1. Our duty of care to you
It is of utmost importance to us that you receive the best support possible and we will do everything that we can to ensure that you do.
1.1 Our team of skilled therapists are trained in a variety of psychotherapeutic approaches and the therapist search page is designed to help you to find the person who is best suited to your needs.
1.2 The key to successful therapy is the relationship that you will form with your therapist. The initial consultation is a chance for you and your therapist to meet to discuss the issues that you’ve been facing and to see if you are a good relational fit with each other. If for whatever reason either you, or your therapist decide that you are not a good fit, you can be referred to another member of the team or signposted on to an alternative service, where appropriate.
1.3 Due to the complexity of the psyche it is not possible for your therapist to draw absolute conclusions about the issues you are facing or the best course of action for you in a one hour consultation. The assessment process in therapy is always ongoing and your therapist will continually review progress throughout your therapy to ensure that we are providing you with the best service possible.
1.4 In some instances your therapist may decide either after the initial consultation, or at a later point during the therapeutic process that either your needs are beyond their area of expertise, or that you require a more intensive, or specialist treatment that is beyond what our service is able to offer you. In such instances this decision will be clearly explained to you and we will endeavour to signpost you to an appropriate alternative service.
2. Confidentiality
2.1 All confidential information is held by The Clearing in accordance with the GDPR, 2018 and the Data Use and Access Act, 2025, using the secure and encrypted practice management platform, Konfidens (konfidens.com). Please see their privacy policy for more details.
2.2 As part of our duty of care for you we will request and securely store the following personal details for you: Full name, home address, date of birth, contact phone number, contact email address, emergency contact details, GP details.
2.3 Notes are also usually kept of each session. This sensitive data is anonymised and is either stored in a locked filing cabinet or in a password protected file on the Konfidens platform. These notes are for your therapist’s use only and help keep track of everything that is being discussed. These notes must be kept securely for up to seven years after your therapy comes to an end, after which they will be confidentially destroyed.
2.4 When you make a booking with one of our therapists you agree to the confidential collection and storage of your personal and sensitive data in accordance with GDPR, 2018 and the Data Use and Access Act 2025.
2.5 Everything that you discuss with your therapist is confidential. Confidentiality will only be broken if there is concern about your safety or the safety of someone else or where we are instructed to do so by a Court of Law. We will always endeavour to speak to you about this first.
2.6 Your therapist may discuss their clinical work with a supervisor. This is to ensure that they offer you the best service possible. These conversations are bound by confidentiality and you will only be referred to by your first name.
2.7 In line with GDPR you have the right to request sight of your session notes. Should you wish to view your notes while you are still in therapy, please discuss this with your counsellor. If you would like to receive a copy of your notes at any time during the seven years that they will be held after your therapy comes to an end, please email your therapist to make this request.
2.8 You also have the right to request that we confidentially destroy your session notes and the contact details that we hold for you. This can be arranged by contacting our office. The only instances where we will not be able to comply with this request is if
a) It is necessary for us to retain these records to continue providing an effective service to you.
b) We are compelled to retain these records by a Court of Law
c) We require these records to establish, exercise or defend legal claims
You can view our privacy policy here.
2.9 Online sessions are held using end to end encrypted video calling software for maximum privacy. Please note that we cannot be held responsible for any breaches in confidentiality caused by failures in this software.
3. Appointments
3.1 All appointments last for between 50 minutes and one hour and you will usually meet with your therapist on a weekly basis.
3.2 Sessions will be conducted either in person or remotely by video or telephone call, depending on your preference.
3.3 Please ensure that you arrive on time for your appointment, are logged in to the relevant video calling platform, or are ready for your call at the session start time in order to make the most of the therapeutic hour. Please note that sessions will not run over the allocated time slot.
3.4 Where sessions are being held remotely, your therapist will ensure that they conduct the session in a quiet and confidential setting. Please ensure that you do the same to allow you to get the most out of the appointment.
Should either you or your therapist experience technical difficulties due to interruptions in internet or mobile service for example, they will endeavour to switch the session to an alternative format (namely an alternative video calling platform or phone line) in order for the appointment to continue with minimal disruption.
3.5 It is not usual for you to have contact with your therapist outside of your therapy sessions. If you think that you may need extra support, please discuss this with your therapist directly.
4. Payment
4.1 Payment for your sessions is made in advance, usually at the point of booking, by card using the Konfidens system or by BACS.
4.2 In instances where payment is not taken immediately, payment must be made within 24 hours of making your booking in order to secure the appointment. In the absence of payment your session may be cancelled.
5. Making changes to your appointment
5.1 If you need to cancel or rearrange an appointment with us you can do so using your Konfidens account. Alternatively, please email your therapist directly either via our website or your Konfidens dashboard.
5.2 We ask that you give at least two working days’ notice of any changes to appointments, in order to be eligible for a refund. This gives us the opportunity to reallocate the hour to someone else.
5.3 Cancellations made by email outside of working hours will not be received until the following working day. In these instances, notice will be classed as having been given at the point that the message was picked up.
5.4 The full session fee will be charged for cancelled sessions, where two working days’ notice has not been given and for non-attended sessions, where no prior notice has been given. Please note that for therapy to work, regular attendance is essential.
5.5 Where sufficient notice has been provided the full session fee can either be transferred to your next booking or refunded, less a cancellation fee of £2.50. This fee covers our card processing and administrative costs.
6. Breaks in Therapy
For counselling to be effective regular and consistent attendance is essential. It is also important that both you and your therapist are aware of any planned breaks so that you can prepare for the weeks when you won’t be seeing each other. Your therapist will endeavour to give you at least four weeks’ notice of any holidays that she is taking and we ask that you try to do the same.
7. Raising Concerns
We hope that your time at The Clearing will be a really positive experience, and we look forward to working with you.
7.1 Should you ever have any problems at all with the service that you receive from us, please let your therapist know. If this does not resolve the issue, you can raise your concerns with their regulatory body, which you can find online on your therapist’s profile.
7.2 Please note that all therapists at The Clearing are independent practitioners. Whilst we do all that we can to ensure that our therapists are working to the highest of professional and ethical standards, we cannot be held responsible for their actions. Any complaints or lawsuits in relation to the therapy or supervision that you have received from your therapist must therefore be taken up directly with the therapist in question.
7.3 In accepting our term and conditions, you permanently agree to release and indemnify The Clearing from all suits, law suits, claims and actions originating from Counselling, Psychotherapy, Supervision and Coaching provided by your therapist through The Clearing.
The material on this website is the Copyright of The Clearing Circle LLP. trading as The Clearing, All rights reserved 2026.