Therapy Terms

Welcome to Remote Psychologist!

These terms and conditions outline the rules and regulations for the use of Remote Psychologist Mental Health Ltd.'s Website, located at https://remotepsychologist.co.uk.

By accessing this website, we assume you accept these terms and conditions. Do not continue to use this website if you do not agree to take all of the terms and conditions stated on this page.

As a registered psychologist with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) and a member of the British Psychological Society (BPS), I fully adhere to the professional standards, policies and ethical guidelines set out by these organisations.

In the event of any dispute, the matter will be governed by the laws of England and Wales.

Outcome:

I cannot take responsibility for the outcome of the treatment, as it depends on your cooperation as well. I guide you, I escort you on this journey, but I cannot do your homework for you.

Your relationship with others might change during or after the treatment, as it is a natural part of the treatment.

Records:

The HCPC, in addition to the British Psychological Society, sets specific standards for record keeping which, as a regulated healthcare professional, I must abide by. These are usually brief and include information such as the dates we met, the topics discussed, and any problems or goals you may have. This is to document your meetings and allows to provide you with safe and effective treatment. Clinical records are kept on password-protected driver or GDPR compliant record keeping software and are encrypted with password protection. Records are generally kept for seven years.

My service is registered with the Information Commissioner`s Office (ICO), and any information that is kept is subject to the Data Protection Act 2018.

I may use transcription software, such as Heidi Health (used at NHS England) or Upheal. Both are GPDR compliant, they transcribe the voice immediately for text, neither the text nor the voice is kept in the cloud. They help me to keep precise records, and I can focus better on you. If I use any of them, I will ask for your consent in writing or during the session (verbal consent).

Audio or video recording:

It can be sometimes helpful for both Clients and Psychologists that sessions are audio- and/or video-recorded. It only occurs where explicit consent is provided by you and me, and there is no obligation to consent. All audio- and video-recordings are kept securely on a recording device, which is password-protected and are completely erased when your treatment is complete.
The recordings cannot be used for or by AI. Clients cannot make any recordings during the session. You can take notes, or if we used Upheal or Heidi Health, I am happy to forward the summary made by the software, which you can use only for personal use. They do not replace any official document or report. You cannot upload that summary to AI as they are still my intellectual property. It is worth noting that free AI tools use the inputs to train themselves, and the input (text, picture, voice, etc) is not safe there: you do not know where it is transferred, harvested and worked on.

Exceptions to confidentiality:

Although these are rare, you should be aware that there are some exceptional situations where confidentiality can be broken.

If you make serious threats to harm another person(s), I am required by law to protect anyone I feel may be in danger. This could include contacting the police. I am also required to protect children and vulnerable adults, if I reasonably believe that any child or vulnerable adult is at risk from abuse or neglect, the law requires that I report this to the relevant body. Similarly, if you express the intention to cause severe harm to yourself, and I believe your threat to be serious, I am ethically required to protect you in any way I see reasonable. In these situations, intervention may involve talking to you about going to a hospital/ A&E, contacting your GP or your next of kin (NOK).

By law, health care professionals are required to break confidentiality if a client discloses information about acts of terrorism, drug trafficking, or money laundering, and they must notify the police without notifying the client.

If you are involved in a lawsuit or administrative procedure, and you wish to tell the court about your psychological issues, I may not be able to keep your records or information about any of your therapies or services private in court. If I receive a subpoena or court order requesting your records, I will be required by law to provide any relevant information.

It is best practice and a requirement of all regulated Clinical and Counselling Psychologists to receive clinical supervision, often by consulting a Clinical Supervisor who is usually another Clinical or Counselling Psychologist, on a regular basis for the duration of their career. If I speak with my Clinical Supervisor or colleagues about your case, this will be done in order to best help you. Your identity will always be kept confidential. Similarly, the Clinical Supervisor or colleague will be bound by the same confidentiality policy as I, with the same exceptions also applying.

Contact between sessions:
Please note that my service is not a crisis service; therefore, I do not offer crisis, urgent or emergency support. If you require urgent mental health support, please visit the website below or contact NHS Direct (telephone 111), your GP, or the Samaritans (freephone 116123). In an emergency where your life is at risk, such as if you feel you will attempt to end your life or may have seriously harmed yourself, immediately contact emergency services (telephone 999) or go to Accident & Emergency (A&E) if you are able.

https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/mental-health-services/where-to-get-urgent-help-for-mental-health/

Fees:

I charge £100 for a 50-minute online session and £130 for a face-to-face 50-minute appointment if the invoice is on your name.

We can meet face-to-face in Lancaster at the Health Innovation Campus or in Manchester at Hadley Clinics.

You can go ahead and secure your booking by transferring the session before the session.

f our agreement has been arranged through a third party, please be aware that the applicable fee may differ accordingly. Payment for appointments must be made in advance at the time services are booked. Payments can be made by bank transfer to the bank account number given on the invoice, or by card, by visiting the payment link. Should an account be outstanding, I will need to refer the debt to debt collection agents, which incurs a surcharge of 15% of the debt, plus the Statutory Interest rate and BoE interest rate. You agree that you will be legally liable to pay us that surcharge and that payment of the same can be enforced against you in court. You also agree to pay interest at the relevant reference rate provided under the Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998, which is interest both payable after and before any judgment of the court and continues to accrue.

Complaints:

If you are not happy with any of your sessions or with my work, I hope you will be able to talk about this with me to seek a resolution or understanding.

By signing the contract sent via email, or indicating your agreement verbally or by attending sessions, you confirm that you understand its content and agree that this document will constitute a legally binding agreement between you and me.