OUR COUNSELLING AGREEMENT
Terms & Conditions
Last updated: October 2026
Download as PDF (3 pages, for printing or signing)
These terms explain how counselling with me works, including fees, cancellations and confidentiality. Please read them before your first session. We'll go through them together at the start, and you're welcome to ask about anything.
ON THIS PAGE
1. About me
2. Your first session is on me
3. Sessions
4. Fees and payment
5. Cancellations and missed sessions
6. Confidentiality
7. Notes and records
8. How I work
9. Online and telephone sessions
10. Contact between sessions
11. If you need urgent help
12. If we see each other outside sessions
13. Ending counselling
14. Complaints
15. Changes to these terms
16. Agreeing to these terms
In short
Sessions are 50 minutes. Your first session is on me, then £55 per session, or £45 if you’re on a low income
I'm Carey Webb, a qualified counsellor and psychotherapist and a registered member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP), membership number 403050. I work within the BACP Ethical Framework for the Counselling Professions. You can check my membership on the BACP Register.
Please give 24 hours' notice to change or cancel.
What you say is confidential, with a few safety and legal exceptions.
I'm not an emergency service. Urgent help is listed below.
1. About me
I work with adults aged 18 and over.
Phone
Therapy room
1212a London Road, Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, SS9 2UA
2. Your first session is on me
-
Open to new clients aged 18 or over who haven't had counselling with me before.
-
One free 50-minute session per person, in person, online or by phone.
-
There's no obligation to continue. If you decide to, sessions are £55 each.
-
You can also have a short free consultation call first if you'd like. This is optional.
-
If you can't make your first session, please let me know at least 24 hours before so I can offer the time to someone else.
-
I may change or end this offer for new enquiries in future. This won't affect sessions already booked.
3. Sessions
Sessions last 50 minutes and usually take place weekly, at the same time each week. They can be in person at my therapy room in Leigh-on-Sea, online by WhatsApp video call, or by telephone, and you can switch between these by agreement.
Counselling with me is open-ended, so the number of sessions is up to you. We'll review regularly how things are going and whether therapy still feels right.
4. Fees and payment
After your first session, each session is £55, whether in person, online or by phone.
A reduced rate of £45 per session is available if you're on a low income. Please ask me about this.
Please pay for your first paid session at least 48 hours before it, by bank transfer or using my secure online payment link (card, Apple Pay or Google Pay). After that, you can pay the same way or in cash at the start of an in-person session. I’ll send you my payment details once your first paid session is booked.
5. Cancellations and missed sessions
-
You can change or cancel a session free of charge with at least 24 hours' notice.
-
If you cancel with less than 24 hours' notice, or miss a session, the full fee is payable. If you've already paid, it isn't refundable.
-
If you arrive late, the session will still end at the usual time, and the full fee applies.
-
If I need to cancel, I'll give you as much notice as I can and there's no charge. If you've already paid, I'll refund you or carry the payment forward.
-
I'll try to give you at least two weeks' notice of holidays.
6. Confidentiality
What you tell me stays between us. There are a few exceptions, where I may need to share information:
-
If I believe there's a serious risk of harm to you or someone else
-
If I have concerns about the safety of a child or vulnerable adult
-
If the law requires me to, for example in cases of terrorism, drug trafficking or money laundering, or under a court order
Wherever it's possible and safe, I'll talk to you before sharing anything.
Supervision
As required by the BACP, I have clinical supervision at least once a month with an experienced counsellor. This helps me work safely and well. I don't share your name or anything that would identify you, and my supervisor is bound by the same confidentiality.
7. Notes and records
I keep brief notes after each session, on paper or in my secure online records system. They're stored securely and kept for five years after we finish working together, then securely destroyed. You can ask to see your notes at any time. My Privacy Policy has more detail.
8. How I work
I work integratively, drawing on person-centred and solution-focused approaches. I won't tell you what to do. I may offer observations or suggestions, but what you do with them is up to you. You're the expert on your own life.
9. Online and telephone sessions
-
Online sessions take place by WhatsApp video call, which is end-to-end encrypted. Please make sure you have WhatsApp installed and a reliable internet connection.
-
Please find a private, quiet space where you won't be overheard or interrupted. I'll always be in a private space too.
-
Headphones can help with privacy.
-
If the connection drops, I'll call you back on the number you've given me.
-
I don't record sessions, and I ask that you don't either.
10. Contact between sessions
You can call, text, WhatsApp or email me to arrange, change or cancel a session. I'll reply as soon as I can, usually within one working day. Messages aren't checked around the clock, so please don't use them if you need urgent help. I don't offer counselling by message.
11. If you need urgent help
I'm not able to offer an emergency service. If you need urgent support, call NHS 111 and choose the mental health option, call Samaritans free on 116 123, or text SHOUT to 85258, any time. You can also contact your GP. If your life or someone else's is at immediate risk, call 999 or go to A&E.
12. If we see each other outside sessions
To protect your privacy, if we see each other in public I won't acknowledge you unless you acknowledge me first. If you do, a nod or a quick hello is best. For the same reason, I don't connect with clients on social media.
13. Ending counselling
You can end counselling at any time. If you can, let me know in advance so we can have a final session to reflect on our work together. If I feel a different kind of support would help you more, I'll talk this through with you and help you find it.
14. Complaints
If you're unhappy with any part of our work, please talk to me first and I'll do my best to put it right. If we can't resolve it, you can contact the BACP through its Professional Conduct Procedure.
15. Changes to these terms
I may update these terms from time to time. If I make a significant change, I'll let current clients know before it applies.
16. Agreeing to these terms
These terms are our counselling agreement. You agree to them when you tick the box and type your name on the client registration form, or sign a paper copy. I'll keep a copy with your records, and I'm happy to send you one at any time. Please ask about anything you're unsure of before we start.