LONDON BASED PRIVATE COUNSELLING PSYCHOLOGIST

Code of Ethics:

I endeavour to abide by the ethical frameworks of the professional organisations to which I belong, including the British Psychological Society and the Health and Care Professions Council.

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Length of Sessions:

Individual sessions are 50 minutes long. The number and frequency of sessions will be negotiated with you.

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Lateness:

If you are late for a session, the extra time cannot be added on at the end; however, if I am late, the full session will take place if it is convenient for you. If it is not, I will reduce the fee for the session accordingly.

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Cancellation of Sessions:

Please give as much notice as possible if you are unable to make a session. I will need to charge the full fee if you do not appear for your appointment or if you cancel within 48 hours of your session. If I have another available time slot within the same week that you are able to attend instead, I am happy to waive this charge – however, please be aware that empty time slots are not always available.

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Occasionally clients are surprised by this policy, and I do understand that things come up; however, less than 48 hours’ notice significantly decreases the likelihood that another client can be booked in, and I will remain liable for the consulting room fee. I prefer that you cancel appointments via email (rebecca@rebeccaperna.com) so that I am informed straightaway. I will notify you well in advance of any anticipated absences.

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Fees (2021):

Individual face to face sessions are £120 for a 50-minute session and £100 for a session via Zoom.

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Your Privacy:

I do not connect with clients on social media such as Facebook and LinkedIn. In the interests of client privacy, I do not Google clients or follow them on an social media.

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My mobile phone, which also receives email messages, is locked with a security code and face recognition lock.

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Crisis:

My email address is intended for enquiries, appointment scheduling, and other administrative purposes. I am not able to provide email counselling and would not be able to respond to an email written in a crisis situation.

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Outside of scheduled sessions, I can only offer limited support in a crisis. You have several alternatives in a crisis situation (e.g., if you feel you are a danger to yourself or are otherwise in need of immediate help):

• –  Contact your General Practitioner (GP).

• –  Go to your nearest A&E Department.

• –  Ring the Samaritans (116 123).

• –  Ring the Mental Health Helpline (0300 304 7000).

 

Sharing Information:

General Medical Council guidelines advise that best practice is for psychologists to communicate with a client’s General Practitioner (GP); this is one reason why your GP’s name and address is requested on the personal information form. I do not, however, liaise with GPs or other parties unless this is deemed necessary and/or helpful. I will discuss this with you further in our first session. In instances of perceived risk to self or others, I will need to communicate with your GP.

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If you wish me to be able to discuss your situation with another health care provider (e.g., a specialist, another psychologist, a previous therapist) or any other person (e.g., a school counsellor, your spouse), I will ask you to sign a release of information to allow this. For children under 16, I will assume permission to share information with the parents if it is indicated, having first discussed this with the child.

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Confidentiality:

Information on and details of sessions are confidential but may also be shared (minus any identifying information) in the context of peer supervision. There are some limits to confidentiality,which may have to be broken if:

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• –  Serious injury or harm may occur to you or someone else;

• –  Child abuse has been disclosed;

• –  A miscarriage of justice will occur;

• –  Information is disclosed about an act of terrorism; or

–  I am summoned by a Court of Law.

 

In the first instance, I would at the very least contact your General Practitioner and the emergency number given on the client information form. Wherepossible, I will always inform you first and discuss it with you if confidentiality is going to be broken.

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I process your data in line with the General Data Protection Regulation 2018 and professional practice guidelines.

When making process notes in session, I do not include any identifying information (e.g., name, date of birth, phone number).

Any electronic client records, and/or the devices on which they are kept, are encrypted and/or password protected.

I will obtain your consent to use email and/or SMS to correspond with you.

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I do not transport paper material with identifying information.

After your therapy has ended, I will retain your data for seven years, in line with professional practice guidelines. At that point they will be destroyed/erased, to include all electronic communications. In certain circumstances, you may wish to have your personal data permanently erased sooner than this. This is known as the right to be forgotten.