Covid Policy

In-person meetings are optional and attended at the client’s own risk during this Covid pandemic. These sessions will take place in my office: Suite 14, Park Mews, 15b Park Ln, Hornchurch RM11 1BB. This policy will be updated as and when required following the relevant guidance issued by both the Government and the British Association of Counsellors & Psychotherapists (BACP). The decision to offer in-person or online counselling will be considered on a client-by-client basis and made collaboratively.

The government has announced a plan for living with Covid-19, which removes the remaining legal restrictions while protecting people most vulnerable to Covid and maintaining resilience. The latest Covid-19 guidance allows in-person work to resume as usual with clients on business premises, providing COVID-secure and risk mitigation measures are rigorously employed. This policy will be discussed collaboratively with you during your initial appointment.

Masks/Face coverings

Face masks are no longer required by law. This means that I will usually not wear a mask, and you are free to decide whether to wear it or not. It is essential that we both feel safe, as our circumstances may change, so the following exceptions apply:

  • If you prefer to wear a mask and you wish me to do the same, just let me know in advance.
  • At any time during therapy, you are free to wear a mask for any number of meetings you wish. I will do the same if you want to.
  • At any time, I may decide to wear a mask and ask you kindly. I will discuss this with you or contact you in advance. There are some circumstances, for health, age or equality reasons, where people do not wear face coverings, which will be considered. If you fall in one of the categories, just let me know.

Please note that the government suggests that people continue to wear face coverings in crowded and enclosed settings where they come into contact with people they do not usually meet when transmission rates are high. The face-to-face conversational element of therapy, combined with the prolonged exposure during a typical therapy session, puts you and your therapist at particular risk of transmission even within two metres, so the use of face coverings may be appropriate to ensure the safety of the client and the therapist.

Before attending the meeting

Please let me know

  • if you are feeling unwell with main COVID symptoms
  • if you have a positive Covid test
  • if you live in the same household as someone with COVID-19 should follow

If so, please stay home; we must continue caring for each other. Contact me as soon as possible to cancel the in-person appointment; your session will revert to online (we will discuss this in your initial meetings). Should you not wish to engage with online counselling via Zoom in the instances described above (and it is OK not to do so), your session will be cancelled until such a time that we can return to in-person. If you feel unwell to attend the meeting, your session will be cancelled; contact me when you feel better. The usual cancellation policy applies (please refer to my Terms of Engagement). Under those circumstances, I will contact you as soon as possible (mail/text to offer online meetings if I can.

On arrival

Please hand sanitise before and after the session; a hand sanitiser available in the office and at the main entrance of the building.

In the office

We will sit at a two-metre distance. To keep good ventilation, one window will always be open. I will clean the office’s touchable surfaces and materials before and after each session. All the building’s joint surfaces (door handles, handrails etc.) are cleaned routinely.

Share