Any references to ‘I’, ‘me’, ‘we’, ‘our’ or ‘us’ refer to Helen Raynham, as sole trader, operating as the ‘The ADHD Specialist’.  

Any reference to ‘you’, ‘the client(s)’ or the ‘data subject(s)’ refers to the individual or in the case of couple, parent, and family therapy, to the individuals who are engaging in therapy with The ADHD Specialist.

1. Session Times and Frequency
1.1 We will usually meet once each week at an agreed time and day for a 50-minute session (individual therapy or coaching) or 60 minutes (EMDR/couples, parents, family therapy) unless we have agreed to a different schedule.

1.2 I recommend an initial minimum of 3 sessions to allow our work to evolve. After that, it is easier for you to make an informed decision about whether or not you wish to continue your work with me. If you continue beyond the six sessions the period over which we work becomes open-ended until we end by agreement.

1.3 You are under no obligation to commit to any length of therapy. You may cancel this agreement at any time and without notice. No fee will be due unless you have not given 48 hours' notice of a cancelled session, in which case that session fee will be due.

1.4 The agreed time slot for your session will usually be available to you for the duration of the contract unless circumstances outside my control or yours make it necessary for us to review it.

1.4 If you arrive more than 15 minutes late to your session, I may need to reschedule the appointment. Please note that I am unable to work beyond the end of the agreed session, which will end on time regardless of a late start time.

1.5 If I am late to the session, I will offer the option of rescheduling or a full refund.
 

2. Fees and Payment
2.1 Fees are advertised on my website. Any changes to my advertised fees will be agreed upon at the start of our work together. This will be subject to periodic review.

2.2 I will give at least two months’ notice of any fee increase.

2.3 Payment is required in full, at least 24 hours before your scheduled session takes place. Payment can be made online or by bank transfer.

2.4 Face-to-face sessions and online sessions are charged at the same rate.

2.5 If a client’s sessions will be funded by an insurer or third party this will need to be agreed in advance. I accept insurance funded clients from several major insurers. I ask that all clients ensure that their sessions are pre-approved by their insurer or third-party funder. The client will remain liable for any sessions that are not settled by their insurance company or third-party funder including, but not limited to, insurance excess, cancelled or non-attended sessions, and sessions that exceed the maximum cost or number of sessions covered by their insurance provider. By agreeing to these conditions, the client accepts that The ADHD Specialist may share limited personal information with their insurer or funder to allow invoices to be received and paid by their insurer or third-party funder.

2.6 Please be aware that in line with statutory legislation any invoice not settled within 30 days will accrue statutory interest of 8% above the Bank of England Base rate, calculated daily. Additionally, reasonable costs incurred in obtaining payment will be payable in addition to a compensatory fee of between £40 and £100 in line with the Late Payment of Commercial Debts Act (1998).
 

3: Rescheduling, Cancellations, Refunds, and Holidays 
3.1. I offer a refund policy in accordance with applicable consumer laws. Requests for refunds must be made within a specified period from the date of purchase and are subject to review on a case-by-case basis.

3.3 I will endeavour to process refund requests within 48 hours. I cannot control how long it will take for the fees to be refunded to your bank account.

3.2. I reserve the right to cancel or refuse any order at our discretion, in which case a refund will be provided.

3.4 I require at least 48 hours' notice of any changes to your appointment. Rescheduling or cancellations must be made within standard office hours (9 am – 5 pm Monday-Friday). Where this notice is not given the full session will be charged. In instances where sufficient notice is provided a cancellation fee will not become due.

3.5 If I must cancel a session for any reason, I will endeavour to give as much notice as possible and I will endeavour to process any refunds due to you within 48 hours.

3.6 I will give you as much notice as possible of any intended breaks/holidays. I ask you to give as much notice as possible of any intended breaks so I can plan my schedule.

3.7 If I am away or unable to attend, you will not have to pay for the scheduled sessions.
 

4. Privacy and Confidentiality
4.1 During your time with The ADHD Specialist, I will need to keep a record of your personal information and contact details, as well as those of your GP and emergency contact. This information will be confidentially destroyed once your therapy has come to an end.
4.2 Please note that in order to meet service and accounting needs any personal information held in email threads or online booking documentation will be held for up to 7 years after your therapy has come to an end.

4.3 Very brief notes of the themes discussed are also kept of each session. This is a requirement of the governing bodies to which I belong. These are stored securely in Power Diary which is an industry specific, GDPR-compliant practice management system. These notes are for my use only and help me to keep track of everything that is being discussed. These notes must be kept securely for 7 years after your therapy has come to an end, after which they will be confidentially destroyed.

4.4 You have the right to view these notes at any time. To make this request please get in touch with me. Having viewed your notes, you also have the right to request an amendment.

4.5 Once therapy has come to an end, you have the right to request that I delete all data that I hold about you (personal contact details and clinical notes etc). The only situations where we would not be able to comply with such a request would be if:

a) It is necessary for me to retain these records in order to continue providing an effective service

b) I am compelled to retain these records by a Court of Law or to establish, exercise or defend legal claims.

Please read my privacy policy for more information.

4.6 Everything that you discuss with me is confidential. Confidentiality will only be broken if there is concern about your safety or the safety of someone else or if I am instructed to do so by a Court of Law. This may mean that I contact your nominated emergency contact or your GP. I do not require your consent to break confidentiality in these circumstances, but I will always endeavour to speak to you about this first.

4.7 As required by the HCPC, the BPS, and the BACP, I discuss my clinical work with a clinical supervisor. This is to ensure that I am offering you the best service possible. These conversations are bound by confidentiality, and you will be referred to by a pseudonym.
4.8 I will ensure that I am conducting telephone contact, online and face-to-face sessions in a quiet, private, and confidential setting.
4.9 For remote sessions, I have selected video calling platforms that offer end-to-end encryption to ensure maximum privacy. Please note however that I cannot be held responsible for any breaches that occur due to failures in this technology.
4.10 When engaging in online sessions, it is the client’s responsibility to ensure they attend the session in a quiet and private space in which they can speak openly.
4.11 During remote work, if the technology fails, I will attempt to contact you by telephone. If we are not able to resolve technical difficulties within 15 minutes it will be necessary to abandon the session and reschedule.
4.12 I do not record, or allow sessions to be recorded using a device or app. If it is found that recordings have been made covertly, services for the individual responsible will be discontinued immediately and I reserve the right to seek legal advice regarding possible further action.
4.13 If your sessions are paid for or arranged via a third party, (e.g. your employer, insurance company, a friend, or a family member), other than payment requests, invoices or receipts your therapeutic information will not be shared. Details about what is discussed in your sessions will remain confidential between us. Any other information can only be shared if you provide your written consent.

4.14 Please note that in order to provide service, I use the services of a Personal Assistant (PA) who may during the normal day-to-day administration, see details of your name, address, and contact information, as well as any information sent to me via my website or email. They conduct their role in accordance with these Terms and Conditions, Privacy Policy, and GDPR. 

 

5: Contact outside of sessions
5.1 My telephone number and email address are for use in the case of booking, cancellations or rescheduling. I am unable to enter dialogue outside of our agreed sessions.

5.2 My telephone number is not staffed continually, and I cannot guarantee that I will be able to respond immediately to urgent phone calls or emails. It is sometimes not possible for me to check my emails or messages for extended periods of time and I do not access my phone or emails outside of working hours. Replying to emails and messages can, at times, take up to 5 working days.   

5.3 I do not offer an emergency service. If you are experiencing a mental health emergency or crisis and feel unable to keep yourself safe, please contact your GP, call 111 or visit your local A&E department.  

5.4 I am unable to accept social media requests from clients, as this can compromise the confidential and therapeutic nature of our working relationship.

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6: Endings
6.1 In the normal course of events you will probably know when you are ready to finish therapy, and we will agree together on the work we need to do to prepare for this.

6.2 I will not suddenly or without warning terminate our contract, except in exceptional circumstances, which would become clear in the course of the work together, which we would fully discuss at that time.

6.3 As, is required by the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy, (BACP) in event that I am unable to provide a service to you due to accident, critical illness, or unexpected death, a pre-appointed, professionally appropriate Clinical Trustee (in most circumstances this would be my clinical supervisor) will make contact with you. This is covered in my clinical will. See Privacy Policy for more details.
 

7. Drug and alcohol policy
7.1 Using drugs or alcohol before attending a session is discouraged because intoxication can impair judgment, affect communication skills, and hinder the therapeutic process. I may need to terminate the session if you attend whilst intoxicated.
 

8. Package Booking Policy 
8.1 Six and twelve session packages are priced at a discounted rate.

8.2 Packages are for 1:1 therapy or coaching and are not applicable to couples/family therapy or EMDR.

8.3 Your package must be completed within 12 months of your first session taking place.
8.4 Package cancellations must be made at least seven days in advance (either in advance of your package commencing, or within seven days of your next scheduled session). If you decide to cancel mid way through the package, you will be refunded pro rata less the cost of any completed sessions, which will be charged at the full rate per session (£110). For example, a package of six sessions, cancelled after two completed sessions will result in a refund of £355 (£575 less two sessions at £110 each). 

8.5 Session cancellations: If you do not attend a session without giving at least 48 hours notice, the missed session will be deducted from your package.
 

9: Complaints Procedures, Ethics and code of conduct
9.1 I am registered with the HCPC, the BACP, and the BPS.

9.2 If you are dissatisfied with the service provided, please discuss your concerns with me as a first step. I will respond constructively and professionally to your feedback and stated needs and advise you to the best of my ability. You can request a copy of my complaints policy by emailing: helen@theadhdspecialist.co.uk.

9.3 If we are unable to come to a satisfactory conclusion to your complaint, you can contact the HCPC and they will assist with your complaint.

9.4 I have taken all reasonable steps to ensure any third parties that I work with are reputable and operate with the highest levels of security and integrity, and in accordance with GDPR legislation, however, I cannot be held accountable for breaches that occur within third-party organisations
 

10. Intellectual Property Rights

10.1. All content provided through our services, including but not limited to text, graphics, logos, images, videos, and materials, are the intellectual property of The ADHD Specialist or its licensors.

10.2 Purchasing our services does not grant you the right to reproduce, distribute, or sell any of our intellectual property without my express written consent.

 

11. Limitation of Liability

11.1. The ADHD Specialist shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, or consequential damages arising from the use or inability to use my services or programs.

11.2. My total liability for any claim arising out of or relating to these Terms shall not exceed the amount paid by you for the services.

 

12. Governing Law and Jurisdiction

12.1. These Terms shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of England.

12.2. Any disputes arising from these Terms shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts in England.

12.3. These Terms will be subject to periodic review.
12.4. By using my Website and purchasing my services, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agreed to these Terms and Conditions.

Updated March 2024