Terms of Service

Counselling Terms of Service

  • CCS offers clients a maximum of 46 sessions of counselling. Clients can decide to end before the 46 sessions are completed. There might be occasions when CCS will not offer the 46 sessions in full, e.g. should a counsellor need to leave before 46 sessions are complete, or at the discretion of CCS for clinical reasons.
  • All sessions are face to face, we do not offer counselling over the phone or online.
  • Sessions are weekly, on the same day at the same time with the same counsellor each week. Appointment days/times cannot be changed once arranged. If you cannot attend on the day your next appointment will be the following week. If you know you cannot attend a session please inform the office with at least 48 hrs notice. Cancelling later than this will be recorded as a ‘Did Not Attend’ (DNA). Should you DNA twice in succession we will write to you to end sessions, as regular attendance is required to hold your place. If there are extenuating circumstances please talk to your counsellor or let the office know, so that we can discuss attendance. Cancelled/DNA’d sessions, including your holidays, are subtracted from the 46 sessions – any sessions cancelled due to counsellor absence are not.
  • We are unable to hold a client slot for more than 3 weeks’ absence, so please bear this in mind when booking holidays etc. Again, if there are extenuating circumstances please talk to your counsellor or let the office know, so that we can discuss attendance.
  • In addition, weekly attendance is essential for counselling to be therapeutic, therefore 3 cancellations in a 6 week period will result in a review and possible ending of our contract.
  • Clients must not attend sessions under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs. If you do, we will politely ask you to leave and to attend not under the influence next week.
  • We will not tolerate disrespectful, violent or aggressive behaviour towards any member of staff. It is understandable that angry feelings could be a part of the counselling work, but they must never be enacted upon staff. We will always respect clients and ask that you show the same respect to staff at CCS.
  • Client confidentiality – we aim to keep all client material as confidential as possible. There are limitations however, as there could be times when we are legally obliged to share disclosures you make, such as:
    • Involvement with/knowledge of acts of terrorism
    • Drug trafficking/money laundering
    • If material is requested by a Court Order or Subpoena

In these cases, we must report disclosures to the authorities as we would be prosecuted if we did not.

We are also legally permitted to share disclosures concerning:

    • Child protection/safeguarding
    • Protection of vulnerable adults
    • Risk of suicide or serious harm to self or others

We would always prefer to share permitted disclosures with the informed consent of the client.

  • At the end of their counselling, clients can refer to CCS again in the future, but we ask that you leave a gap of 12 months after ending before re-referring.
  • As a voluntary non-profit organisation, we ask that you make a weekly financial donation for the service if possible. This will be discussed in your assessment and can be any amount you can afford. If this donation is an issue for you, please feel free to discuss it with your counsellor or the office at any point. We never refuse people counselling on the basis of money.