Please take the time to read through and sign the following agreement. This agreement will begin at the first counselling session.

• The Bridge will offer you up to 12 counselling sessions over a 16 week period.
• You will have an opportunity to review your counselling with your counsellor after 6 sessions and at other stages in the process as necessary.
• Your counselling sessions will be 50 minutes long.
• Your counsellor will meet with you regularly at the same time and day every week unless otherwise agreed.
• You and your counsellor should give each other as much notice as possible of cancellations and holiday breaks.
• Other than in exceptional circumstances, if you miss or cancel more than 2 appointments in a row, your counselling will be reviewed and may cease.
• The Bridge operates within the COSCA Ethics and Code of Practice.
• The Bridge also has a complaints procedure, however, we would also encourage you to speak to your counsellor if you are dissatisfied in any way.
• This agreement commences at the first counselling session.
• We are not a free service and operate a donation-based system with all money going directly towards the running of the project.

Personal information

By signing this form, you are confirming that you are consenting to The Bridge holding and processing your personal data. This information includes:

• Your name, address and contact details, and GP practice. (Your contact details will be used to contact you about counselling. Other personal data such as your name, address and/or date of birth will be used to verify your identity if there is a need to contact your G.P.).
• Brief factual notes from each therapy session under an identifying code. The notes are held in a secure system and don’t have your name on them. You have the right to ask to see any information held about you and you can do this by making a request in writing.

This personal information will be held for a period of three years after the cessation of the counselling relationship. We treat your information in the strictest confidence but if your counsellor has serious concerns about your safety or that of others, they will report these concerns to the appropriate person or agency after discussion with yourself, this includes NHS Test & Protect.

All counsellors are required to have ongoing, regular supervision where your information may be discussed, all identifying information remains anonymous.

You can withdraw or change your consent at any time by contacting us. Please note that all processing of your personal data will cease once you have withdrawn consent, other than where this is required by law.