Lone working in counselling private practice is an ordinary part of the job for many of us. We welcome clients, close the door and give our attention to the person in front of us. Once that routine becomes familiar, we may spend less time thinking about our own safety and the arrangements we have in place.
Earlier in my practice, I used to arrange daytime first appointments with new male clients before offering evening sessions. I no longer routinely do this. Reflecting on that change raises a question for me: as we become more experienced, do our safety arrangements develop, or simply become less conscious?
What has changed?
Experience can bring confidence. We become more comfortable meeting new people, discussing difficult subjects and recognising when work falls outside our scope.
But familiarity can also make it easier to stop questioning a routine. The fact that an arrangement has worked well so far does not tell us everything about how it would work if something unexpected happened.
I do not assume that my earlier approach was necessarily better. I do think it is worth asking what informed it, what informs my decisions now, and whether those decisions still fit the way I practise.
What BACP’s guidance asks us to consider
BACP’s A quick guide to lone working: Part 2 – Client considerations reminds practitioners to include their own safety when considering risk. It recommends beginning assessment at the initial enquiry or referral, rather than waiting until someone is sitting in the room.[1]
The guide covers obtaining relevant information before meeting, using initial sessions for assessment, and considering previous threatening or aggressive behaviour. It also encourages therapists to explore uncomfortable feelings in supervision and review their personal safety arrangements.[1]
For me, this invites thoughtful assessment of the individual and the circumstances. My former practice of meeting men during the day was one precaution I used, but gender alone cannot tell me whether a particular appointment is safe. Nor does a daytime appointment remove every risk.
Knowing the scope of my work
I tend not to take on trauma-focused work. That is part of how I define the scope of my practice. That needs separating from personal safety. A history of trauma is not, in itself, evidence that someone poses a threat to their therapist. Equally, choosing not to offer trauma-focused therapy does not remove the need to think about lone working.
There are two different questions here: can I offer appropriate therapy for this person’s needs, and are the arrangements suitable for the work? Both deserve attention.
From organisational support to private practice
Moving from an organisation into private practice can mean leaving behind arrangements we once took for granted: colleagues nearby, agreed procedures or an employer-provided alarm. It is worth asking which of those functions our own practice needs and how we will provide them.
An initial online meeting may help us gather information and assess whether we can work together. It does not tell us everything about how an in-person appointment will unfold. Knowing a client can inform our judgement without replacing a practical safety plan.
What would happen if I needed help?
Personal alarms, phone features and lone-worker apps may be worth exploring. Before relying on one, I would want to understand what happens when it is activated: who receives the alert, whether someone is monitoring it, and what response has actually been agreed. I would also want to know how it works in my room, including mobile reception and whether I could reach and operate it when needed.
A missed check-in and an immediate call for help serve different purposes. BACP’s Part 3 describes an agreed check-in system with a plan for what happens if contact is missed.[2] That makes the response part of the arrangement, rather than simply hoping an alert will be noticed.
Making space for practical questions
Alongside clinical reflection, there are ordinary practical matters worth reviewing:
- How would I get help if I became unwell or an emergency occurred?
- Is my phone accessible during a session?
- Can I leave the room and building easily?
- Do my arrangements still work after dark?
- What would lead me to change an appointment’s timing, setting or format?
These are prompts for reviewing a particular practice, rather than a universal checklist that guarantees safety.
BACP’s Part 3 – Acting on a concern discusses seeking support, maintaining boundaries and working within competence. It also recognises that financial pressures can make it harder to act on concerning behaviour.[2] That is an uncomfortable but useful consideration in private practice, where declining or ending work can affect our income.
Confidence that stays open to reflection
Feeling anxious about working alone is something we can explore without judging ourselves. Feeling confident is also worth examining: what supports that confidence, and are our practical arrangements keeping pace? Supervision offers somewhere to consider these questions before there is an incident or a difficult decision to make.
The question I want to keep returning to is this:
As I become more experienced, are my safety arrangements developing—or just becoming less conscious?
References
- British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP). A quick guide to lone working: Part 2 – Client considerations, particularly pages 3–4 and 7–8. Read the guidance.
- British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP). A quick guide to lone working: Part 3 – Acting on a concern, particularly pages 3–5. Read the guidance.
Guidance accessed 19 October 2026. These resources offer practice guidance; BACP states that the guides themselves are not contractually binding on members.