TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF THERAPY AGREEMENT

BASIC TERMS AND CONDITIONS

 

TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF THERAPEUTIC AGREEMENT FOR IN-PERSON & ONLINE THERAPY

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BASIC TERMS AND CONDITIONS

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The present therapeutic agreement is between you (the Patient) and the Therapist at Serenity Therapies (Karen Lewchenko).

The present therapeutic agreement abides by the GDPR legislation 2018. By commencing therapy, the Patient (you) agrees to the following terms and conditions:

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All new Patients are required to read and confirm the acceptance of the terms and conditions of this therapeutic agreement. Confirmation can be provided in writing via email. If written confirmation is not provided for any reason, then by starting therapy (in-person and/or online) the Patient agrees to the term & conditions of this agreement. The Patient is required to respond in writing (via email) if s/he does not agree to the terms and conditions of this agreement.

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Any session cancelled or rescheduled by the Patient with less than 2 days’ notice will be charged in full to the Patient. All appointments must be paid before or at the time of booking the appointment. 

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The Therapist abides by the code of confidentiality of GDPR regulations. Identifying information, such as Patient’s name, address, biographical details and other description of a Patient’s life and his/her circumstances, will be kept private and stored safely.

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For detailed Terms and Conditions, please see below.

PATIENT TERMS AND CONDITIONS
JURISDICTION
These terms and conditions are governed by and interpreted in accordance with English law. This applies to in person and online sessions. In the event of any dispute arising in relation to these ‘terms and conditions’ or any dispute arising in relation to the Therapist, whether in contract or otherwise, the English courts will have exclusive jurisdiction over such dispute.

DEFINITIONS
• The ‘Therapist': Karen Lewchenko
• The ‘Patient’: You
• ‘Therapy’ and ‘Therapy session’ (in-person and/or online) is the time spent with the Therapist who will apply his chosen method of therapy application and modality.
• ‘Modality’ is a model of study for therapeutic application. Hypnotherapy and Emotional Freedom Technique are examples of psychological modalities.
• The ‘Session’ is the booked time slot (in-person and/or online) and arranged time working with the ‘Therapist’.
• ‘Presenting Issue(s) or ‘Problem’ is what the Patient wants to work on with the Therapist.
• The ‘Goal’ is the therapeutic goal created collaboratively with input from both the Patient and the Therapist and is what the patient would like to achieve as the desired outcome in therapy.
• The ‘Desired Outcome’ is the desired result of the work that the Therapist and the Patient work towards achieving.
• The ‘Session Time’ in person or online is 55 minutes unless otherwise agreed.

1. FORMATION OF AGREEMENT
1.1 After booking an appointment by either telephone or email, the Patient, in accepting the appointment, accepts the following conditions for the appointment: The Patient agrees to the Therapist contacting him/her via email or SMS. In the event that the Patient prefers that the Therapist only use telephone contact, s/he must state this in writing via email or text.

1.2. Booking: Appointments can only be made through discussion between the Therapist and Patient, via online, email or telephone correspondence. When making an appointment via the booking system or emailing/texting the Therapist, the Patient will receive a booking confirmation via email/text message. The Patient may book ahead all his/her sessions (times/dates) at the Therapist's treatment room or online providing that these times/dates are not booked by other Patients, or s/he may book one session at a time.

1.3. If claiming via health insurance, you must pay for the session and claim back via your insurer. Please check your policy.

1.4. The Therapist requires the Patient to be truthful and work in the best interests of the agreement between the Therapist and the Patient.

1.5. The Patient agrees to provide the Therapist with all pre-session written work such as questionnaires (if applicable) as appropriate within the requested timeframe 24 hours prior to the booked session.

1.6. Lateness: The Patient is paying for the agreed time with the Therapist and at the agreed location (physical or online). It is the Patient’s responsibility to attend the session on time.

1.7. No refund will be given for any late arrival at the session under any circumstances. This includes emergency or unforeseen circumstances out of the Patient’s immediate control, as the two-day cancellation policy will still apply.

1.8. If the Patient arrives late, an extension of the agreed time or rescheduling the session will not be offered.

1.9. The Therapist is not required under any circumstances to go beyond the arranged session finishing time. The session will be terminated at the end of the arranged time even if the Patient has not reached his/her desired outcome.

1.10. The Therapist will use reasonable care and skill in providing the service that the Patient chooses. Patients are different and so is every therapy session. There are no guarantees of successful outcomes.

1.11. It is not the responsibility of the Therapist to achieve the desired outcome for the Patient. The desired outcome as an achievement of the goal(s) cannot be guaranteed or promised to the patient by the Therapist. It would be unethical to provide a guarantee for a Patient’s treatment of therapy.

1.12. If the Patient is not satisfied with the therapy’s outcome, there is no refund. Serenity Therapies does not accept any liability in relation to the therapy and modalities used in session.

2. PRICING, PAYMENT AND METHODS OF PAYMENT
2.1 The fee for a 55-minute hypnotherapy session in person or online is £85, unless otherwise agreed with a minimum of 4 sessions.

2.2 A 55-minute insured hypnotherapy session will be paid for by the patient and an invoice will be sent to the Patient accordingly.

2.3. Payment can be in the form of cash before the start of the session or, preferably, via a bank transfer 24 hours before the session. Bank details will be given at the booking of the appointment.

2.4. Credit and debit cards are also accepted. The Patient, however, is obliged to pay any related transfer fees per transaction. The Therapist bears no responsibility for any transaction fees set by any third parties.

2.5. Failure to comply with payment requirements will result in the session being cancelled and the session will be made available to other Patients.

2.6. It is at the Therapist's discretion whether to accept late payment.

2.7. Patients must be current with payments before booking a new session.

3. CANCELLATION POLICY
3.1. Cancellations can be done via email by the Patient, with a minimum of two days before a session for a refund in full. Two days is exactly two days hours prior to the arranged time – e.g., an appointment arranged for 2pm Monday must be cancelled by 2pm the Saturday before.

3.2. Any cancellations before the two-day notification period will not be charged.

3.3. If a Patient would like to cancel a session before the two-day cancellation period, the patient is expected to contact the Therapist by email.

3.4. If a Patient fails to give two days’ notice of cancellation, s/he will have to pay for the booked session or not receive a refund for the booked session. This applies under any circumstances including emergencies, illness, or any situations that are out of the Patient’s control.

3.5. Rescheduling before the two-day deadline will allow the session fees to be carried over to the new appointment but under the same terms and conditions for cancelling.

3.6. Short Notice emergency sessions can be booked directly with the Therapist in writing but under the same terms and conditions for booking/payments/cancellation period.

4. REFUNDS
4.1 ‘Booked Sessions’ by the Patient must be paid for in full before the session. No refund will be issued for any cancellations or missed appointments with notice less than two days in writing (email). This policy applies under all circumstances including emergencies, illness, or any situations out of the Patient’s control.

4.2. The Patient is not bound by the cancellation fee if s/he contacts the Therapist in writing (by email) to cancel or rearrange prior the session within exactly two days. For example, if a session is booked for Wednesday at 5pm, the two-day notice must be given the preceding Monday at 5pm at the latest.

4.3. The Patient is expected to pay in full any cancelled or missed appointment with less than two days’ notice.

4.4. If written cancellation is received within the two-day notice, the Patient has no claim to this session time and the Therapist reserves the right to offer this slot to other Patients.

4.5. If the Patient wants to arrange or rebook an appointment within the two-day cancellation period, s/he is expected to request this change in writing. The Therapist will try to offer an alternative appointment but cannot guarantee to accommodate the Patient’s request.

4.6. The Therapist will not terminate the session before its agreed time. However, if the Patient desires to finish a session earlier than the agreed time, a refund for the remaining time of the session will not be given.

4.7. The Therapist can only offer an estimate of the duration of therapy based on her clinical experience. This, however, is only an estimate and therapy can be extended or terminated based on the Patient’s needs and treatment’s progress.

4.8. Sometimes a Patient requires more time or less time than expected and this can only become known after therapy has started. If the Patient is in any doubt at any point or has any questions relating to the agreed duration of therapy, the Patient must raise the appropriate questions with the Therapist during an agreed therapy session.

4.9. The Therapist reserves the right to terminate a session without a refund if it is considered that the Patient is a personal risk to him or anyone else in office or in the building. The appropriate services will also be alerted in all cases of violence or personal threats.

4.10. Personal threats, verbal or physical abuse and vandalism will not be tolerated and the session will be immediately terminated. Subsequently, no refund or any monies will be given for the remaining time of the booked session.

4.11. Although the agreed session time is 55 minutes, the Therapist reserves the right to terminate the session if the Therapy is not considered in the best interest of the Patient. The Therapist reserves the right not to disclose the reason for the session’s termination. In these circumstances, no refund will be given.

4.12. When booking from outside the UK, the appointment time and further communication regarding the appointment are in the time zone of the Therapist’s current location. If the Patient has booked in the wrong time zone, the Therapist cannot be responsible for the error. This will be counted as a missed session and payable by the Patient.

5. CONFIDENTIALITY, HEALTH AND SAFETY
5.1. The Therapist is an accredited member of CNHC and FHT and adheres to their ethical framework and guidelines to ensure that the Patient receives professional and competent service.

5.2. Confidentiality is agreed between the Patient and the Therapist. The Patient is entitled to expect that the information they give to the Therapist about themselves and others will remain confidential. The Therapist reserves the right not to disclose to any third party any information related to therapy sessions. This applies to all circumstances even at the request of the Patient. Information can be disclosed only if it is required by law.

5.3. In line with UK law and the Therapist's ethical codes, the Therapist reserves the right to break confidentiality and disclose session information (notes, video or audio recordings) to any relevant third parties (e.g., GP, police, social services, legal services, emergency services) if in his/her clinical opinion the Patient’s safety is a risk to her/himself or to others or is at risk from others. The Therapist reserves the right to break confidentiality and disclose session information to child protection services if in his/her clinical opinion there is physical or sexual abuse or neglect of any person under 18 years of age. Similarly, the Therapist reserves the right to break confidentiality and disclose session information, if s/he believes that an elderly person or disabled person is being abused or neglected, to the appropriate state agency that handles abuse to elderly or disabled persons. Finally, the Therapist reserves the right to break confidentiality and disclose session information to authorities if the Patient discloses any involvement with terrorism and money laundering whether it is related to drug trafficking or any other serious crime.

5.4. If the Therapist decides a confidentiality breach is necessary, he will endeavour to discuss this matter with the Patient and any recommendations will be documented. If this discussion is not possible due to any limitations or unforeseen circumstances (e.g., time limitations, urgency of the matter, availability, illness), the Therapist may have to proceed with the breach of confidentiality without prior notice to the Patient.

5.5. The Patient’s personal information in any session material is confidential and kept securely. However, in line with the Therapist's professional accrediting bodies, the Therapist is expected to be in regular clinical supervision to ensure high quality of psychological services. Therefore, some information will be shared with the Therapist's clinical supervisor and/or outside clinical sources who are also accredited with a professional body and abide by the ethical framework and guidelines of the profession. No personal identifiable information will be used to discuss the Patient with regards to the material that would be shared. However, discussion topics from the therapy sessions will be used in order to ensure that the Therapist is getting and giving the best assistance possible. The person(s) with whom the Therapist discuss Patients’ cases are legally bound to keep information confidential.

5.6. As part of the Therapist's aim in offering high quality service, the Therapist has found it helpful to make audio and/or video recordings of sessions. Recordings are solely used for supervision purposes with the Therapist's clinical supervisor(s) and/or with other mental health professionals who are also accredited with a professional body and abide by the ethical framework and guidelines of the profession. Review of recordings in clinical supervision offers better insight and understanding of the presenting issues that might be helpful in the Patient’s circumstances. Recordings are kept and stored safely in an external drive (password protected).

5.7. By commencing therapy, the Patient consents to video/audio recordings being made of these sessions and to these recordings being used to aid the work between the Therapist and the Patient. The Patient has the right to refuse consent to video/audio recordings and must state this in writing before the commencement of therapy.

5.8. Any material produced in the session (e.g., video/audio recordings, session notes, written homework, and psychoeducational material) is the Therapist's intellectual property and copyright.

5.9. The Therapist also requires confidentiality of the Patient at all times. It is not permissible for the Patient to disclose any written, recorded or distributed correspondence/material related to the session, pre-session or post-session.

5.10. The correspondence and all therapy material shared between the Patient and the Therapist is to be used only by the Patient. All written and verbal communication is issued and intended according to the Patient’s individual treatment plan. If the Patient shares any recorded or written material that was intended for his/her exclusive use, the Therapist accepts no responsibility for the material’s effecting use on any third parties. Therefore, copying, reproducing or displaying this information publicly or electronically is not permitted.

5.11. The Patient under no circumstances is permitted to record (video, audio) the session (on the phone or any other device) unless the Therapist has issued consent in writing.
5.12. All relating correspondence (verbal or in writing) such as by phone, email or online software is strictly for use of the Patient and the Therapist. Information can be disclosed only if it is required by law.

6. HANDLING, COLLECTION, STORAGE AND USAGE OF DATA
6.1. The lawful basis for the Therapist holding and using the Patient’s information is in relation to the delivery of a contract to the Patient as a health care professional. As an accredited member of CNHS and FHT, the Therapist operates under a strict code of confidentiality.

6.2. Upon starting therapy, the Patient’s basic personal information will be collected for contact and identification reasons. These include the Patient’s full name, date of birth, next of kin, address, and GP details. If any of the patient’s contact or GP information change during therapy, the patients should inform the Therapist in writing providing the new information.

6.3. Information is kept securely and confidentially in line with the data retention policy as stated above.

6.4. Session notes or personal details of the Patient are kept in electronic form and paper form. Any paper notes are kept in a secure, robust, locked filing cabinet and stored within a secure building. All digital information is stored on a domestic computer, which is password protected and stored within a secure building.

6.5. The Patient’s information is kept for a period of seven years following the end of therapy to comply with any obligations that are placed upon the Therapist by her insurers and her accrediting bodies.

7. PATIENT’S RIGHTS

7.1. The Patient has the right to access the clinical notes. Beyond the clinical notes, any details held about the Patient are for the Therapist's own use and not shared.

7.2. The Patient has the right to request a copy of the clinical notes that the Therapist holds about her/him. If the Patient would like a copy of some or all of his/hers clinical notes, then the Patient must email or write to the Therapist via the contact details stated on the contact form on Serenity Therapies' website or directly at info@serenity-therapies.com. Information will be provided to the Patient within 30 days.

8. REVIEWS AND ENDING THERAPY

8.1.The Patient and the Therapist will review sessions regularly depending on the Patient’s demand or as the Therapist finds this appropriate.

8.2. The Patient is not tied into any long-term commitment and s/he may end sessions by giving seven-days’ notice in writing although a number of ending sessions depending on the length of treatment is recommended.

8.3. If the Therapist considers the Patient’s needs are beyond the limits of his/her competence, the Therapist reserves the right to terminate the therapeutic contract. The Therapist will discuss this with the Patient in the session and further recommendations, if possible, may be provided.

8.4. If the Therapist decides to end the therapeutic agreement with the Patient due to unforeseen circumstances, she reserves the right not to disclose the reason for this decision. However, the Therapist will endeavour to give a week’s notice.

INFORMED CONSENT
By commencing therapy (in-person and/or online), I (the Patient) acknowledge that I have read the information above and I agree with the terms and conditions of this agreement.

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