These terms explain the practical and professional agreement between you and The Ash Counselling when you use our counselling service. Your individual fee and relevant arrangements will also be confirmed as part of your assessment, allocation or booking.
The therapeutic relationship
The Ash Counselling provides a professional counselling service designed to offer a safe and confidential space in which you can explore personal difficulties and therapeutic goals.
Our service includes counsellors in professional training and qualified counsellors. Practitioners work within appropriate supervision, clinical governance and professional or placement requirements.
Counselling is a collaborative process. Regular attendance and active participation support continuity and the therapeutic work.
Confidentiality and its limits
Information shared in counselling is treated as confidential within The Ash Counselling service, subject to professional, safeguarding and legal limits.
Counsellors discuss their clinical work in professional supervision. Information is limited or anonymised where appropriate to protect client identity.
There are circumstances in which information may need to be disclosed, including where there is a serious safeguarding concern, a legal requirement or court order, or another defensible reason connected with protection from serious harm. Where appropriate and safe to do so, we will seek to discuss a disclosure with you beforehand.
Sessions, frequency and fees
Counselling sessions normally last 50 minutes and are usually held weekly unless another arrangement has been agreed through the service.
Your assessment fee and ongoing counselling fee will be confirmed before the relevant appointment or allocation. Payment arrangements may include invoicing or advance payment, depending on the service pathway and your account status.
We will provide reasonable notice of any change to our fee structure that affects you.
Online and telephone counselling
For online sessions, you are responsible for using a sufficiently stable connection and, where possible, a private space where you cannot easily be overheard or interrupted.
We may ask for information about your location or emergency contact arrangements where this is relevant to safe remote practice.
Counsellors do not use personal social-media accounts or other personal online channels to communicate with clients.
Record keeping and data protection
We keep appropriate records to support continuity of care and meet professional, organisational and legal obligations. Information is handled in accordance with our Privacy Notice.
You have rights in relation to your personal data, including the right to request access. In most circumstances, The Ash Counselling does not charge a fee for a subject access request.
Records are retained in accordance with our retention policy and are securely disposed of when no longer required.
Ending counselling
You can choose to end counselling. Where possible, we encourage a planned ending so there is space to think about the work and bring the therapeutic relationship to a close.
The Ash Counselling may also need to end or pause counselling where the work is no longer clinically appropriate, where there is persistent non-engagement or non-payment, where these terms are repeatedly not followed, or where abusive or threatening behaviour creates an unsafe situation.
Complaints and professional standards
If you have a concern about the service or a counsellor, you can use our Complaints Procedure or email complaints@theashcounselling.co.uk.
The Ash Counselling is a BACP organisational member. Counsellors also work within the ethical, professional and placement requirements applicable to their role.
Contact outside counselling sessions
The Ash Counselling is not an emergency or crisis service. If you are at immediate risk of serious harm, call 999 or attend A&E. If you need urgent mental health support that is not an immediate emergency, you can contact NHS 111 and select the mental health option where available, or call Samaritans on 116 123.
For administrative matters, please use official The Ash Counselling contact channels. Your counsellor may not be available to respond between sessions.
Cancellation and no-show policy
Notice of cancellation
Please provide at least 48 hours' notice if you need to cancel or reschedule a session.
Late cancellations
For sessions cancelled with less than 48 hours' notice, the full session fee may be charged.
No-shows
If you do not attend a booked session and have not provided advance notice, the full session fee may be charged.
Payment for missed sessions
Any applicable late-cancellation or missed-session fee must be settled before the next scheduled appointment unless another arrangement has been agreed with The Ash Counselling.
Exceptional circumstances
We understand that serious emergencies or sudden illness can happen. The Ash Counselling may, at its discretion, waive a fee in genuine exceptional circumstances. Any waiver is considered case by case and is not an entitlement.
Cancellations by the counsellor
If your counsellor needs to cancel or reschedule, you will not be charged for that session and we will seek to arrange an alternative appointment.
Your acknowledgement
By proceeding with counselling through The Ash Counselling, you confirm that you have had access to these terms and agree to the service arrangements that apply to you, including the cancellation and no-show policy.
Last updated: 26 October 2026.