee.
- If you are late attending an appointment, the session will finish at the scheduled end time unless, at the discretion of your therapist, the appointment can be extended.
- If you wish to reschedule an appointment and have provided sufficient notice to avoid being liable for the session fee (as defined above), the therapist will endeavour to offer an alternative appointment but is not obliged to do so.
Attendance Policy for Joint Sessions
- If a couple has agreed to attend an appointment jointly but only one client attends, the session will not take place and will be treated as a missed appointment, with the full session fee charged.
- If one client arrives before the other, treatment will not start until both clients are present.
- Any conversation between the therapist and the early-arriving client will be limited to small talk and not cover treatment-related issues. The content of any such conversation will be disclosed to the client who arrives late.
Attendance Policy During Sickness
- If you have selected to attend your appointment in person but have any signs or symptoms of an infectious condition that could be transmitted by close contact (e.g., Covid-19, the common cold), you must not attend in person. If you attempt to attend while experiencing such symptoms, the session will not take place.
- When you notify the therapist that you are unable to attend in person due to ill health, a remote appointment will be offered at the same scheduled time. If you are unwilling to attend remotely and have not provided 48 hours’ notice, Therapy it reserves the right to charge the full session fee in line with the above cancellation policy.
Client Responsibilities for Attendance
- If your appointment is being held remotely, attend from a confidential, quiet, and safe space where the session will not face disruption. The therapist has discretion to cancel the session if the client is not in a safe or appropriate environment (e.g., attending while driving or in a public place).
- Minimise distractions, such as turning off or silencing mobile phones.
Therapy it reserves the right to discontinue or terminate treatment at its discretion in the following circumstances, which are not limited to:
- The client does not attend a scheduled appointment, or cancels/reschedules at short notice.
- The client repeatedly cancels or attempts to reschedule appointments, even when providing sufficient notice.
- The client fails to pay the agreed fee within the specified timeframe.
- The therapist determines, in their professional opinion, that they are no longer the appropriate person to provide treatment to the client.
- The client may terminate treatment at any time, without providing a reason, subject to the terms and conditions governing cancellation of appointments as outlined in policy 2 of this guidance.
4. Payment Policy
Bank Transfer Payments:
- For payments made via bank transfer, an invoice will be issued and must be cleared at least 48 hours prior to the scheduled appointment.
- If payment is not received within this timeframe, the appointment will be automatically cancelled.
Health Insurance Payments:
- If a health insurer has agreed to cover the cost of treatment, the practitioner will invoice the insurance company and/or the client according to the agreed arrangement.
- The client agrees to pay any excess or co-payment levied by the insurance company directly to Therapy it upon receipt of an invoice.
Cash payments:
- To secure an in-person appointment, clients wishing to pay in cash must pay 50% of the session fee via bank transfer at least 48 hours in advance of the scheduled session. The remaining 50% can be paid in cash in person at the end of the session.
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Contact Us
For any questions regarding these Terms and Conditions, please contact:
Therapy it Ltd
Email: support@therapyit.co.uk
Phone: 020 3947 9757
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