Terms and Conditions

CLIENT TERMS AND CONDITIONS

Please read these terms and conditions which apply to the provision of my professional services. By making an appointment, you are agreeing to the following terms and conditions. If you are unable or unwilling to agree to these terms and conditions, then you should not book an appointment or continue with your course of therapy.

INITIAL CONSULTATION

You may be offered an online initial consultation. No therapy will be provided during the consultation.

The purpose of this initial consultation is to understand the background and nature of the issue you’re experiencing. During these calls, estimates of the number of sessions required to deal with your presenting issue are given on the basis of the information provided at that time. Estimates are only rough guidelines and are subject to change.

BOOKING & PAYMENT

Payment is required in advance of in person and online sessions and must be paid in full at least 24 hours before the scheduled session start time. Where payment is not received 24 hours before your session, the session will be cancelled and may be offered to someone else. It is your responsibility to pay the session fees before each scheduled session in order to confirm the appointment booking.

CANCELLATION, RESCHEDULING & REFUNDS

• Cancellation & rescheduling

If you need to cancel or re-schedule a session, please provide as much notice as possible. Notification must be made via email or phone call at least 24 hours before a session.

• Refunds

No refunds will be issued for cancellations within 24 hours of a scheduled session.

Session fees are for my time and professional expertise and are not a guarantee of a successful outcome. Therefore, no refunds will be given for any sessions where you have attended and paid for the session.

• Session Fees

All professional fees are disclosed on my website. My professional fees are subject to review and may increase from time to time. You will always receive confirmation of the professional fees before booking.

• Payment Methods

Payment may be made online using the link sent to you at time of booking. All payments must be received prior to the session.

CONTACT BETWEEN SESSIONS

Any contact between sessions will be by telephone, email or letter during office hours only (9am-5pm). I endeavour to reply to all emails within 48 hours of receipt.

MEDICAL OR PSYCHOLOGICAL CONDITIONS

I may ask questions about your medical history to establish any contra-indications to treatment. This will also help to assess whether your health is affecting (or being affected by) the therapeutic goals you wish to achieve. Please update me of any medical changes during your course of therapy, or if you are returning to therapy after a period of absence.

If you are receiving care or treatment from any medical, healthcare or therapy practitioner, e.g. GP, Psychologist, Psychiatrist or Counsellor, you may be asked to seek their permission before any therapy sessions can commence.

Please note that I will be unable to offer my professional services if you suffer from epilepsy or any form of psychosis.

AGE RESTRICTIONS

You must be at least 18 years old to participate. I regret I do not offer my services to anyone under the age of 18.

ATTENDING YOUR SESSIONS

Please ensure that you are available at your session start time. If you are running late, please let me know as soon as possible. I will do my best to make a full session available, however, as the ability to do this will depend on bookings after your session, this cannot be guaranteed.

HYPNOTHERAPY RECORDINGS

Hypnotherapy recordings should not be listened to whilst driving, operating machinery or undertaking any other activity where concentration is required. Any recording provided is for your personal use only and must not be shared, lent, copied or sold under any circumstances.

OUTCOME OF SESSIONS

The agreement to work on the issues presented by you in no way implies or guarantees the resolution of your presenting issue(s). No outcome can or will be guaranteed. However, I will always endeavour to use my best efforts and skills to work towards your goals and intended outcomes.

STANDARDS OF BEHAVIOUR

During the course of any therapy sessions, I will treat you with respect and not abuse the trust you place in me. I will use best practice at all times in our mutual interest. In return, you undertake not to harm yourself, or any other person, including me, or any property belonging to either me or any other person.

You agree not to attend sessions under the influence of alcohol or recreational drugs, except those medications which have been prescribed by your doctor. If you do attend any sessions under the influence of alcohol or recreational drugs, or demonstrate violent or abusive behaviour, I will cancel the session and may refuse to see you for any further sessions without refunding any payment already made.

CONFIDENTIALITY

All contact, including sessions, telephone conversations and emails, will be conducted in confidence and may be recorded. Prior to any recording, your agreement will be sought. All recordings, conversations and notes will remain confidential, except in the following circumstances:

1. Where you give permission for confidentiality to be broken

2. Where I am compelled by a court of law

3. Where the information is of a nature that confidentiality cannot be maintained, for example:

• The possibility of harm to yourself or others exists

• In cases of fraud or crime

• When minors (under 18 years old) are involved

4. Where a referring GP or other healthcare professional requires a report. A copy of the report will be available on request.

LIABILITY & INDEMNITY

Under no circumstances will Clare Elliott be liable for any damages, including without limitation, direct, indirect, incidental, special, punitive, consequential, or other damages (including without limitation lost profits, lost revenues, or similar economic loss), whether in contract, tort, or otherwise, arising out of the advice or information provided to you during professional services provided by Clare Elliott. In addition, you agree to defend, indemnify, and hold Clare Elliott harmless from and against any and all claims, losses, liabilities, damages and expenses (including legal fees) arising out of your participation in the professional services.

GOVERNING LAW

These terms and conditions and any other matters arising out of or in relation to these terms, shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of England and Wales. You agree to submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the English courts to settle any dispute which may arise out of or in connection with these terms and conditions.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS UPDATES

These terms and conditions are subject to revisions without notice. Please familiarise yourself with any amendments if you have re-started therapy with me after a long period of absence.

DATA PROTECTION

For my services, your personal data is collected, processed, used and stored in accordance with the following privacy policy: [link to privacy policy/statement]. By booking an appointment, you signify your acceptance of this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree to this policy, please do not book an appointment. The terms of this Privacy Policy may change from time to time without prior notice to you, so please check my website periodically for any changes.

CONCERNS & COMPLAINTS

If you have a concern or complaint regarding your therapy, please discuss this with me in the first instance and I will endeavour to resolve the issue.

STATEMENT OF UNDERSTANDING

By agreeing to work with me, you also agree to abide by the terms and conditions of the Client Agreement. You also agree with the statements below:

• I confirm that I have been advised by Clare Elliott of the scope of the therapies that she provides and give my full consent to receiving therapy sessions from Clare Elliott.
• I understand that results may vary from person to person and the agreement by Clare Elliott to work on the issues or problems presented by me, using whatever therapies are appropriate to my situation, in no way implies or guarantees the resolution of any presenting problems or issues.
• I understand that hypnotherapy or any other therapy or information provided by Clare Elliott either in person or via telephone, email or internet, is not a replacement or substitute for medical, psychological or psychiatric treatment. If I have any doubts or concerns about my health, I will seek advice from an appropriate qualified healthcare professional.
• I declare that, if advised by Clare Elliott prior to or following any therapy sessions, to seek medical approval, I will consult with my GP, hospital consultant and/or other healthcare professional and gain the appropriate written approval prior to the next therapy session.
• I have been advised that I am free to terminate any or all sessions at any time.
• I understand that my level of motivation is vital in the therapy process and I agree to participate to the best of my ability at all times, including making reasonable use of therapeutic suggestions during and between sessions, as well as listening to recordings and/or carrying out other therapeutic tasks as appropriate.
• I have accurately and truthfully answered any questions and provided background information during the initial consultation and/or first therapy session and will continue to do so during any subsequent therapy sessions.
• I also understand that, at any time, Clare Elliott may discuss aspects of my case with other colleagues keeping my full name and identity completely confidential always unless I have given permission otherwise.

COMMITTED TO PROTECTING YOUR PRIVACY

This Privacy Policy outlines what personal information that I collect about you, how I collect it and how it is used and stored.

When you supply your personal details to Clare Elliott Therapy they are processed and stored for these reasons:

• I collect personal information about you, as well as background information, psychological health and lifestyle, I do this in order to provide you with the best possible therapy treatment. Your request for treatment and my agreement to provide the treatment constitutes a contract.
• I have a ‘legitimate interest’ in collecting this information to enable me to do my job effectively or safely. You can of course refuse to provide this information, but if you were to do this, I would not be able to provide the therapy treatment.
• It is important that I can contact you in order to confirm your appointments and also provide you with any information as part of your therapy and for any matter connected to your therapy. This again constitutes a ‘legitimate interest’.

I may collect and process the following data about you:

• Personal data collected when completing the contact form, emails and via telephone as well as intake forms provided via email or during your therapy consultation. This includes personal data such as your name, address, age, gender and contact details, as well as relevant medical history and background information related to your therapy.
• Handwritten client therapy notes are securely stored in a locked fire-proof filing cabinet, only I have access to this information. They are destroyed by shredding, once the legal minimum of time has elapsed.
• Electronic information is safely and securely stored with third party service provider Microsoft 365. Access to this data is accessible only by me and is password protected, passwords are changed regularly and known only by me.
• Payments: The amount will be displayed before you make your payment. I do not store your financial information. Third party service provider, Stripe, will store your details and use these details for billing. I am not responsible for your data with Stripe. If you have any concerns about your data, you should check the Privacy Policy for Stripe here: https://stripe.com/gb/privacy
• I use Microsoft 365 and Stripe to process these areas of my business. These providers have given their assurances that they are fully compliant with the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR).

I will never share your data with anyone unless you request me to do so with your written consent. The only instance when I may have to share your details is if I am required by law or in response to valid requests by public authorities (eg. Court or a government agency)

I have a legal obligation to retain your records for 7 years after your most recent appointment, but after this period you can ask for your records to be deleted if you wish.

You also have a right to see what personal data of yours that I hold, and you can ask me to correct any factual errors. Provided the legal minimum period has elapsed, you can ask me to erase your records.

I, Clare Elliott, am responsible for your data protection. If you have any concerns about how I may handle your data please contact me at hello@therapywithclare.co.uk If you are not satisfied with my response, you have the right to raise this matter with the ICO.

I may update this policy from time to time.