The Therapy Exchange – Membership Agreement

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Thank you for joining The Therapy Exchange.

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This document sets out the terms and conditions of your membership (“the Agreement”). By becoming a member, you are accepting these terms. Any disputes arising out of or relating to its formation, interpretation, or performance shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of England and Wales. The parties irrevocably submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales for the resolution of any such disputes.

 

 

1. What The Therapy Exchange Agrees To

 

The Therapy Exchange will:

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• Allow only Therapists who are fully qualified in the UK and who are members of a recognised professional body for counselling and psychotherapy, such as the BACP, UKCP, NCPS, or similar. 

• Act within the best interests of members and use the NCPS Ethical Framework as a frame of reference for our work.

• Ensure that the handling of members’ data is in line with GDPR regulations, maintain ICO membership via Anne Lewis. 

• Match each member to both a Therapist and a Client, usually within two-to-three weeks of joining. If this takes longer, we will keep you informed. 

• Place members with a new Therapist and Client as soon as reasonably possible if their current Therapist and/or Client is not a suitable match. 

 

 

2. Responsibilities of Members – Therapist Role

 

As a Therapist within The Therapy Exchange, you agree to:

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• To adhere to the ethical framework of your professional membership organisation (e.g. NCPS, BACP, BABCP, UKCP).

• Provide your Client with your usual therapy practice when contracting with your Client.

• Provide therapy online on a platform of your choosing, unless otherwise agreed between you and your Client.

• Be available to offer one therapy session per week (some Clients may prefer fortnightly or monthly).

• Contact new Client allocations within three working days of being provided with their contact details, which will be sent to you by The Therapy Exchange by email.

• Inform The Therapy Exchange if:

  • you do not hear from your Client within two weeks of your initial contact,

  • if you Client misses two sessions in a row without contacting you. 

• Give at least four weeks’ notice to both The Therapy Exchange, your Therapist and your Client if you wish to cancel or pause your membership with The Therapy Exchange.

• Ensure your membership with your professional body and your insurance cover remain current at all times.

• Act within the best interests of your Client and always work within the ethical framework of your professional body, including receiving Clinical Supervision. 

• Provide The Therapy Exchange with the start date of your work with your Client and update us with the date of their final session with you. 

 

 

3. Responsibilities of Members – Client Role

 

As a Client within The Therapy Exchange, you agree to:

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• Let The Therapy Exchange know if your Therapist has not contacted you within three working days of The Therapy Exchange email providing you with their name. 

• Contact your Therapist directly if they do not arrive for a session. If you do not hear back within four working days, inform The Therapy Exchange. 

• Accept that all arrangements for sessions, including scheduling and frequency of your sessions, are between you and your Therapist. 

• Understand that The Therapy Exchange is not responsible for the quality of therapy. We do, however, wish to hear from you if you have any concerns, queries, or positive feedback, relating to your experience of the therapy you have received or The Therapy Exchange. 

 

4. Fees and Payment

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• Membership fees are payable monthly (or annually if subscribed to that option). If you do not wish to continue your membship or wish to pause your membership, please get in touch to let us know.

• Late or non-payment of membership fees may result in termination of membership. If you experience difficulties paying fees, please contact Anne Lewis at anne@annelewistherapy.co.uk.

• If you have subscribed to an annual membership, this will be renewed automatically. If you do not want your payment to be renewed, please get in touch to let us know.

• No refunds are given for unused membership. 

 

 

5. Cancellation and Membership Pause

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If you wish to cancel or pause your membership you must give at least four weeks’ notice to The Therapy Exchange and you must give the same amount of notice of four weeks to your Client and your Therapist. 

 

 

6. Ending your therapy

 

You are free to end therapy at any time. We encourage you to give your Therapist notice so that you can have a proper ending session if possible. Please also check your Therapist’s own Therapy Agreement, as this may set out further details. If you would like to take a break from therapy, let us know so we can pause your membership. If you would like to work with a different Therapist, please contact us and we can look at who might be a good fit for you.

 

 

7. Ending your role as Therapist

 

If you need to end work with a Client, please follow the process set out in your own Client contract. Once you have let your Client know, please also inform The Therapy Exchange so we can reallocate their slot to another Therapist.

 

 

8. Confidentiality and ethical practice

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• Information you provide will be shared on an anonymised basis for matching purposes. Once a match is made, only the relevant information will be shared with your Therapist/Client.

• As a Therapist, you must maintain confidentiality in line with the requirements of your professional body for counselling and psychotherapy and the ethical framework.

• Whilst a member of The Therapy Exchange you are responsible for ensuring that you attend regular supervision. 

• Whilst a member of The Therapy Exchange you are responsible for ensuring that you remain a member of a recognised professional body for counselling and psychotherapy, such as the NCPS or BACP, and maintain valid insurance. 

 

 

9. Emergencies

 

The Therapy Exchange is not an emergency service.
If you are in distress and do not feel safe, please call 999, or contact Samaritans on 116 123 (free, confidential, and will not show on your bill).

 

 

10. Privacy and GDPR

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• All confidential information is held in accordance with GDPR (2018).

• Data Controller: Anne Lewis Counsellor.

• ICO Reference: A9091119.

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11. Acceptance of Agreement

 

By continuing to arrange and access therapy sessions through The Therapy Exchange, you confirm that you accept the terms of this Agreement. We will also keep members up to date with a monthly Newsletter to which you will automatically be subscribed via your membership - you can unsubscribe any time. 

If you have any queries, please contact Anne Lewis at anne@annelewistherapy.co.uk.

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We warmly welcome you to The Therapy Exchange. We hope you feel supported and valued here, both in your role as Therapist and as Client 🌿