Terms and Conditions

Dr Gerrie Holloway
Registered Practitioner Psychologist (HCPC registration number PYL05634)
Consultant Clinical Psychologist BA hons Dev Psyc, MSc Clin Psych, Doctorate Clin Psych

I aim to ensure that services are provided to a consistently high standard, and I engage in regular and continued professional development. I am happy to provide a copy of my CV for your assurance. Assessments, interventions and therapies are provided that are considered within the psychology profession as evidence based and ‘good practice’. However, I am not able to guarantee the effectiveness of any services, particularly those that are embarked upon in the hope that they will treat or improve a specific problem or condition. Neither can I be held liable for any consequence of therapy, treatment or intervention failing to produce a desired effect. However, a regular review of the treatment will be conducted to ensure that treatment is progressing towards achieving positive outcome.

I do not provide a crisis service and will therefore, not respond directly to crisis calls. If you are experiencing difficulties and need additional help please contact your GP, go to the Accident and Emergency department at your local hospital or call the Samaritans on 116 123.

Psychological therapy offers you a safe, confidential place to talk about your life and anything that may be confusing, painful, or uncomfortable. It allows you to talk with someone who can listen attentively and to help you improve things. Please note that psychotherapeutic work can sometimes be difficult. I will aim to work with you in an effective, timely and professional manner to help you overcome the difficulties you are experiencing.

I will be providing your therapy, and I am a registered clinical psychologist with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC; Reg No PYL05634). I have all the necessary qualifications for this title, and I have professional indemnity insurance. I am trained in a range of evidence-based therapeutic approaches, and as such will be able to use the most appropriate approach for your needs at any one time. I will be clear with you about your treatment and the recommended number of sessions. You will have a say in your treatment plan. We will review sessions regularly to ensure you feel you are getting the most out of therapy; you are not tied into any commitment; you can end sessions at any time, although I would recommend a final session to review our work together.

If I consider your requirements beyond my competence, I reserve the right to terminate our contract, this will be discussed in the session and recommendations would be provided. I will conduct myself in an appropriate, professional manner throughout and after the work with you as is expected and outlined by the HCPC.

If you are unable to attend a planned appointment, I ask that you telephone as soon as is possible. Where there is less than 24 hours notice, or you fail to attend the appointment, the full fee is chargeable. It is understood that some circumstances may occur that are sudden and urgent and in which it is not possible to provide the required notice. These are dealt with on a case-by-case basis. It is advisable for missed sessions to be conducted via video to avoid paying the full charge for the appointment.

Please note private insurance companies do not cover missed appointments or appointments cancelled without sufficient notice. Therefore, acceptance of these terms is an acceptance that you will be liable for payment of missed and cancelled appointments where insufficient notice is given.

If you arrive late for an appointment, the session will end at the originally arranged time and the full fee will be charged. If you arrive more than 20 minutes late for the appointment, I reserve the right to cancel the appointment, and you will be charged the full fee.

Information held about you will not be disclosed to any third party. This does not apply to:

1. Any use or disclosure of information that is authorised by you.
2. Disclosure required by law.
3. When information is necessary to ensure the safety of yourself or another person(s).
4. When I discuss my clinical practice with a supervising clinician (in which case I will refrain from disclosing any personal information that may identify you (e.g. name, date of birth, address).
5. When a therapeutic executor is required to manage my professional affairs in the event of serious illness or death (a therapeutic executer is another therapist who can access your file but will not access your file at any other time).

As is usual practice, notes will be taken during the sessions and will be kept in a lockable filing cabinet. All paper records are stored in a locked filing cabinet when not in immediate use. When communicating clinical information, I use either regular mail services (with correspondence marked as confidential), or an encrypted email service. When communicating less sensitive administrative information (for example confirming an appointment, invoicing) I use regular mail services (marking correspondence as confidential) and unencrypted email. Online sessions will only be offered using platforms that offer an appropriate level of security for clinical work. However, the data security of online sessions can never be completely guaranteed.

Electronic documents will be kept in an electronic folder to which only I have access and/or will be password protected. I respect your information and comply with the GDPR (General

Data Protection Register) guidelines. I am registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO; Registration Number ZA436674) and comply with their guidelines.

You are entitled to ask what information is stored on you and ask that I delete information.

Any emails we send to each other may be vulnerable to viruses or human error. For this reason, it is best to be thoughtful about what you include in emails to me, and which email address you choose to use with me. If you choose to communicate with me by email, be aware that all emails are retained in the logs of Internet Service Providers. Furthermore, they can be vulnerable to viruses and unintended forwarding or replication. Often, it is best to rely on email for non-confidential communications like setting up appointment times and things like that. To keep confidential and psychological material ‘in the room’ it is best avoided in emails unless we discuss beforehand. I will always request your preferred email address from our first session.

I check emails only at fixed times during office hours – which is generally Tuesday and Wednesday and excludes weekends and public holidays. If I am away for an extended period, you will receive an automated response. Emails should never be used in the event of an emergency; in which case you should contact your GP or emergency services.

I endeavour to respond to all emails within 24 hours upon opening them.

If you would like a video session then I will endeavour to protect the privacy of the sessions, however, it is possible video platforms have some limitations. When engaging via video conferencing, we both agree not to record sessions. It is also crucial that you are sure the environment from which you are conferencing with me is safe, secure, and private. If you choose to use this method, then by signing this contract you also accept the limitations of video platforms.

Please switch off your mobile phone during your psychotherapy sessions as it can create an unhelpful distraction and interruption, unless agreed otherwise.

For you to work safely and effectively with a psychologist, it is important that the privacy of the work is respected. Please do not attempt to record your psychotherapy session using any device or app. If it is found that recordings have been made covertly, psychotherapy services for the individual responsible could be discontinued.

I would prefer that our relationship remain as much as possible between us in the consultation room, therefore I will not knowingly engage with clients over social media. Whether you follow me or not is of course to your discretion, though I would suggest for reasons of confidentiality and preserving our therapeutic relationship that it is advisable not to.

If you attend your session under the influence of alcohol or recreational drugs you will not be seen. You are respectfully asked to treat the therapy room and me with consideration. If you become aggressive or threatening, your session will be immediately terminated, and no further sessions will be offered. Any acts of violence or intimidation will be reported to the police.

Notice of fees and payment policy has been attached and acceptance of these terms and conditions includes acceptance of the payment policy, including missed and cancelled sessions.

Please notify Dr Gerrie Holloway regarding any complaints about the provision of services (info@ghpservices.co.uk). Alternatively, complaints can be addressed to the regulatory body (The Health Care Professional’s Council; HCPC www.hcpc-uk.org) who will investigate your complaint.