Your counselling Agreement
If you’ve never had counselling before, being given an “agreement” (or contract) at the start can feel a bit formal. Therapy is about relationship, trust and honesty — so why bring paperwork into it?
For me, a counselling agreement is part of creating safety. It sets out what you can expect from me, what I’ll expect from you, and how we’ll work together. Clear edges make room for depth. When the practicalities are named, you can settle and focus on what you’ve come for.
What is a counselling agreement?
Think of it as the foundation for our work. It’s a simple document that outlines our shared expectations and boundaries.
I work within professional ethical frameworks (such as BACP), which encourage counsellors to agree the terms of our service and to keep a clear record of what we’ve agreed — including any changes we make together. Transparency builds trust, and trust helps therapy work.
What the agreement usually covers
Your agreement won’t be full of legal jargon. It’s straightforward and in plain English. Typical areas include:
How we meet
Whether sessions are in-person at my Nether Edge office or online using video (usually Microsoft Teams).
Session length and fee
How long we meet for, the cost per session, and how payment works.
Cancellations and lateness
How much notice I ask for, what happens if either of us needs to cancel, and what happens if a session is missed.
Contact between sessions
How to reach me between sessions, and when you can expect a reply.
Holidays and breaks
How I let you know about planned absences, and how we’ll plan around your holidays or busy periods.
Confidentiality
What stays private and the few, specific situations where I may need to share information for safety or legal reasons.
Data protection (GDPR)
How your information is stored, for how long, and your rights over it.
Complaints and concerns
How to raise something with me if you’re unhappy, and what happens next.
Supervision
My ethical requirement to take anonymised work to supervision, to keep you safe and the work effective.
Reviews and endings
How we’ll check in on how therapy is going, and how we’ll plan an ending that feels right for you.
If anything isn’t clear, we talk it through. If your circumstances change, we revisit it. It’s your therapy — the agreement should make it easier, not harder, to engage.
Why have an agreement at all?
A counselling agreement is there to support you, not catch you out.
Safety
Clear boundaries help many people relax into the work and know where they stand.
Fairness
We minimise misunderstandings and power imbalances by spelling things out early.
Clarity
You get a copy, and I keep a record of what we’ve agreed (and any updates), so we can both refer back to it.
Focus
With the practical bits sorted, we can concentrate on what you’ve actually come to talk about.
A living document that is not set in stone
Good therapy is responsive. Your needs may shift as we go, and our agreement can shift with them.
We can renegotiate elements like timing, frequency, online vs in-person, or how we review progress. If something in the agreement doesn’t fit you, we’ll talk and adjust where appropriate. Any changes we make together are noted so we both have a clear record.
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to sign it before we start?
I’ll email you the counselling agreement before we begin so you have time to read it in your own space. If you’re happy with it, you simply reply to confirm that you’ve read it and agree to the terms. We can then go over any questions or parts you’re unsure about in our first session.
What if I have a concern later on?
Please bring it. Naming a wobble is part of the work. The agreement includes a simple process for raising concerns so we can address them quickly and kindly, whether that’s a practical issue (like timing or fees) or something about how therapy feels.
If you’d like to read the full wording of my current counselling agreement, you can find it here: Counselling Agreement (In-Person & Online).
If you’d like to see a sample or talk through any aspect of the agreement before deciding whether to book, you’re very welcome to get in touch.