ABSTRACT
In broad terms, an agreement might contain information about:
What counselling with you is likely to be like; what a client could expect.
The appointments: How long do they last? What happens in them? How much do they cost? What happens if they are missed? How can they be paid for?
Confidentiality; what it does and doesn’t cover.
Record-keeping and storage.
The duration of the agreement.
I have included a full sample contract below, with my commentary. You will need to amend it according to your own preferences, needs, and understanding about what a written contract should or shouldn’t contain. It is not offered as a definitive document but as a work in progress. Many counsellors will see it as far too formal and would want to modify it considerably in order to make it something they would be comfortable with. For example, you might want to shorten it and give it 108out to each client as a single sheet of information to discuss with them. Please see “Introducing a contract” for a discussion about raising the formal issues of the contract in the therapeutic setting.