BOUNDARY POLICY

Boundaries are essential in creating a safe, respectful, and effective therapeutic relationship. This policy outlines the professional boundaries I maintain as your therapist, including communication practices, contact outside of sessions, how I manage shared community spaces, and the ethical framework guiding our work together. These boundaries support the therapeutic process and provide clarity in our roles and responsibilities.

I am committed to maintaining a safe, ethical, and professional space. I ask that you also respect these boundaries in order to support a healthy therapeutic relationship. If you are ever unsure about anything related to boundaries, please bring it to a session so we can explore it together.

While this policy covers a wide range of scenarios, boundaries can be nuanced. We may negotiate specific boundaries on a case-by-case basis, guided by the general principles outlined below.

Communication & Out-of-Session Contact

All communication outside of sessions should be limited to essential matters such as scheduling or practical arrangements. If you need to contact me outside of sessions, please do so via email.

We will not engage in therapeutic work by text, phone, or email between sessions. If something important arises, I encourage you to bring it into our next session.

After our work together ends, we will agree on the appropriate level of contact going forward, if any. I do not provide ongoing informal support once therapy has concluded, and I will not respond to clinical queries or offer therapeutic input outside of a contracted agreement.

Ending Therapy & Number of Sessions

Therapy may be open-ended or time-limited, depending on your needs and goals. We will review our work regularly and agree on an appropriate time to end.

If I become unable to continue working with you, e.g., due to serious illness or other unforeseen circumstances, I have a clinical will in place. This ensures that a trusted professional will contact you to inform you of the situation and, where possible, help you transition to another therapist.

You are free to end therapy at any time, though I ask that we ideally have at least one final session to reflect on and close the work, and if in case of EMDR/Trauma work at least one month to wind down safely.

Social Media & Online Boundaries

To preserve therapeutic boundaries:

  • I do not follow clients or accept friend requests on personal social media.

  • I will not search for client information online unless there is a serious safeguarding concern.

  • I do not post anything about clients online (incl. anonymously) unless we have discussed it and you have given clear, informed consent about what will be shared and why.

If there is a crossover between our social worlds or shared communities, I may suggest we mutually block one another on social media to maintain privacy. However, in some circumstances it may be appropriate not to, for instance if you need to be aware of my public presence at shared events.

Shared Communities & Public Encounters

In small or overlapping communities, such as events related to my hobbies, or wellbeing events, counselling/mental health networks, it may be unavoidable that our paths cross outside therapy.

If I expect we might attend the same event, I will do my best to let you know in advance. If we meet unexpectedly:

  • I will not acknowledge our therapeutic relationship unless you choose to.

  • I will limit our interaction (e.g. sit in a different group).

  • I ask that you do not engage with me as a therapist outside of our sessions, and I will not interact with you through a therapeutic lens in public.

Dual Relationships & Interconnected Clients

I avoid dual relationships where a personal or professional relationship overlaps with therapy, e.g. if I know someone closely, or they are closely connected to a friend, colleague, or relative. In such cases, I would refer them to another practitioner.

In rare instances, a more distant prior connection may be renegotiated into a therapy relationship, if we both agree that clear and ethical boundaries can be maintained.

If I work with people who know each other (e.g. two friends or colleagues), I ask them to maintain discretion about their work with me. If the therapeutic process is significantly impacted by the relationship between two clients, we will assess together whether I am the right therapist for one or both people.

I will never disclose one client’s identity to another without explicit consent. Where overlaps occur, I ‘bracket’ what I know and focus solely on the client in front of me.

I will never enter into a romantic or sexual relationship with a client or former client under any circumstances.

Self-Disclosure

Occasionally I may share something about myself in a session if I believe it serves a clear therapeutic purpose. Self-disclosure is used thoughtfully and minimally to maintain the focus on your process. Misuse of self-disclosure can be unhelpful or confusing and will be avoided. If you feel uncomfortable with the self-disclosure or prefer no self-disclosure then please let me know and this will be respected. 

Fees, Payment & Missed Sessions

My current fee will be clearly stated when you first get in touch. We will also agree:

  • When and how payments should be made

  • What happens if you miss a session

  • How I manage situations where clients cannot pay

Unless agreed otherwise, missed sessions are chargeable. However, I understand that circumstances can change, if you are unable to pay due to financial hardship (e.g. job loss), we can discuss options including reduced fees or taking a therapy break.

Gift

If you would like to offer a gift during therapy, please note that I do not accept gifts in the course of therapeutic work.

After therapy has ended, I may accept small tokens of appreciation, but not large or expensive gifts. If you’re ever uncertain about gift-giving, I welcome an open conversation about it.

This boundary is in place to avoid confusion about the nature of our relationship and to protect both of us from feeling uncomfortable or misunderstood.

Therapist’s public life and work

Outside the therapy space, I engage in public and community roles, such as writing, speaking, and  activism. If you encounter my work outside of therapy, I invite you to reflect on its impact for you and bring it into a session if needed.

While I do not encourage clients to follow my public work during therapy, I understand that some may find it valuable. This is not a hard boundary, but one that invites reflection.

Equality, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI)

I am committed to working inclusively and respectfully with clients of all identities and backgrounds. I aim to ensure that therapy is a space where all clients feel welcome and seen.

As a mental health service provider, I do not discriminate on the basis of:

  • Sex or gender

  • Gender reassignment

  • Sexual orientation

  • Race or ethnicity

  • Religion or belief

  • Disability

  • Age

  • Marital or civil partnership status

  • Pregnancy or maternity

If you ever feel that something in our work does not align with this, I invite you to speak with me so we can address it sensitively and respectfully.

After Therapy Ends

As a rule, I do not form friendships with former clients due to the difficulty in shifting the dynamic from a therapeutic relationship to a personal one. However, if we are later brought into contact through mutual friends or shared work, I will maintain appropriate professional distance.

In some circumstances, a social connection may be appropriate at least one year after therapy ends, and only following a clear, mutual conversation to explicitly redefine boundaries.

You are welcome to email me with a brief update or to share meaningful news in your life, provided it remains within the spirit of professional boundaries and does not create an ongoing therapeutic or personal relationship. While I may not always be able to respond in depth, I do appreciate hearing how former clients are doing.

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Boundaries exist to protect you, me, and the therapeutic process. They help create the container for the deep, reflective, and healing work we do together. I encourage you to raise any concerns, discomfort, or confusion around boundaries so we can address them together in an open and collaborative way.

By agreeing to engage in therapy with me, you confirm that you have read, understood, and accepted the terms outlined in this Boundary Policy, and agree to uphold these principles throughout our work together.