(Counselling, Coaching and/or Mentoring Agreement)
About me
I am a British-trained Gestalt counsellor, coach and mentor, and a registered member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP), and I have worked in therapeutic and mental-health and wellbeing settings for over 30 years, though as a counsellor, coach and/or mentor since 2010.
I am based in Sweden, where I live and work, and provide my services remotely.
I work within the BACP Ethical Framework for the Counselling Professions and undertake regular professional supervision.
My work is informed by my training and experience as a counsellor and by my professional and ethical responsibilities. I am not a Swedish-licensed psychologist or psychotherapist and I do not provide medical or psychiatric treatment. My work is non-medical. I do not diagnose conditions, prescribe or manage medication, or provide medical treatment.
For information about my training and experience, you can find more information on this site.
Nature and purpose of our work
The work we agree to undertake together is non-medical counselling, coaching and mentoring, with a focus on self-understanding, awareness, self-trust and personal choice.
Our work may include exploring:
- your experience of yourself and your life to date;
- how you have learned to understand, respond to and adapt to the world around you;
- if you have been hiding your true self e.g. is with many neurodivergent people patterns of masking, adapting, over-achieving, perfectionism or feeling that you have needed to work particularly hard to meet expectations;
- what you genuinely need in different areas of your life;
- learning to notice, recognise and listen to your own needs;
- becoming more aware of how your body, emotions, thoughts and behaviour may communicate those needs;
- distinguishing between what you genuinely want and what you have learned to believe you should want;
- understanding your own preferences, values, boundaries and ways of functioning;
- developing greater self-awareness and self-compassion;
- rebuilding trust in your own perceptions, feelings and decisions;
- becoming more confident in making choices that are right for you;
- exploring experiences of identity, belonging, difference, grief, relief, anger, shame or validation that may arise as your understanding of yourself changes;
- considering how you would like to live and work in ways that feel more sustainable and authentic to you;
- identifying your existing strengths, resources and capacities;
- developing greater confidence in recognising what works for you rather than measuring yourself primarily against external expectations.
The purpose of this work is not to change, treat or manage a neurotype or medical diagnosis.
Instead, our work is intended to support you to develop a deeper and more compassionate understanding of yourself, to recognise and respond to your own needs, and to develop greater trust in your own choices and ways of being.
You remain the expert in your own experience and are responsible for deciding what is meaningful or useful to you.
A useful way of describing the focus of our work is:
- Understanding yourself → recognising your needs → listening to yourself → making informed choices → developing trust in yourself.
We will not assume that there is a particular outcome you need to achieve.
What is Gestalt counselling?
In many countries, therapy is offered via two means – either via a psychologist or a psychotherapist who works for the local public health providers; or privately via a counsellor, coach, mentor or other therapist.
I offer private counselling – with elements of coaching and/or mentoring where appropriate. Counselling is a professional form of help for those who are finding things difficult for whatever reason. It can help you to better understand what isn’t working very well in your life; and to decide what and how you want to change.
Gestalt counselling focuses on how you feel, think or do things in the present moment. It recognises that people are linked to and influenced by their environments, and that all people strive towards growth and balance in their lives.
In my practice I may use a range of verbal and non-verbal techniques. This might include talking, writing, drawing, visualisations or movement. We will work together in a way that suits you best and for however long you feel you need my support.
It is available to you regardless of who you are or where you come from. I will provide a confidential, safe and accepting space for you to explore your thoughts, feelings or concerns.
What does it involve?
For all types of counselling, we would usually work together weekly. I do not usually work during the Swedish summer holiday (around July) and will clarify with you in advance any dates I am not available. If you have additional dates you cannot do, I would ask you to let me know as you can.
I offer face-to-face counselling in and around Järfälla (indoors and outdoors), as well as telephone and online counselling, including telephone/audio, video, instant messaging and email.
ADHD, autism or other labels
You may choose to discuss or share a diagnosis or label, suspected ADHD or autism, or any other aspect of your history if it is relevant and helpful to our work. However, I am not acting as your diagnosing clinician or medical practitioner.
I will not:
- diagnose or reassess ADHD, autism or another condition;
- determine whether you meet diagnostic criteria;
- provide medical or psychiatric treatment;
- prescribe, recommend or alter medication;
- advise you to start, stop or change medication;
- provide treatment intended to alter or manage a medical condition.
If you wish to discuss medical questions arising from a diagnosis, medication or physical or mental-health symptoms, I will encourage you to discuss those matters with an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
Our work may instead explore what your understanding of yourself means to you, how it affects your identity and relationships, and what you may want to do differently as a result of knowing yourself better.
Coaching and mentoring
Where we work specifically as coaching or mentoring, the emphasis may be on reflection, self-understanding, identifying goals, developing sustainable approaches and considering practical choices.
Coaching and mentoring are not medical or psychiatric services and are not intended to diagnose, treat or manage any medical condition.
You remain responsible for deciding which choices, strategies or changes are appropriate for you.
Boundaries of the service
This service is not a substitute for medical, psychiatric or emergency care.
I will work within my professional training, competence, insurance and ethical responsibilities.
I will not:
- diagnose any medical or psychological disorder;
- provide medical treatment;
- provide psychiatric treatment;
- provide psychotherapy where this would constitute a regulated medical or therapeutic service in the country where you are located;
- prescribe, recommend or alter medication;
- provide medical advice concerning medication or physical health;
- provide emergency or crisis treatment;
- act as a substitute for a doctor, psychiatrist or other healthcare professional.
Where a matter falls outside the scope of my service, I may recommend that you seek appropriate support from a suitably qualified healthcare professional.
Where I have serious concerns that you may require medical or psychiatric assessment or treatment, I may recommend that you seek appropriate professional help.
Note about AI
Some clients choose to use AI-based apps or chat tools that offer emotional support or therapy-like conversations. These are separate from, and not part of, the service that I provide.
AI tools do not know you as a person over time, do not hold a duty of care, and cannot reliably recognise risk or crisis. They may sound confident even when they are inaccurate. Anything you share with them may be stored or used in ways that fall outside our confidentiality and my control.
I retain full professional responsibility for the care I provide. My decisions are made through professional judgement and ethical training, and are not handed to AI systems. If you use AI tools for personal support, you are warmly encouraged to bring this into our work, so we can reflect together on how it may be affecting you. This is an invitation, never a judgement.
Confidentiality
Please read my privacy policy. This tells you how the information you share with me is kept confidential and secure. You can access it by clicking this link or you can ask me to email you a copy.
In an emergency
Online counselling may not be sufficient support if you feel you are in crisis. Signs of crisis may be feelings of wanting to commit suicide, or to harm yourself or another.
In this case, please consider contacting your local accident and emergency department at your nearest hospital, and ask to speak to someone from the crisis team. As part of our contract, I will ask for your permission to contact your doctor. This would be in the event that during a counselling session you were in need of emergency support, either physical or mental.
Conditions of counselling
Counsellor responsibilities
- To be available at the agreed time, and to start and end on time
- To offer a quiet, appropriate and undisturbed space; and to maintain safe, professional boundaries
- To encourage your autonomy and independence
- To regard all contact and information as confidential unless I have concerns about your or someone else’s safety (as outlined in our agreement)
- To work within the BACP Ethical Framework, including regular supervision
- To review the therapeutic work and our relationship regularly
- In the unlikely event I cancel, to offer an alternative appointment ASAP
- If you are working with me and you notify me that you plan to leave your country of residence and wish to continue counselling, I will check whether my insurance covers me for the country you are in
Client responsibilities
- To attend on time
- To give 48 hours’ notice minimum if cancelling/changing an appointment (or the full fee becomes payable)
- To pay your monthly invoices in full within the two week payment date provided on your invoice
- To limit communication with me (outside our agreed counselling sessions) to making, changing or cancelling an appointment, unless by prior arrangement
- To give permission to contact your doctor if I have serious concerns about you or others
- To discuss with me when you feel you are ready to end therapy
- To let me know if you are in or are considering entering another therapeutic relationship
- If you leave your country of residence and wish to continue counselling, you notify me immediately so I can check whether my insurance covers me for the country you are in
- Finally, counselling requires mutual respect – if abusive behaviour occurs at any point, then the contract will be terminated immediately
Complaints
If you feel you are not getting the service you need, I want to hear about your concerns so I can offer the best possible service. If you feel able to, please speak to me directly.
As I am a member of the BACP, you can also choose to speak with them. They can be contacted by telephone on 01455 883300, by email to [email protected], or in writing to BACP, 15 St John’s Business Park, Lutterworth LE17 4HB.
Payment of sessions
All paperwork will be carried out via email prior to meeting. Thereafter, session fees for all remote therapy, in person sessions at my office, or outdoors therapy starting from or nearby my Järfälla office are as follows.
Therapy or consultancy sessions for individuals in Sweden – if you are located outside of Sweden, please contact me directly for my current session fees for your location.
Session fees for individuals are listed below.
- 800 SEK for a 30-minute session (young people only)
- 1,300 SEK for a 50-minute session
- 2,000 SEK for a 90-minute session
I also offer limited concessionary/discount rates for weekly sessions where needed – 1,000 SEK for 50-minute sessions, and 1,600 SEK for 90-minute sessions.
Please note that, if appropriate, I am always happy to meet any requests beyond the scope of therapy, made by clients (or parents of younger clients) to speak or write to other professionals, or to offer tips or advice (e.g. consultations regarding parenting advice, support around schooling). However, I do charge for my time, at 800 SEK per half hour conversation or for adaptations documents for school or work, and 800 SEK per letter or email. Invoices will be emailed to you monthly for such requests, along with invoices for any therapy.
Failure to pay an invoice may result in cancellation of all future sessions.
Invoices are usually paid by Swish for Swedish residents, but if you prefer to pay via bank transfer, let me know – for those outside Sweden, I have both a GBP account and a Euro account.
If you have any questions about any aspect of this agreement, or would like further information, please contact me at [email protected]. If you wish to go ahead with counselling, please answer the questions to follow and hit submit. Alternatively you can request a copy to be sent to you via email, for you to print out, scan and return via email.
PLEASE NOTE
Questions below around pronouns, neurotype, gender, sexual or relationship identity, psychiatric or medical history are all OPTIONAL. Please only share if you feel comfortable doing so, and if you feel it is relevant to our work together.