Terms and Conditions
(Online Counselling Services)
Welcome to Couples Therapy Online. These Terms & Conditions outline the agreement between you, the Client, and your Counsellor, for the provision of online counselling services. By booking and attending sessions, you agree to these Terms & Conditions.
Counselling is a collaborative and confidential process designed to support you in exploring thoughts, emotions, behaviours, and relationship dynamics. Services may include individual counselling, relationship or couples counselling, and support during relationship breakdown or separation. Counselling is not a substitute for medical, psychiatric, or emergency services. If you are in immediate distress or danger, please contact your local emergency services.
The Counsellor practices in accordance with the ethical framework of the Irish Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (IACP). This includes working within professional competence, maintaining appropriate professional boundaries, and participating in ongoing supervision and professional development to ensure safe and ethical practice.
All sessions are confidential; however, there are important legal and ethical limits to confidentiality. Confidentiality may need to be broken if there is a risk of serious harm to yourself or another person, if there are concerns regarding child protection or vulnerable adults, or if disclosure is required by law. Where possible, these concerns will be discussed with you first.
The Counsellor is committed to safeguarding the welfare of children and vulnerable persons. Any concerns regarding the safety or wellbeing of a child or vulnerable person will be taken seriously and may require relevant information to be shared with appropriate authorities or support services. This may occur with or without client consent where necessary to ensure safety. Where appropriate and possible, these concerns will be discussed with you before any action is taken.
Sessions are conducted online via video call. By agreeing to online counselling sessions, you acknowledge that interruptions or technical issues may occur. You are responsible for ensuring that you attend sessions from a private and suitable environment where confidentiality can be maintained. The Counsellor cannot be held responsible for internet disruptions, technical difficulties, or breaches of privacy occurring on the client’s side.
Session length and frequency of sessions will be agreed upon between the client and counsellor. In couples counselling, the Counsellor does not take sides and instead works to support understanding of the relationship dynamic as a whole.
Session fees are €120 per 60-minute session and payment is to be made via a secure online payment processor. Couples counselling session length and pricing may vary depending on the complexity and nature of the issues being addressed and will be discussed prior to commencement of services. Payment is required by the day before your scheduled session unless otherwise agreed. Failure to make payment may result in sessions being postponed or services being suspended until payment is received.
A minimum of 24 hours notice is required for cancellations or rescheduling of appointments. Sessions cancelled within this timeframe, or missed sessions without notice, may be charged in full.
If you arrive late to a session, the session may still end at the scheduled time. If the Counsellor is delayed, the full session time will be honoured wherever possible.
The Counsellor will assess whether counselling is appropriate for your needs and may suggest alternative or additional support services where appropriate. The Counsellor reserves the right to refer clients to another professional if the required support falls outside their scope of practice.
Clients are expected to attend sessions in a suitable and private environment, engage honestly in the counselling process, and take responsibility for their own wellbeing, choices, and decisions. While counselling can be highly beneficial, specific outcomes cannot be guaranteed.
This counselling service is not suitable for crisis situations. If you are at immediate risk of harming yourself or others, or require urgent mental health support, you should contact your GP, local emergency services, or a crisis support service.
The Counsellor maintains brief and secure records in accordance with professional and legal requirements. Records may include contact details, session notes, and relevant background information. Your information will be stored securely and will not be shared without your consent unless required by law or ethical obligations. Records are retained in line with professional guidelines.
As part of ethical practice, the Counsellor engages in professional supervision. Client identity is protected and any discussions in supervision are anonymised.
To maintain safe and professional boundaries, communication outside sessions is limited to scheduling and administrative matters. The Counsellor does not engage with clients on personal social media platforms and avoids dual relationships wherever possible.
Clients may end counselling at any time. Where possible, it is encouraged that this is discussed within a session and that a closing session takes place. The Counsellor may also end counselling if the service is no longer appropriate, if professional boundaries are not maintained, or if payment terms are repeatedly not met.
If you have any concerns or complaints about the service provided, you are encouraged to raise them directly with the Counsellor in the first instance. If concerns remain unresolved, you may contact the Irish Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (IACP).
These Terms & Conditions may be updated periodically. Clients will be informed of any significant changes.