The Working Contract is established at the start of the therapeutic relationship, and outlines the framework from which the relationship will hopefully flourish. It is often the first time that boundaries are explicitly communicated by the counsellor to the client, and it is important that these boundaries are laid out in a clear and easy to understand way.
I think it’s important to have the counsellor’s credentials on there, to show that they are professional and that they work to a recognised national ethical standard, that they have valid insurance, and whether they are certified to work with vulnerable people and children. It’s also good to reassure a client that they can complain if they feel aggrieved. Letting the client know that they can end the contract at any time puts them at ease too, they know that they don’t have to keep coming if they don’t feel they are getting anything from it. A contract should take into account what the client’s expectations are upon entering into counselling. These could be that they expect a counsellor to save them, for a counsellor to tell the client what to do to in order to be happy, or for the counsellor to give the client permission to do something with their life. This is not what counsellors do, and I believe this should be laid out in the contract.
Laying out what confidentiality actually means in a counselling context for a client can be incredibly reassuring for a client. If they are confident that what they say will not be repeated to anyone else then they should hopefully be more willing to open up. Another aspect of confidentiality is that of record-keeping. Informing the client of exactly what notes and personal details you will be keeping, whether they are identifiable because of those notes, and how long any details are kept for is respectful of the therapeutic relationship and builds trust. Confidentiality also determines what a counsellor would do if they saw a client out in the real world. A counsellor should not acknowledge a client first, but if a client were to say hello, that is acceptable. The content of their session should not be discussed in public.
Timekeeping is an important boundary to inform the client of in the contract, as it is a crucial part of counselling. A client should know that a session will always end at its scheduled time regardless of whether they were on time or not, to respect those clients that come after them. They would not like it if they were kept hanging around for half an hour before their session because the person in front of them was late. I believe that keeping the routine of having a session at the same time and day from week to week shows a commitment to the therapeutic process, and helps a client anticipate getting into the frame of mind for a therapy session. How and when to pay for sessions can be a bit awkward, but having the procedure written in black and white makes things really clear for all involved. This is strange, because talking about your childhood grief and your novel sexual fantasies is fine, comparatively.
I have included a new version of my own contract below. The one I created for Level 2 can be found here: L2CiCS: Learning Log – 6th December 2017
Our contract
ABOUT ME – My name is Iain Douglas Stewart, and I am a qualified and registered (000001) Counsellor and a Member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP). I work to the BACP’s “Ethical Framework for Counsellors” and I hold professional indemnity insurance and a valid DBS certificate. More information can be found on my personal website: https://iaindstewart.net
MY AIMS – I will provide you with a safe space to explore your problems, your thoughts and your feelings and I will recognise you as the expert of yourself. I will help guide you to your own solutions, I will not tell you what to do or provide answers for you. I will accept you and your way of being.
CONFIDENTIALITY – This safe space is non-judgmental and anything you say in this room is confidential and will not go anywhere else, unless I feel someone else is in danger, be that a child, an adult or even you. If I feel someone is in danger, I will discuss with you beforehand what information I would disclose, and to who. If at any point during the counselling process I felt that you were in need of emergency support, I would ask for your consent to contact your GP.
RECORD-KEEPING – I will keep notes of our sessions, mainly to aid my memory. You are welcome to ask to see them at any time. They will not be traceable to you; they will not be shared with anyone else; and they will be destroyed one year after our counselling has come to an end.
Any personal details will be respected as per the Data Protection Act.
FEES AND PAYMENT – Individual sessions are £40. Couples sessions are £50. I would ask that you pay 48 hours in advance, either by Paypal or bank transfer. Please use your first name and the first initial of your surname as reference.
A cancellation fee will be charged for sessions cancelled with less than 48 hours’ notice. A cancellation fee will not be charged for a rearranged session.
TIMEKEEPING – Our sessions will be for 50 minutes, and for continuity I will endeavour to schedule them for the same time and same day each week. If you are late for a session, it will still end at its scheduled end time, out of respect for my clients that have appointments after you. Please provide as much notice as possible for cancellations or requests for rearrangement.
CONTACT – I will only accept contact outside of our sessions for practical administrative reasons. I do not enter into email or telephone counselling without prior agreement. If we were to meet outside of counselling, I would not acknowledge you. You would be welcome to say hello to me, but I would not discuss the content of our sessions.
ENDING THE PROCESS – In an ideal world, the end of our relationship will be mutually agreed between us. However, you are entitled to dissolve our contract at any time and not continue our sessions. I would appreciate as much notice as possible if this becomes the case, and you will be invoiced for any unpaid fees.
COMPLAINTS – As a registered member of the BACP, I am bound by its Ethical Framework and I am subject to its complaints procedure. Feel free to ask if you require further information about the complaints procedure.
Client signed ………………………………
Counsellor signed ………………………………
Date ………………………………
