Website Terms & Conditions

1. Who we are

This website is owned and operated by Janet Gothelf, practising as Clearer Perspectives  a sole trader offering counselling and psychotherapy in person and via Zoom. I am a registered member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP), accredited (MBACP Accred), and I work in accordance with the BACP Ethical Framework for the Counselling Professions.

Contact: [[email protected]] · [07958 700168]

By using this website, you agree to these Terms & Conditions. If you do not agree, please do not continue to use the site.

2. Use of this website

• The content of this website is provided for general information only. It is not a substitute for a full assessment, a clinical opinion, or therapy itself, and nothing on this site should be read as advice tailored to your individual situation.
• I try to keep the information on this site accurate and up to date, but I cannot guarantee its completeness or that it is free of error, and it may change without notice.
• Your use of any information on this site is at your own risk. It is your responsibility to satisfy yourself that any service described meets your needs before booking.
• Content, design and branding on this site belong to Clearer Perspectives unless otherwise stated and may not be copied or reproduced without permission.
• This site may contain links to third-party websites (for example, professional bodies or payment providers). I do not control these sites and am not responsible for their content or privacy practices.

3. The counselling and psychotherapy service

Enquiring through this website, or booking an initial session, does not itself create a therapeutic or contractual relationship. Before or at the initial sessions, I will talk you through a Client (Therapy) Agreement, which sets out in full the terms on which I work with you, including:

• fees, invoicing and payment methods, and my cancellation/non-attendance policy;
• session length, frequency, and whether there is a fixed or open-ended number of sessions;
• confidentiality and its limits (including safeguarding, risk of serious harm, and clinical supervision);
• what records are kept, how, and for how long, in line with the Privacy Notice;
• arrangements if either of us is unable to attend, or if sessions need to end unexpectedly; and
• how to raise a concern or end the work with me.

This agreement is usually reached verbally rather than by signature. A verbal agreement carries the same weight as a written one, and I will always adapt how we go through it — including the pace, format and language used — to what works best for you. Whichever way we agree it, I will make a written note that we have done so. I can also give or send you a written summary of what we’ve agreed, for you to keep — just let me know if that would be helpful, as I know written paperwork isn’t right for everyone.

Where a session is commissioned by a third-party organisation (for example, the NHS or another referring body), limited information may need to be shared with that organisation as part of the arrangement under which the service is provided — see the Privacy Notice for what this involves.

4. Sessions held by Zoom

Where sessions take place by Zoom rather than in person, the following additional points apply, reflecting BACP’s Online and Phone Therapy (OPT) competence framework and its guidance on working online:

• You will need a private, confidential space, a stable internet connection, and a device with a working camera and microphone. I will do the same.
• No video platform can guarantee 100% security. While Zoom sessions are conducted using reasonable safeguards (for example, unique meeting links and waiting rooms), you should be aware of the inherent limits of technology in protecting confidentiality, and we can discuss this further during contracting.
• If the connection fails during a session, I will attempt to reconnect via Zoom first and, if that is not possible, will call you on the telephone number held on file. Please make sure this is kept up to date.
• Please do not record sessions, by video or audio, without my prior agreement, and I will not record sessions without yours.
• Online and telephone work is not suitable for every presentation or every level of risk; suitability is discussed as part of assessment, and I may recommend in-person sessions or another service where appropriate.

5. Not an emergency or crisis service

This website, email and Zoom are not monitored continuously and must not be used to contact me in a crisis or emergency. If you are in crisis or at immediate risk, please call 999 or go to your nearest A&E, or contact the Samaritans free on 116 123 (available 24/7), or call 111 (NHS, option 2 for mental health).

6. Confidentiality and data protection

How I collect, use and protect your personal data — including special category Health Data shared during therapy — is set out in full in my separate Privacy Notice, available on this website and provided at the start of our work together. That notice covers what data is collected, the lawful basis relied on, who it may be shared with (for example, in anonymised form with my clinical supervisor), how long it is kept, and your rights under UK GDPR, including the right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ico.org.uk).

7. Professional standards and complaints

I work in accordance with the BACP Ethical Framework for the Counselling Professions and am subject to the BACP Professional Conduct Procedure. If you have a concern about the way I am working with you, I would welcome the opportunity to discuss it with you directly in the first instance.

If a concern cannot be resolved between us, you may contact BACP directly for information about raising a complaint: www.bacp.co.uk, or by writing to BACP, 15 St John’s Business Park, Lutterworth, Leicestershire, LE17 4HB.

8. Liability

Nothing in these Terms limits or excludes liability for death or personal injury caused by negligence, or for fraud, or any other liability that cannot lawfully be limited or excluded. Subject to that, I do not accept liability for any loss arising from your use of this website or reliance on its general content, and this website does not constitute a guarantee of therapeutic outcome.

9. Changes to these Terms

I may update these Terms & Conditions from time to time to reflect changes in my practice or in the law. The current version will always be available on this website, and the date at the top shows when it was last updated.

10. Governing law

These Terms & Conditions are governed by the laws of England and Wales, and any dispute will be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales.