Terms and Conditions

Code of Ethics

Susan Withers is an accredited member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy; Susan adheres to their Code of Ethics. She is a qualified teacher, Supervisor, Animal and Equine Assisted Therapist, Thrive Practitioner, Forest School Leader and Level 1 & 2 in Animal Assisted Play Therapy. Susan has a BA (Hons) in Child Development and an MEd. in Professional Development.

Phoebe Withers is a counsellor in training. She is a qualified Canine Behaviourist and Training with a Level 5 Diploma in Canine Behaviour. She has a BSc (Hons) in Animal Conservation Science.

Confidentiality

Confidentiality is a fundamental aspect of counselling. It underpins a safe relationship and trust. For more information please see the Confidentiality and Privacy Notice. In the event of me being unable to contact you through sudden incapacity I will ask my supervisor to contact you via my contact list.

Initial Consultation

The first consultation is free and will last half an hour. In this session you can find out more about how I work and what you would like to achieve. Together we can explore whether you wish to continue counselling.

Sessions and Cancellations

Sessions last for an hour. We will agree a date and time that suits us both. This may be the same day and time each week, unless otherwise agreed. At the start of counselling we will agree either time limited or open-ended counselling. The fee will stay the same during your counselling so long as there are no breaks in the therapy for a maximum of two years. If you need to call me between sessions the first 10 minutes will be free, any time after that is chargeable pro rata.

Occasionally you may need to cancel an appointment. If I am given 48 hours notice there will be no charge for the session, however, if the cancellation is between 48 and 24 hours then 50% of the fee is due, if it is less than 24 hours from the scheduled start time of the appointment, full payment will be due. If I cancel an appointment due to illness or an unforeseeable event, I will endeavour to give you as much notice as possible and offer an alternative appointment.

Payment is to be made before the session.

Endings

At some point we will come to an end. Endings work best when we have a time to reflect on our work. Therefore, it is always useful to leave at least one session for this purpose. However, if we have worked together for a long time then more sessions are likely to be needed.

Volunteers

Alder Barn Therapy has student counsellors and other professionals who volunteer their time. Anyone volunteering counselling will be a member of BACP and have their own indemnity and public liability insurance and supervision.

Disclaimer

The content of Alder Barn Therapy website is intended for information only. Whilst utmost care has been taken in writing the information, we cannot guarantee its accuracy for up-to-date information or its usefulness. We accept no responsibility for any decisions made and accept no liability for any loss or damage based on the information found on this website. Anyone using the information does so at their own risk and will be considered to have taken full liability and responsibility for any damage or injury arising from its use.

Confidentiality is a fundamental aspect of counselling. It underpins a safe relationship and trust. For more information please see the Confidentiality [link to ‘Confidentiality’ page] and Privacy Notice [link to ‘Privacy Notice’ page]. In the event of me being unable to contact you through sudden incapacity, I will ask my supervisor to contact you via my contact list.