Therapeutic agreement

Matt Le Mare Psychotherapy

matt@mattlemaretherapy.co.uk | 07983 728572

This agreement explains how we will work together and the practical arrangements for your therapy. Please ask about anything that is unclear before signing. It is intended for adult clients.

About our work

I offer a warm, compassionate and collaborative approach. We will explore what has brought you to therapy, agree the focus of our work and review how things are going. Outcomes and the pace of change vary and cannot be guaranteed.

I am registered with the Health and Care Professions Council as a music therapist, registration AS08306. My psychotherapy practice draws on my clinical experience and postgraduate training in Compassion Focused Therapy. I work within my training and competence and maintain professional indemnity insurance, supervision and continuing professional development.

Sessions and fees

In-person therapy: £90 for 60 minutes.

Online therapy: £65 for 60 minutes.

Initial assessment: £120 for 90 minutes.

Agreed session format and location: __________________________________

Agreed session length and frequency: __________________________________

Agreed fee: £________________ per session

In-person appointments take place at the Bay Therapy Centre, 19–21 Trent Boulevard, West Bridgford, Nottingham NG2 5BB, unless otherwise agreed. I personally confirm appointment requests. A room must be available for an in-person session; online sessions do not require a room booking.

Payment

Payment is by bank transfer. I normally invoice monthly, with payment due within 14 days of the invoice unless we agree otherwise in writing. Any fee for a report, letter or professional meeting will be agreed with you in advance. I will give at least two months’ notice of any change to your agreed session fee.

Please let me know if you have difficulty paying so that we can discuss the position. Unresolved unpaid fees may lead to a pause or ending of therapy after discussion and consideration of your needs.

Cancellations

Please give at least 24 hours’ notice to cancel or rearrange an appointment. Sessions cancelled with less notice, and missed appointments without notice, will normally be charged in full. I may make exceptions for emergencies or exceptional circumstances. If I cancel, you will not be charged and I will discuss alternative arrangements.

Reviewing and ending therapy

We plan to begin with a minimum of four sessions, then review together whether continuing feels appropriate. This is an initial therapeutic plan, rather than an obligation to pay for sessions you do not attend. You remain free to end therapy sooner. Where possible, please give notice equal to the usual interval between our sessions, for example one week if we meet weekly or two weeks if we meet fortnightly. This gives us an opportunity to plan a thoughtful ending. If you decide during a session that it will be your last, I will respect that decision. There is no separate ending fee. The 24-hour cancellation policy still applies to any appointments already booked.

If your needs change or I cannot safely or appropriately continue working with you, I will discuss this with you and, where possible, help you consider other support. Therapy may also need to end where the relationship becomes unsafe, boundaries are repeatedly breached or agreed fees remain unpaid. Wherever possible, endings will be discussed and planned.

Confidentiality

What you share in therapy is treated as confidential. I undertake regular clinical supervision and may discuss aspects of our work, using the minimum identifying information necessary. My supervisor is also bound by confidentiality. I may need to share relevant information where there is a serious risk of harm, a safeguarding concern, a legal requirement or another lawful and justified reason. Where it is safe and appropriate, I will discuss this with you first. Sharing is limited to what is necessary.

Notes and privacy

I keep relevant clinical records in Microsoft OneDrive, accessed through my Mac. Adult clinical records are normally retained for seven years after therapy ends, unless a longer period is required for a specific legal, insurance or professional reason. Information is securely deleted when no longer required. Your rights and further details are explained in my Privacy Notice: https://www.mattlemaretherapy.co.uk/privet-policy

I do not record in-person or online sessions and do not use AI services for client notes. Please discuss any wish to record a session with me in advance; recording requires a separate agreement.

Online sessions

Online sessions normally use Zoom. Microsoft Teams or WhatsApp may be used where agreed. Please join from a private space, use a device you trust and let me know your current location at the start of an online session so that we can respond appropriately if an urgent safety concern arises. We will agree how to reconnect if the connection fails.

Contact between sessions

Please use email, phone or messages for practical matters such as appointments and payments. Therapeutic conversations between sessions require a separate agreement. I aim to reply within 24 hours during normal working periods; I cannot guarantee an immediate response. This is not an emergency or crisis service. Please use appropriate urgent or emergency services if you need immediate help.

Concerns and complaints

You are welcome to raise concerns at any stage. You do not have to discuss a concern in a session before making a complaint. Email matt@mattlemaretherapy.co.uk or ask for my Complaints Policy. Raising a concern will not reduce the care or respect you receive. You can also contact the HCPC directly about concerns within its remit: https://www.hcpc-uk.org/concerns/raising-concerns/

Agreement

By signing, we confirm that we have discussed these arrangements, had the opportunity to ask questions and agree to work on this basis. Any individual changes should be recorded below.

Agreed changes: __________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________

Client name: _____________________________________________________

Client signature: __________________________ Date: _________________

Therapist name: Matt Le Mare

Therapist signature: _______________________ Date: _________________

Version 28 October 2026