THERAPEUTIC SPACE
ETHICS | BEST PRACTICE
This page outlines the steps taken to maintain best practice, to safeguard the space, and to ensure I am offering a consistently high standard of service to everyone in receipt of my services.
Professional Commitment
to support your optimum well-being and vitality
to enable and strengthen your inner resources
to give my full attentive presence without judgment
to support change through challenging current patterns, and reflective enquiry
to help you to address the root cause of habits of unhealthy conditions whether they be physical, emotional, or mental
to honour your unique individuality with full respect and care
to provide a space that is confidential, reliable and contained
to meet people where they are in each moment
Legal and Ethical Framework
I am a self employed individual in private practice, all business activity falls under the UK systems including confidentiality, GDPR (you can find my GDPR statement here), ethical practices and all legal operations.
I am a registered member of the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP), and abide by their code of practice and ethical framework. Further information relating to these guidelines can be found at www.bacp.co.uk
Working Online
According to the BACP (British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy), working online includes all electronic and digital methods of communication such as a desktop computer, laptop, tablet, smartphone or any other device.
Online sessions are via Zoom, and there are some simple steps I take to ensure sessions are secure, which we will go through in the initial consultation.
Confidentiality and Safety
All information disclosed within our sessions is confidential unless I think there is a risk of you harming yourself, someone else, or if I am called to give evidence in a court of law. In any of the above, I would let you know and hope we could discuss it beforehand. All records, forms and notes are kept in a locked filing system or as encrypted files.
It is a requirement of the BACP that I discuss aspects of our work with a qualified supervisor. However, Clients’ identities are not revealed.
I am legally bound to make disclosure to the police authorities if a client reveals that they are at serious risk of causing harm to others. In addition, if at any point during the counselling you were in need of emergency support, I may ask for your consent to contact your GP.
To protect the space, it is important we both share the responsibility of safeguarding against intrusion of any kind at either end of the communication:
Physical intrusion: being overheard or someone being present without the knowledge and consent of the person at the other end of the communication
third party intrusion: adequate password protection and encryption of services being provided, regularly updating firewalls, virus protection or other applicable security systems and providing suitable information to service users to enable them to protect their end of the communications.
technological breakdown which prevents us meeting online, we would discuss how to rearrange the scheduled appointment.
Complaints
As a registered member of the BACP, I am subject to their complaints and sanctions. If you felt the need to make a complaint about an aspect of my work, please let me know and if we cannot resolve it directly between us, I would let you know the process with regard to contacting the BACP.
