Terms and Conditions

Confidentiality is an important aspect of a therapeutic relationship. It is the basis on which trust and safety can be established between a therapist and a client. As such it is important to understand what it means, what it does and does not cover and when it may be breached. I will not share with anyone any details from our interactions together nor reveal to anyone whether or not you are a client of mine, except in the following situations –

1. If I feel that you are at risk of hurting yourself or someone else, I will be obliged to inform your emergency contact, other individuals involved in your care (such as a psychiatrist, if any), and the relevant authorities. I will attempt to discuss this with you before taking any such action unless I anticipate imminent danger.
2. If you tell me about a child or dependent adult who is being abused or neglected, then I am legally required to take steps to protect that child or adult by reporting this information to the legal authorities.
3. I will be documenting our sessions in the form of session notes, for my reference. Sometimes, I will consult with other mental health professionals with the intention to better understand and support you. This is a common practice and is referred to as clinical supervision. In my discussions, I will mask any identifying details that you have shared with me. My colleagues are bound by the same ethics of confidentiality as I am.
4. If you are working with other professionals (such as a psychiatrist), I would like to be able to correspond with them so that we can better support you as a team involved in your care. Any such contact between me and other individuals involved in your care would only take place after we have a conversation about it.

We will begin with sessions taking place once a week on a pre-arranged day and time. The sessions will be 45 minutes each. These sessions will include, but not be limited to, a discussion about your reasons for seeking out therapy; what you are looking for from this space and from me; exploring significant events from your past, your relationships with your social circle, risks to self and others etc. The purpose of these sessions is for me to develop an understanding of you through the context of your experiences and relationships and for you to get a glimpse of what therapy with me might look like. By 3rd session, we will have a discussion about your goals from therapy and continue from here to work on them.

If you have any questions about what is happening in therapy, I encourage you to ask me about them. You have the right to ask about my experience and my training to work with your particular issues. You also have the right to leave therapy at any time. If you ever find that you are unhappy about what is happening in therapy, I encourage you to talk to me so that we can address your concerns.

Since the session is on Google Meet and not in a space where I can ensure safety and privacy, I would request you to:

1. Make sure you have a quiet room to yourself and that no one else is in the room. Please keep the door closed for the duration of the session.
2. Use a laptop or place your phone on a stand while logging in since it helps with a stable picture.
3. Make sure you have a reasonably stable and good internet connection so as to minimize network interruptions.
4. (If you have them) Use headphones or earphones since they can help to minimize ambient and background noises and provide a clearer sound.
5. Not record the session – I would not be recording it either.

Cancellations, Missed Sessions and Reschedules

Session fees will be charged in full for missed sessions and half the fee will be charged for cancelled sessions within 24 hours. A session is deemed cancelled if you inform me of your absence at least 24 hours before the session time otherwise it will be deemed a missed session. I do understand that sometimes situations can come up outside your control which could prevent you from attending your session. In such cases you may reach out to me and we can attempt to re-schedule your session, however I cannot guarantee a re-schedule as it will depend on the availability of a free slot. You are responsible for coming to your session on time and at the time we have scheduled. If you are late by more than 15 minutes and I haven’t received any word from you, then the session will be considered missed. The sessions will end on time and no extra time will be given in case you are late.

Refund Policy

A minimum 24 hours advance notice is required for a cancelled appointment, for no fee to be levied.
If informed during the 24 hour period 50% of the counseling fee will be levied. In case of emergency, please notify the reason for not attending the session, if genuine, it can be rescheduled.
If no information has been shared the full fee of the session will be levied.

Ending Therapy

You have the right to end your sessions with me at any point during your therapy however I encourage you to come see me for 2 more sessions before you discontinue therapy. These sessions would offer both of us the chance to better understand the need to end therapy and to think about the decision together.

There may be points during your time in therapy where you feel overwhelmed. This could be because of a variety of reasons involving your experiences in therapy and experiences outside of it. If you feel you are unable to manage during this time you can get in touch with me and when possible we can schedule a short phone call (lasting up to 15 minutes). The purpose of this call would be to understand what has happened and what might be helpful at that particular time. I cannot guarantee that I will be able to reply to you immediately or be able to get on a phone call with you on short notice.