Terms and Conditions for Counselling Services

By signing up for counselling services with UPRAWR Mental Health Foundation, you agree to the following terms and conditions:

1. Confidentiality

Counselling is a private and confidential arrangement between you and your counsellor.
Your counsellor will respect your confidences and protect them from disclosure to others unless authorised by yourself or by law.
Exceptions to confidentiality are allegations of child abuse, when a serious crime has been committed or threatened, or if there is a serious risk of harm to yourself or others.
If your counsellor considers that you are at imminent risk of causing serious harm to yourself or others, they may seek additional assistance on your behalf or on behalf of vulnerable others. This will normally be done with your consent unless circumstances prevent this.
As part of professional development and to enhance the quality of therapy, your counsellor may discuss their work with a therapeutic supervisor. In such discussions, your name and identifiable details will not be disclosed to protect your anonymity.

UPRAWR Mental Health Foundation aims to provide professional counselling to anyone, without prejudice.
The service is based on a short-term intervention model and may not be suitable for people who are going through a crisis or have complex/severe issues such as suicide, addiction, and eating disorders.
UPRAWR Mental Health Foundation will offer you 6 weekly sessions, with the day and time to be mutually agreed upon.
While UPRAWR Mental Health Foundation would love to offer unlimited help and support, funds are extremely limited and continued support past the 6 offered sessions may not be possible.

You are responsible for being open and honest and willing to share your concerns with your counsellor.
You are responsible for asking questions when you don’t understand or need clarification.
You are responsible for reporting changes or unexpected events to your counsellor as related to your problem.
You must arrive at sessions without being under the influence of alcohol or recreational drugs. Sessions will not take place if you have been drinking or using any illegal substances.
You are required to fill out a “Core 10”, a feedback sheet, and provide a testimonial (you can opt for your statement to be confidential).
You must provide a contact number so UPRAWR Mental Health Foundation can conduct necessary triage calls.
You must reply within 48 hours of UPRAWR Mental Health Foundation contacting you to organise a session or keep your sessions.
If you miss 2 counselling sessions, your scheduled sessions will be given to somebody else.
You understand that counselling is an expensive service for UMHF to provide and therefore must be utilised and treated respectfully.
You understand that failure to comply with these terms and conditions will result in you being moved to the back of the waiting list or discharged from the service.

If less than 48 hours’ notice is given for cancellation, there will be a late cancellation fee.
These fees must be paid before your next session, free or otherwise.
If you arrive late for a session, the session will not be extended beyond the allocated time.
You are responsible for communicating any changes in circumstances that might impact your therapy.

UPRAWR Mental Health Foundation keeps records of your contact details, gender, the problems you raise in counselling, a brief but factual account of each counselling session attended, and the outcome of counselling.
All records are kept strictly confidential and may only be accessed by you or your counsellor.
Your notes will be locked in a filing cabinet at the counsellor’s premises, to which only the counsellor has a key.
In accordance with the BACP guidelines, notes and records pertaining to your case will be retained for seven years. After seven years, all notes and records will be destroyed by shredding.

As a member of BACP, your counsellor is bound by its Ethical Framework for good practice in Counselling and Psychotherapy and subject to the professional conduct procedures.