ABSTRACT
Writing up a standard business contract (Berne, 1966; Steiner, 1971) that you can give to all clients in their initial meeting ensures clarity around arrangements, administrative matters and the terms and conditions of the therapy. A written contract is useful in that many clients are often highly tense or emotional during their initial meeting with their new therapist, and may well forget important information relating to the business contract. Providing a written contract not only minimizes potential for confusion, but it is also good ethical practice. All of the professional organizations governing the practice of psychotherapy, and the transactional analysis organizations advise members to be as clear in their contracting as possible. Ethical contracting requires the practitioner to attend to a range of areas where lack of clarity could cause potential problems in the therapy. Contracting usually takes place at the very outset of the therapy process, and so some details such as length of the work may not yet be determined. However, the practitioner can give an indication as to the expected format of the work, such as short term or long term. In relation to some of the above issues, as well as some additional points, I recommend making the following items explicit in a written business contract.
