Kay Parkinson | Place to Talk Therapies
Version 2.0 · Last reviewed: 1st June 2026 · Next review: 1st June 2027
By undertaking this work with me, you accept that I cannot guarantee that you will achieve your desired outcome, despite our joint best efforts. Results of the work we do together may not surface until a future time, such is the nature of all healing and personal development work. I do guarantee my very best effort to help you achieve your desired goals, by offering you an honest, respectful, non-judgemental space where you can explore your difficulties and concerns whilst encouraging your autonomy at all times.
Counselling and psychotherapy do not replace conventional medical services. You agree, therefore, to maintain full responsibility for seeking and following your psychiatrist or doctor’s medical advice and treatment throughout.
Each session lasts for 50 minutes and will start promptly at the pre-arranged time. If you arrive late, that session will still end at the scheduled time. Refunds for part sessions will not be offered where the session is incomplete or missed because of your absence. If you arrive more than 20 minutes late, I reserve the right to cancel that session without refund.
You commit to behaving appropriately at all times during sessions and in the course of any communication with me. Any inappropriate behaviour will be considered a serious and fundamental breach of the counselling agreement and may terminate the current session and any further therapy. This includes abusive, sexually orientated, inappropriate and threatening behaviour, as well as attending sessions under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
I will endeavour to ensure that the technical quality of my online and telephone service is of the highest quality, but will not be held responsible for technical problems experienced by you with your own equipment, or with communications over the internet or other such causes which are outside of our control.
If we are unable to connect, or we are disconnected during a session due to a technological breakdown, I will try to reconnect within 10 minutes. If this is not possible we can continue our session by telephone. Alternatively we can reschedule the session or add the time missed onto our next session accordingly. Please have your phone to hand as a backup in case there are unforeseen online technical problems.
You agree to inform me of any medical conditions you have been diagnosed with or are suffering from, so that we may consider your particular circumstances and needs. This includes but is not limited to drug or alcohol addiction, schizophrenia, psychosis, bipolar affective disorder, personality disorder, depression requiring inpatient admission, suicidal thoughts or attempts, self-harm, epilepsy, severe heart disease, ADHD and autism.
When working online I ask that you determine who has access to your computer and electronic information from your location. This would include family members, co-workers, supervisors and friends. I encourage you to communicate through a computer that you know is safe, that is, where confidentiality can be ensured. Be sure to fully exit all online counselling sessions and emails.
You agree to be alone, in a private space for your counselling session, to ensure there is no background noise, and that anyone else in your space knows not to disturb you. You need to be free to focus on yourself for the duration of your session.
Current rates for my therapeutic services are posted on my website and are reviewed annually on 1st January. Ongoing clients will be given 4 weeks’ notice of any payment increase.
Sessions can be paid for by BACS transfer, and international payments can be made via Wise. Payments for all sessions must be made 48 hours prior to the start of each session. Where your next session is more than 4 weeks away, payment should be made at the time of booking in order to secure the session.
Fees paid are independent of specific results, and are in consideration of my expertise, time, skills, training, and commitment to you. Refunds are not offered in any circumstances.
If you are unable to keep an appointment for any reason, please let me know. I reserve the right to charge the full fee where you cancel or reschedule a session with less than 48 hours’ notice.
In the unlikely event that I have to cancel, an alternative appointment will be offered as soon as possible.
If you miss two appointments in a row and I am unable to contact you, I will assume that you do not wish to continue with your counselling at this time, cancel any further bookings, and the session time will become available for new clients to book.
You have the right to terminate therapy at any time.
I also reserve the right to terminate therapy, at any time, if I feel I am not effective in helping you to reach your therapeutic goals, or in other exceptional circumstances where I am unable to fulfil my obligation to our work together. I will endeavour to discuss this with you in the first instance and refer you onwards.
If you, or we, decide that the time has come to end therapy, I strongly recommend that we spend at least one session preparing for this ending, to enable us to review our work together, consider what has been achieved, and to discuss alternative sources of support and strategies for coping post therapy.
Communications outside of our agreed counselling sessions are limited to making, changing or cancelling an appointment, unless by prior arrangement. It is possible to leave a voicemail on my phone, so if I am unable to answer, please leave a message, email or send a text and I will get back to you as soon as I can.
If an emergency situation arises that requires immediate attention, if you are experiencing suicidal or homicidal thoughts, or if a life-threatening situation should occur, you agree to contact a crisis hotline (the Samaritans: 08457 90 90 90), call the emergency services (999), or go to a hospital emergency room.
You also agree to give permission for me to contact your GP and/or your emergency contact if serious concerns about risk to yourself or others are raised at any time.
My practice holds all data securely in line with the codes of ethics of my professional organisations and in accordance with the laws of England and Wales. In agreeing to these terms and conditions, you are confirming that you have read and consent to my privacy notice as displayed on my website.
I will never disclose any information you share with me to a third party without your explicit consent. There may be exceptions to this, for example if I feel genuinely concerned that either you or another person are at serious risk of harm, particularly if there is a child or vulnerable adult at risk. I will endeavour to raise this with you in the first instance, to discuss my obligation to take the matter further, however this may not always be possible. Confidentiality may also be broken if I am required to do so by subpoena, or if you disclose to me anything of an illegal nature such as acts of terrorism, money laundering or drug trafficking, in which case I have a duty by law to report this to the relevant authorities.
My work is regularly reviewed, to monitor my practice, by a clinical supervisor in line with the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy’s Ethical Framework, and I am committed to my own self-development through peer supervision. There are times where aspects of our sessions will be taken to supervision, but your identity will remain anonymous and our contracted confidentiality upheld.
I take your right to confidentiality and privacy very seriously, and likewise you are expected to keep communications between ourselves confidential, and you agree to refrain from any form of recording of our sessions without my consent.
Should we meet by chance outside of the counselling environment, it is entirely your decision whether or not you greet me. However, I will not enter into any clinical discussions outside of our therapy sessions. I will not accept any invitations from clients to associate on a social or casual basis, either on or offline, however you are welcome to follow my Place to Talk social media accounts. Dual relationships with clients are considered counter-productive to therapy and, in the more extreme cases, unethical.
If you feel you are not getting the service you need, I would like to hear about your concerns so I can offer the best possible service. Raising a concern is never something to feel ashamed of. If you feel that you can, please speak to me directly. I am a registered member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy and the Association of Christian Counsellors.
Kay Parkinson | Place to Talk Therapies
Version 2.0 · Last reviewed: 1st June 2026 · Next review: 1st June 2027
I am committed to providing a safe, respectful and professional counselling service. If something has gone wrong, or you are unhappy with any part of your experience, I want to hear about it. Raising a concern is never something to feel ashamed of, and you will be treated with respect and without any effect on the care you receive.
As a registered member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) and the Association of Christian Counsellors (ACC), I work within their codes of ethics, which place honesty and accountability at the heart of good practice. I see a complaint as an opportunity to put things right and to honour the trust you have placed in me. I will:
You may wish to raise a concern about, for example:
Where your care has been allocated to one of my associate counsellors, that counsellor works as an independent practitioner with their own insurance, supervision and professional registration. If your concern is about your work with an associate, please raise it directly with them, as they are best placed to understand what happened and to put it right. Each associate follows their own complaints process and the same professional codes of ethics. If you are unsure who to approach, you are welcome to contact me and I will help you direct your concern to the right person.
In the first instance, please raise your concern with me. Many matters can be resolved quickly through an open conversation. You can:
Talk to me: during or after a session, or by telephone on 07858 984519.
Write to me: by email at admin@place2talk.co.uk.
Please give me as much detail as you feel able to, including what happened, when, and what you would like to see put right. If you would prefer to bring someone with you for support, you are welcome to do so.
I will acknowledge your complaint within 5 working days. I will then look into it carefully and give you a full response within 21 working days. Working days exclude weekends and bank holidays. If I need longer, for example to reflect in supervision, I will tell you and explain why. My aim is to resolve matters fairly and to restore your confidence in our work.
If you are not satisfied with my response, please let me know and I will review the matter again. I may consult my clinical supervisor, while protecting your confidentiality, to make sure I have considered your concern thoroughly and fairly.
As a sole practitioner, there may be times when I am on annual leave or otherwise away from the practice. If your complaint reaches me during such a period, the timescales above will begin from the date I return, and I will let you know when that is, wherever possible through an out-of-office message or voicemail. Concerns about an associate counsellor are not affected by my leave, as these are raised with the associate directly.
If we cannot resolve matters between us, or if you would prefer not to come to me directly, you have the right to take your complaint to my professional body:
British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP)
BACP operates a Professional Conduct Procedure for complaints about the conduct of its members. You can find details and the complaint form at bacp.co.uk, or by writing to BACP, 15 St John’s Business Park, Lutterworth, Leicestershire, LE17 4HB.
My BACP membership number is: 402110
I am also a member of the Association of Christian Counsellors (ACC), which operates its own complaints procedure. Details are available at acc-uk.org.
Where your concern relates specifically to how I have handled your personal information, you may also contact the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) at ico.org.uk or on 0303 123 1113.
I will handle your complaint in confidence, sharing it only with those who genuinely need to be involved, such as my supervisor or professional body. Raising a complaint will not be held against you, and you can be assured that you will continue to be treated with dignity and care.
I keep a confidential record of complaints and their outcomes, separate from your counselling notes, for 3 years. This helps me reflect on my practice and demonstrate that concerns are handled properly. These records are held securely in line with my privacy notice.
I review this policy regularly to make sure it remains clear and effective. This version was last reviewed on 1st June 2026.
We provide shame-sensitive, neurodiversity affirming, and trauma-informed counselling in Bournemouth, Ferndown, Dorset and Burbage, Leicestershire, and online across the UK and globally, as well as couples counselling in Hinckley, Leicestershire and online throughout the UK.
