Terms and Conditions

The Counselling Partnership is a register charity and our Counsellors are volunteers. Whilst private therapy typically costs £60–£110 per session, as a Charity, we simply ask for donations to help cover our costs.

We want our counselling services to be accessible to everyone. Adults on low income or receiving benefits, can chat to us about making donations based on what is affordable.

Initial Theraputic Consultation

We ask for a minimum contribution of £35.00 to be paid in advance and this confirms the Initial Consultation appointment with a Senior Counsellor. This is a non-refundable contribution, regardless of whether the client attends the session or not. A further contribution will apply if the client re-refers after six months. The charity incurs costs for administration, hire of rooms, assessors and equipment for any appointment it sets up. We are not able to set up an Inital Consultation appointment without receiving a contribution.

Ongoing Weekly Contributions

Contributions will be agreed during your Initial Consultation based on what’s manageable for you. Where possible, we ask clients to contribute a minimum of £35 per session.

Once the contribution is agreed, this will apply to the first session and all subsequent sessions. Clients are currently being asked to make their weekly contributions by BACS. This is monitored by the office and the counsellor is informed if the client does not make a payment. We do not currently have the facility to accept credit or debit cards. It should be noted that unattended sessions paid for in advance are not refundable.

Counselling Sessions

Each session will last fifty minutes and will be at the same time, the same day and same place each week. Initially you will be offered a six-session contract. Your counsellor will discuss at the first session which dates you are able to attend, as it may be that you have previous commitments.

There will be no charge for sessions that you indicate you are unable to attend in this first six-week period. After six weeks, the charity will expect a contribution for all sessions. This counselling session time belongs to you whether you attend or not. Even if you are late, your counsellor will be there, although the session will finish at the usual time.

If you are away on holiday or have to cancel a session, your time will not be offered to anyone else. If a counsellor is ill or on annual leave, or the Charity is closed, then the client is not expected to make a contribution.

Cancellation Policy

Once a period for counselling has been agreed beyond the initial six sessions, the counsellor and the room are committed for the same time each week for that length of time. This session time belongs to you whether you attend or not. For this reason, if you miss a session, cancel a session, or go away on holiday you will be asked to make the full contribution. If you are unable to attend a counselling session, please telephone the Counselling Partnership office on 01932 244070 as soon as you can to inform the office administrator, who will in turn make contact with your counsellor and let them know you are unable to attend. If no one is available, please leave a message.

If the counsellor has to miss a session, you will be given as much notice as possible. You will not be asked to make a contribution for any sessions cancelled by the counsellor.

Missed or Cancelled Counselling Sessions

All clients are expected to pay for any cancelled or missed sessions or holiday time, apart from any sessions cancelled by the counsellor. This enables us to maintain your regular appointment time for the duration of your counselling with the Charity.

The Counselling Partnership is a registered charity. Registration No. 1076244.

Accredited by the British Association of Counsellors and Psychotherapists (BACP)