Agreement

 

Terms and conditions

 

Before we can begin online counselling it is important that we create an agreement about how it can take place.

We need to agree about timing of exchanges, this will set in place trust in each other to respond when expected. We also need a backup plan if things go wrong such as technology problems or other emergency.

I will send you a copy of my agreement and a questionnaire, please ask me any questions and make any suggestions which would suit your individual needs. Before we start you need to complete my questionnaire and return it to me. As soon as I receive this and notification of payment we are ready to begin.

 

Agreement

 

• I provide online counselling using email with or without additional live chat sessions.

• Emails can be exchanged in the following ways:

• You can write to me as often as you like in a week knowing that I will respond once on a set day (e.g. Thursday).

• You can write to me once in a week on a set day and I will respond likewise.

• When I respond to you the email will be titled TR (therapeutic response) and numbered according to how many exchanges we have agreed.

• I will reply briefly to any queries you might have after a TR at no additional charge.

• We will organise in advance if we are to meet for a live session as part of a package.

• Confidentiality is an important part of my agreement to you. Our sessions are confidential and I have security measures in place to protect your e mails to me. Although 100% confidentiality is not possible in either face to face or online counselling work the following measures are in place: please read the privacy section at the bottom of the page.

• I work within the ethical framework of the professional body British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) of which I am an accredited member. You can see my details in the BACP’s online directory on WWW.BACP.co.uk . If you have any grievance please use their complaints procedure.

• It might be a good idea if you used a remote server for sending and receiving your emails to me. You might think about installing encryption software to keep them safe. It is important to be aware that other people can read your emails especially if you share a computer or write from a public place, such as internet cafe or library.

• Your identity and personal details will be protected at my end; the exception to this is if I feel you are at serious risk of harm to yourself or others or when I am compelled to give information by law. If I need to break confidentiality I will do so with your prior knowledge if possible and only to people who need to know.

• I have regular supervision in order to ensure my safe working practice or to help me if I am unsure of how to proceed. I might talk about your case but will not disclose your identity to my supervisor.

• If we decide that online counselling is not the best way forward for you I will support you in finding a better way forward.

• In the event of technological breakdown or other emergency we will let each other know by email using the most readily available internet access.

• If you decide not to continue please let me know so that we have an opportunity to close sessions safely or to explore the reasons why.

• Work will not begin until payment is received using the paypal buttons on the website.

 

Privacy and security

 

As I said I have regular supervision of my internet work. I don't identify you to my supervisor and any transcript material I might send is always anonomous.

Whilst we are in counselling contact, I keep my copies of our work on my personal, password protected computer in encrypted and locked files. When I am not working my computer is locked. When our work is ended I transfer the transcripts to a removable, encrypted hard drive, which is locked in my filing cabinet. I keep your records for 2 years. After that time they are destroyed.

 

If you are sharing a computer or using a workplace computer for our emails or think others might access your private e mails you could use a memory stick; or an external hard drive. Then you can write and store our emails on the or memory stick or portable drive, which can be removed and hidden when not in use. If you choose to use a separate portable hard drive then you won't leave a cyber 'footprint' on the computer you use. Another option would be to encrypt our emails. This involves writing your email in text editing software, then encrypting that file, and sending it as an attachment with your email. You would need download the relevant software. Do remember that if you use a workplace computer, your employer has legal ownership of any emails that are on it.

 

The Instant Messenger chatroom I use for live sessions sets up a direct connection between our two computers and our conversation does not pass through a third party server (where our conversation could be intercepted or stored). It is also encrypted, so anyone intercepting our messages would have to unencrypt them to read them. You can read more about this chatroom software here (it is free to download for personal use)