Process of Counselling/Psychotherapy
Depending on what you may want to bring to your therapy sessions and areas you wish to work on, therapy can be beneficial for many people. Therapy may help you with; unresolved issues or trauma, or repeated patterns in your life, personal or interpersonal relationships, fears, worries, sadness, anger and stress related concerns. As we will be entering a therapeutic relationship this will require a willingness and an active role from you. I will be open and honest with you throughout our communications and hope that you will do the same in order to benefit fully from our time together.
During the initial stages of therapy, opening up and discussing your concerns may cause some level of distress or unease, working within a pace that feels comfortable for you may ease some of the discomfort. Through the initial meeting we will explore concerns and needs for therapy including the frequency and duration of your therapy support. As with all engagement in life, there are, cycles and processes, therapy does not differ, whether it is short or long term, regular (weekly or bi-weekly) therapy you seek, your patience is required throughout this process. If life circumstances or therapy frequency preference requires wider gaps before our next meeting (every 3 weeks or monthly) these sessions will be stand alone and more specific focus led.
After our initial contact a "client questionnaire" and a 'consent form' will be sent to you for completion and signing. The questionnaire is used to assess your concerns and to consider what may be most beneficial to the area that you feel needs attention. Your consent is needed in order for us to continue with your support. During the course of therapy, I will draw upon various psychological theories that may suit your particular needs. Some approaches that may be used are; Gestalt, Humanistic, Psychodynamic, Sensorimotor psychotherapy, Mindfulness and Cognitive behavioural therapy, IFS but not necessarily limited to these theories and will depend on your personal preference and particular needs on how we are to work together.
Dual Relationships
Once we begin therapy, we will be entering a therapeutic relationship. This does not mean a sexual or friendship involvement and is never part of the therapeutic process. I will never disclose your identity or our therapeutic involvement to a third party (without your written consent) or on my web page or social media sites. I do not accept friend requests or follow current or former clients on social media sites such as Facebook, Instagram or Twitter etc, as this may compromise the confidentiality, privacy and our therapeutic involvement. From time to time, I may post blogs on my website or through social networks, if you write a comment, I will not respond as it may expose our working relationship. I do not accept, nor, will I ask a testimony from you after our sessions have come to an end, as one of my primary concerns is your privacy.
Privacy and Confidentiality
All information you share with me in sessions and written are private and confidential and will not be sold, shared or disclosed to any third party without your written consent. Personal information taken during assessment such as medical, health, social and family history will be kept separate from your name, address, emergency contact and date of birth in either, a secured locked filling cabinet or on a password protected PC within an encrypted file for additional security. I may take additional notes in subsequent sessions, this information will be kept separate from your personal details and will be brief and factual and include agreements about: the way in which therapy is conducted, changes to the way in which we work together, including duration and frequency of sessions, bookings and cancellations.
Your privacy is of upmost importance to me. Whilst, I will make every attempt to ensure that your personal information and our communication are held secure and private, there are certain legalities in place that may over ride this agreement, such as, when disclosure is required by law, for issues concerning and in suspicion of, the safety of you and others; a child, an elderly dependent or, if a person is physically disabled/ill or mentally impaired.
Another ethical or legal obligation that may require a breech in confidentiality, is if, I become concerned about the safety or well being of you or others throughout the therapy process or once therapy has ended. If I feel there is imminent danger, a safety risk to you or others, including harassing behaviour that may cause harm or threat to me (the therapist) where there is no way to prevent such harm between us, I have a legal obligation and an ethical duty to do whatever it takes to protect you and others from harm or injury and reserve the right to contact your G.P, the emergency medical services, the police or your emergency contact to ensure that you or others get the appropriate care and medical treatment needed.
Other than for legal and ethical obligations outlined in this agreement, all communications between us will remain private and confidential and you are required to do the same(for information on how to keep our communications safe and private online, please see the safety measures page). Whilst you are free to share your experience of therapy verbally with friends and family, you understand that all texts, emails, notes, scripts and documents remain the property of the therapist, Hulya Kusella at Healthier Dimensions and that posting this information on social networks or direct information about the therapist or verbatim information from sessions to any third party without the therapists consent is prohibited. For further information on privacy, confidentiality and how your data is managed on and through this site, please visit the privacy policy, disclaimer and copyright notice in the Terms of Use section.
I regularly see a supervisor to discuss casework, this is to monitor my work and ensure that I am offering you a high standard of service. Your personal details will not be revealed and your identity will remain anonymous. However, in exceptional circumstances such as where I, the therapist may be incapacitated, your name and contact number will be shared so that they can inform you of the circumstances.
Confidentiality and Technology
All communication between us on the booking site (appointlet.com) and online therapy platform ( doxy.me ) are safe, private and fully encrypted channels. If you prefer to contact me through Healthier Dimensions other secure channels such as email (hushmail), you agree that if we are to enter a therapeutic relationship together you will set up a "hushmail" email account or a secured passphrase that will keep our email communications private and secure.
Texting on mobile devices are acceptable for appointment arrangements/enquiries only and not for exchanging personal information about yourself or therapy reflections. If you phone me on your mobile device please be aware that this is not a private form of communication. To protect your identity I will not store your name on my phone.
Your personal data will be stored in an encrypted file and passcoded for extra security and protection and I kindly request that you do the same. For information on how to protect sensitive files and information, go to the" safety measures" page on Healthier Dimensions website for considerations on personal, shared and business computer use.
Whilst, I will take great care to ensure that all your personal information and identity is kept private and secure and in accordance with the data protection act (GPDR) and the Independent Commissioners Office (ICO), you understand that the internet is not completely secure. Communications should only be transmitted through the encrypted channels.
Storing Data Procedure
Your personal data such as name, contact number, texts and voice messages will only be held until our therapeutic contract has come to an end. However, phone services will hold summary records of dates, calls and voice recordings for up to 3 years. All personal information and documents sent via email will remain secured for 6 years after your therapy has come to an end to which all your information will then be deleted form my computer system unless there is a legal requirement or ethical duty to retain the information for longer.
In Case of an Emergency
If you need to contact me in between sessions to inform me of an emergency, please call me on 07858 509079, I will return your call as soon as possible, I check my phone regularly during the week, and less in the evenings. I do not answer my phone on bank holidays, Saturday after midday or when I am taking a break or away from my practice. However, if you or anyone else are in a crisis which needs immediate attention, please call 999 the medical or the police services or Samaritans on: 08457 90 90 90 UK services. If you are experiencing a crisis during an online therapy session, we will immediately switch to phone chat as an emergency protocol.
Technological Breakdowns
In the light of a technical breakdown during our therapeutic sessions, try signing out and then in again, if after 10 minutes we are unable to re- connect we may need to switch to Live chat or phone. If we experience a platform technical issue (doxy.com)that causes further difficulties after logging out and then in again, we may need to re-schedule the appointment.
Limitations to Online Counselling/Psychotherapy
You understand that online therapy by no means replaces the care in which you may be under with a doctor or a psychiatrist, nor is it used as a substitute for medication provided by your primary care team. You understand that online therapy is not suitable for a crisis situation or if you are feeling suicidal or homicidal. You understand that online therapy differs in some respect to traditional face to face therapy, such as with the lack of visual or auditory cues that you may have come to expect.
You understand that I abide by ethical guidelines and professional regulations of the BACP and the online ethical framework of the Online Therapy Institute and ACTO . Therefore, follow strict ethical procedures to ensure your privacy and confidentiality is maintained and that I only work with adults aged 18 years of age and over.
Fees, Bookings and Cancellations
The fees for therapy sessions are displayed on Healthier Dimensions booking site (appointlet.com) and directories. After the initial session, we will confirm the agreed fee as they may vary depending on, the method of service, duration and the amount of sessions you have chosen. Please note that fees are reviewed annually in April. If there will be changes to these fees, I will notify you a month in advance.
Therapy appointments can be arranged direct through the 'appointlet' booking system and payment taken are secured Paypal transactions. Before you consider continuing therapy sessions, I kindly request the "Client Questionnaire"" form to be completed and returned and the Client Agreement to be read before we can proceed. By entering continued therapy sessions with me you are agreeing to our agreement. I offer week days, evenings and Saturday morning appointments (depending on availability) and aim to offer you an appointment that best suits your personal preference.
Once an appointment has been secured on the booking site, I do request at least 48 hours notice in order to cancel or reschedule a session. You understand that I am unable to refund sessions fees or offer an alternative appointment if you cancel an appointment outside of the advanced notice period or for missed, unattended or for late arrivals to your appointment.
To reschedule or cancel an appointment within the notice period you can do this direct from your booking confirmation email. Please note that if you are cancelling a session, the booking site can only terminate the appointment. Refunds will need to be requested in writing through hulyakus@healthierdimensions.com. Please allow up to 48 hours for this to be refunded. Paypal also charge transaction fees this will be deducted upon your refund request.
I usually do not write therapy reports for third party involvement. Invoices can be provided to third parties whom are financially supporting your therapy sessions to which your name, session dates and fees will only be disclosed. If you are in need of a letter to confirm your engagement with therapy to law enforcements, legal authorities, medical services or through academic related circumstances, I will need 1 week advanced notice (if I am taking a break from practice this will be longer) in preparing this for you to which there will be a £15 letter fee.
If you are unable to connect on the day of our appointment, please let me know at the earliest convenience so that we can agree another form of communication (telephone, video or Live chat etc) for your pre-arranged appointment.
Your Rights to Information
You have a right to view any information that I hold or have gathered about you. Please read the 'Privacy and Confidentiality' section to view what information is taken during sessions. In order for me to share this information with you, I would ask that your request is submitted to me in writing. You also have a right to ask me, if you believe that I hold information about you that is incorrect to be rectified. I will aim to provide you with any information I hold about you within a month of submitting your request.
If a circumstance occurs where your information has been accidentally or deliberately obtained by a third party, I will notify you of this breach within 72 hours.
If, for any reason, you are dissatisfied with the service I am providing to you or have any concerns about the way in which information about you is being held, please discuss this with me firstly. I will aim to respond professionally and constructively to your concerns and advice you of where you can go for additional guidance if you feel we have not reached a satisfactory outcome. You can also contact the Information Commissioners Office (ICO)if you continue to have concerns about the way in which I manage your information.
By entering counselling/psychotherapy or any therapeutic services with the therapist, Hulya Kusella, you agree to the terms of agreement outlined above and also this websites Terms of Use/Privacy Policy and Copyright Notice.