Hello, 

Please take a moment to read through the following agreement and complete the required sections. Once filled in, kindly return it to me at your earliest convenience. This agreement outlines the structure of the sessions and helps ensure that I can support both you and your child in a way that is ethical, effective, and tailored to your needs.  

Throughout, the term ‘parents/guardians’ is used inclusively to refer to any adult with parental or caregiving responsibilities for the child. 

I am a registered member of the following professional bodies: 

• The British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) 

• The UK Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP) 

• The Association of Dance and Movement Psychotherapy (ADMP) 

I hold specialist training, including an MA in Child and Adolescent Psychotherapy, and I have an Enhanced DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) certificate for working with both adults and children. While I am not qualified to diagnose mental health or neurological conditions, I may offer holistic guidance and signposting to appropriate services where relevant, to support the therapeutic process. 

Therapy provides a confidential, non-judgemental space where personal issues can be explored safely and with trust. If you ever have any questions or concerns, ethical or otherwise, please don’t hesitate to raise them with me. 

Please also take a moment to review the cancellation policy outlined. If anything is unclear or you’d like to discuss further, feel free to get in touch. 

Best wishes, 

Heidi McCallion 

The Attuned Room, Integrative Psychotherapy

Safeguarding

I work within the safeguarding guidance outlined in Working Together to Safeguard Children and the ethical frameworks of my professional bodies. 

If I believe a child or young person is at serious risk of harm to themselves, from others, or to others, I may need to break confidentiality to keep them safe. This may include contacting emergency services or seeking advice from safeguarding professionals. Wherever possible, I will discuss this with the parent/guardian and young person first. 

Confidentiality & communication:(Gillick competence)

When working with young people aged 13 – 17, I follow the principle of Gillick competence, which recognises that a child under 16 may consent to psychological therapy if they demonstrate sufficient maturity, understanding, and intelligence to engage meaningfully in the process. I assess this capacity during our initial session, considering any relevant diagnoses or other professional input.  

Young people aged 13 – 17 may self-refer to therapy without parental involvement. However, I strongly encourage parental/guardian engagement to support the young person's emotional safety and wellbeing, as well as to assist with practical matters such as payment arrangements. 

For children aged 12 and under, parental/guardian involvement is essential during the referral and assessment process. For all therapy sessions involving a child aged 12 or under, or where I assess that an older young person is not Gillick competent, I kindly request that a responsible adult remains in the waiting area for the duration of in-person sessions. 

Session feedback to parents/guardians

Therapy offers children and young people a confidential space to explore their thoughts and feelings. Parents/guardians are not automatically entitled to know what is discussed in sessions unless there is a safeguarding concern. 

At the start of therapy, we will agree together how communication and feedback will be managed. Parent check-ins or review meetings can also be arranged where appropriate. If significant safety concerns arise, I will speak with the parent/guardian privately or contact them as soon as possible. 

At the end of each session, I will accompany your child back to the waiting area. To respect their right to privacy and confidentiality, I will not discuss the content of the session at that time. However, if significant or concerning information arises that may impact your child’s safety, I will speak with you immediately in a private space. If that’s not possible, I will contact you later the same day to ensure appropriate follow-up. 

Session duration & payment 

We’ll meet weekly (unless agreed otherwise), either online or in person. Each session lasts 50 minutes, and if you’re more than 15 minutes late, we’ll still finish at the scheduled time. 

Payment is requested via a Monzo payment link text message. Payment must be paid at least 24 hours prior to the session. 

Your session fee is outlined in this contract and is subject to a yearly increase in line with rising costs such as membership fees, insurance, and room hire. If you're ever in need of a formal letter or report, there may be an additional charge, this invoice will always be discussed with you in advance. 

If you're experiencing financial difficulty, I strongly encourage you to talk to me. We can explore a sliding payment scale to support you and help avoid sudden endings to therapy. We’ll regularly review our work together to ensure it continues to meet you and your child’s needs. 

Cancellation policy

Cancellations made: 

• Within 48 hours will incur a 50% session fee

• Within 24 hours will incur the full session fee

• Ongoing sessions cannot go ahead until this payment is made

In the rare event that I need to cancel a session I’ll give as much notice as possible and aim to reschedule promptly.  

Contact between sessions

If you need to contact me between sessions, you are welcome to email or text during my working hours (Monday–Thursday, 9am–6pm). I will do my best to respond as soon as possible, though responses may not always be immediate. Please note that I do not provide a crisis or emergency service. 

To maintain professional boundaries and confidentiality, I kindly ask that clients and families do not contact me via social media. 

If you need urgent support outside of these hours, or are unable to wait for a response, please contact: 

• If your child is in immediate danger or at risk of serious harm: • Call 999 or attend your nearest A&E department (24/7) 

• If your child is experiencing urgent mental health distress and needs support quickly: • NHS 111 – select Option 2 for mental health (24/7) • Forward Thinking Birmingham Crisis Line – 0300 300 0099 (24/7) 

• If your child needs someone to talk to: • Childline – 0800 1111 or online chat (24/7) • Shout Crisis Text Line – text SHOUT to 85258 (24/7) • KOOTH – free online mental health support and counselling for young people • PAPYRUS HOPELINE247 – 0800 068 4141 / text 88247 (24/7 suicide prevention support for under 35s) 

• Support for parents/carers: • Young Minds Parent Helpline – 0808 802 5544 (Mon–Fri, 9:30am–4pm) • NSPCC – 0808 800 5000 (24/7) • Samaritans – 116 123 (24/7) 

Providing emotional support for your child/adolescent 

It can sometimes feel difficult to know how best to support your child while they are attending therapy. Therapy works best when children and young people feel emotionally safe, supported, and free to explore their thoughts and feelings without pressure. 

Children and young people often benefit most from knowing that the important adults around them are calm, accepting, emotionally available, and supportive. 

Helpful things to say: • “Your feelings matter.” • “I’m here if you ever want to talk.” • “You don’t have to tell me everything from therapy.” • “It’s okay to take your time.” • “I’m proud of you for giving this a try.” • “You are not in trouble for having big feelings.” • “We’re learning together how to support you.” 

After sessions, it can sometimes be helpful to avoid asking lots of questions or focusing on whether therapy was “fun.” Many children and young people benefit more from gentle reassurance, emotional availability, and space to share things in their own time. 

If you are ever unsure how best to support your child between sessions, please feel free to contact me for guidance. 

Equity, diversity & inclusion

I am committed to promoting equity, diversity, and inclusion in all aspects of my therapeutic work. This includes being responsive to neurodiversity, disabilities, mental health, SEND, race, ethnicity, culture, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, socioeconomic background, and language needs. I strive to create a respectful, accessible, and affirming space for every child, young person, and family.  

If at any point you feel these values are not being upheld, I welcome your feedback and suggestions. 

Chance meetings

Maintaining boundaries outside the therapy room is important. If we meet by chance in public, I’ll be guided by you, how (or if) we interact is entirely your choice, and I’ll always prioritise your confidentiality. For child or adolescent clients, a brief and friendly interaction may feel more natural and therapeutic. In these cases, I’ll be led by the young person while maintaining confidentiality. I won’t disclose the nature of our relationship or identify them as a client. 

Supervision

As a registered member of BACP, UKCP, and ADMP, I am required to have regular supervision. This helps ensure that my work remains safe, ethical, and effective. Aspects of our sessions may be discussed in supervision, but your full name and any identifying details are removed. My supervisor is a qualified and accredited psychotherapist, bound by the same confidentiality standards as I am. 

Termination of therapy

You are free to end therapy at any time. However, if possible, giving notice can be helpful, it allows us to work towards a meaningful ending and reflect on what you’ve gained from the process. 

Therapy can sometimes feel emotionally challenging, and you may feel reluctant to continue or consider ending. I encourage you to talk to me about these feelings rather than ending suddenly, as this gives us the opportunity to explore and work through any unresolved issues together. I will never end our work without warning, except in exceptional circumstances. If such a situation arises, it will be discussed with you fully and sensitively. 

Therapeutic executor

In line with professional ethical requirements, I have appointed a trusted colleague to manage the administration of my practice in the event of my death or incapacity. This may include contacting clients, signposting to appropriate support, and securely managing or destroying records confidentially. My appointed therapeutic executor is Emma Craddock, a fellow ADMP member bound by the same professional confidentiality standards. 

GDPR & Data Protection Summary

I am registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), and all personal data is managed in line with UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018. Your information is collected for communication, record-keeping, and safeguarding purposes, and is stored securely on password-protected systems. Clinical notes are anonymised using a client code where possible. 

Your information will not be shared with third parties unless required for safeguarding, legal, or ethical reasons. Wherever possible, this would be discussed with you first. 

Client agreements, assessments, and anonymised clinical notes are retained for seven years after the end of therapy, after which they are securely destroyed. You may request removal of your contact details at any time where appropriate. 

Complaint 

If there is anything within this agreement that you do not understand, or if you would prefer it in a different format, please let me know. If you are unhappy with any aspect of our work together, I hope you would feel able to discuss this with me directly. 

If you feel unable to do this, or wish to make a formal complaint, you can contact the BACP Get Help with Counselling Concerns service for confidential guidance: 

Phone: 01455 883300 Email: gethelp@bacp.co.uk Address: BACP, 15 St John’s Business Park, Lutterworth, LE17 4HB