This document details important information about the services I offer.  Please read the document with care and make a note of any questions you have so we can discuss them. 

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Assessment

An initial assessment will be completed to develop an understanding of your difficulties and hopes for therapy.  This assessment usually takes 1-2 sessions and enables me to advise on whether therapy may be helpful to you.  A decision regarding any ongoing therapy will be made collaboratively between us.  I will try to accommodate your wishes and needs. On rare occasions I may decide that another service may be better placed to meet your needs or that I cannot offer a service.  In this instance, I will explain why and advise on alternatives.

  

Session details

Therapy is an active and collaborative process, inviting you to observe yourself and your life and take part in exploring and addressing difficulties.  We will regularly discuss how therapy is working for you.  It is important to attend and engage as agreed and I will discuss this with you if I feel it is becoming a barrier to our work together.  Sessions last for 60 minutes and for ongoing work I will try to co-ordinate your sessions to happen at the same time and on the same day, although both of us may need to alter this from time to time to accommodate other arrangements.  I will give you as much notice as possible of any breaks in therapy, e.g. during holidays.   Please note if you arrive late you will still need to pay for the whole session, and we will have to finish on time. 

  

Record keeping

Notes made on paper, such as from assessments will be kept locked and secure.  Electronic records are also kept (e.g. session notes, invoices, letters written, information sent via email).  All electronic records are stored securely on password protected computing devices.  I am required to keep your records for a period of 7 years before disposing of them.

 

Fees

If you are paying directly, the fee for appointments is £70 per session.  Fees need to be paid in full at the end of each month.  I will give you an invoice.  If fees are not paid in full at the end of each month, I reserve the right not to go ahead with the appointment and seek payment through the small claims court or other debt collection agents.  No further sessions can take place without payment for the previous session.  

Please keep in mind that you are responsible for paying the fees for your sessions and any cancellation charges incurred.

    

If your insurance company is paying, arrangements for this need to be set up and confirmed before we meet. If you hold Private Medical Insurance, please check the reimbursement level that will be available from your relevant provider for services.  If your private medical insurance reimbursement does not cover the fee in full, you must pay the difference between the fee and the private medical insurance reimbursement, in accordance with ‘Payment of Fees’ arrangements above. If having advised that insurance arrangements are in place that this then transpires not to be the case, you understand that you will be liable for fees in full. 

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Payments

Payment can be made by cash, cheque or direct bank transfer.  Cheques are to be made payable to Julie Lloyd.  

Please put your name as reference on any transfer. 

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Cancellations

It would be helpful for us both to give each other as much notice as possible when there are events coming up which result in the sessions being unable to take place as planned. If you need to change or cancel your appointment you must do so with more than 48 hours’ notice.  Please wherever possible cancel your appointment by phone and in person.  I will try to offer you an alternative as soon as is feasible.  

The full session fee is payable for sessions cancelled with less than 48 hours’ notice.  If appointments are cancelled/rescheduled with more than 48 hours’ notice, then there is no charge made for the cancelled session.

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Other services

Apart from sometimes sending a brief letter to GPs and/or referrers at the start and end of a therapy I do not routinely provide reports.  If written reports or other professional services (e.g. reading reports, telephone conversations exceeding 15 minutes, attendance at meetings, consultations with other professionals, and preparation of records) are requested the same rate of £60 per hour (on a prorated basis) will be charged.

 

Emergencies

If you find yourself in need of help on an emergency/crisis basis (e.g. if you harm yourself or make plans to end your life), then please approach your GP practice/out of hours GP, A&E department, Mental Health Crisis/Access Team, or similar, or call 999 or 111.  Support can also be provided by Samaritans (on 116 123, freephone 24/7).

I do not offer emergency or urgent appointments and I am not available by telephone or email daily. Therefore, emails and telephone messages will only be answered during my private practice hours. 

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Hours and availability

I will aim to return calls/emails within two of my working days, except when on annual leave or during periods of ill health.  I am not available by telephone or email on a daily basis; therefore, emails and telephone messages will only be answered during my private practice hours.  My private practice hours are Tuesday 17:00 – 20:00, Wednesday 8:30 – 17:30 and Thursday 8:30 – 19:00. 

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Ending therapy

We will agree how long we will work together.  You are of course free to leave therapy at any time.  I would ask that you let me know if you are wanting to end therapy earlier than we initially agreed.  Therapy requires a trusting relationship and there are some ground rules that need to be respected, including keeping to the agreement set out here.  If the agreement is not kept to, then I may need to consider ending therapy with you. 

If your circumstances change and this has an impact on our regular therapy (e.g. in needing to change the time of the sessions) I will try to accommodate the change, but if unable to do so, then I cannot be held responsible for any resulting early ending of the therapy.