Essential: Client Contract & Personal Details Form

Please carefully read this contract. If you agree and wish to book an appointment, please provide your details on the form below.

About me: 

My name is Peter Edwards

My contact number is 07592 182 890

My email address is Peter@Counselling.Plus

I am a Registered and Accredited Psychotherapeutic Counsellor with the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP). I work in private practice offering face-to-face and internet based counselling. I am committed to offering a service which is welcoming to people of all backgrounds in a supportive and non-discriminatory manner.

How I Work With You

Times and Fees:

We will agree appointment times to meet in my office at 9, Dunstone View, Plymstock PL9 8TW or on line. This could be weekly, or more or less frequently if you request this.  My normal fee is £60 per session, payments to be made by bank transfer or cash. I will provide an invoice shortly after each session.

Sessions:

Sessions are usually 60 minutes long; the length of sessions can be varied if appropriate, by agreement. Usually, weekly sessions are best through more or less frequent meetings can be agreed depending on your situation and preferences.

Cancellations:

What happens if you have to cancel the appointment, or do not arrive?

If you do not attend at the appointed time, I will invoice you for the fee unless you give a minimum of 24 hours’ notice. Depending on circumstances I may waive your fee at my discretion.

I will give reasonable notice of any holidays I intend to take; if I am sick or otherwise unable to meet as planned, I will endeavour to notify you as soon as practicable.

If you do not attend two consecutive sessions without prior arrangement, this agreement will automatically expire.

Session Records:

I make confidential notes on each session which are kept on an secure, online system called WriteUpp. To do this I make sound recordings of sessions and use Evernote Transcription service to convert the recordings to written notes, before transfer to my client records system. This entire process is secure to NHS standards and enables me to record accurate details. These records support my work with you over time, and provide accurate information if we ever need to review or report on our work. If you do not want your sessions to be recorded for any reason I will be happy to comply with your preference – please let me know. Records are deleted seven years after our last appointment. I am GDPR compliant and registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office. If you have any concerns about the confidentiality of your information, please speak with me first, but you have the opportunity if necessary to refer to the ICO for advice via www.ICO.org.uk.

Confidentiality and Its Exceptions:

Any information about you and what we discuss in our counselling sessions will not be communicated with any third party except as stated here:

I discuss my work with my Clinical Supervisor to develop my practise and ensure the well-being of my clients and myself (this is standard practice and required under the BACP Code of Ethics). Your identity will not be revealed to my Supervisor who is also bound by rules of confidentiality.

I am legally bound to make disclosure to the authorities if:

  • I believe there is a risk of you causing serious harm to yourself or others;
  • you reveal that you are involved in money laundering or terrorism;
  • a Court of Law requires me to submit my case notes or give evidence.

If at any point during the counselling I believe that there is a risk of serious harm to you or anyone else, I reserve the right to refer to your GP or other appropriate service – I would normally discuss this with you first.

All personal information disclosed to me will be kept confidential and used only for purposes directly related to our counselling work. All client data is destroyed 8 years after the end of our work together.  I scan any paper documents (such as this one) and upload them to a secure counselling record system called WriteUpp. I shred all documents as soon as they are scanned.

Ethics:

I conduct my counselling practice within the BACP ‘Ethical Framework for Counsellors’. This document can be found at www.bacp.co.uk. If at any point within your counselling you think that I am in breach of this code of ethics, I would hope that you would feel comfortable to discuss this with me and that we could find a resolution to the situation. If we were unable to do so, you can express your concerns directly to the BACP (contact details are listed on this website.)

Between Appointments:

If you find yourself in a major crisis between appointments and considering serious self-harm it is vital to get immediate help. This could include contacting your GP or your nearest accident and emergency service (A & E). You could also call the Samaritans on 0345 909 090.

Counsellor’s Name:Signature:Date:
  Peter EdwardsPeter Edwards  01/09/2026

[1] Please note that if we encounter each other outside our therapy sessions I will not greet you unless you greet me first – otherwise there is a risk that your confidentiality may be broken. Ignoring each other in such circumstances is not rude!

Please complete the personal details form provided below.