Liesel Greyling

The Relationship as the Primary Client

In couples therapy, the individual partners are not considered the primary client. The primary client is the relationship itself. My professional role is to serve as an objective, neutral facilitator to support your relationship's health, communication, and growth. I do not act as an advocate, judge, or ally for either individual partner.

The 'No Secrets' Policy

To provide both of you with a safe space that is entirely transparent, and that serves the relationship, I adopt a 'No Secrets' Policy. This means that any information shared with me outside of joint couples sessions—whether via individual emails, text messages, phone calls, or individual breakout sessions—cannot be kept confidential from your partner if it directly impacts the relational work.

In line with this approach, if you share information with me that your partner does not know and that impedes our couples work, my role would be to support and encourage you to bring this information into our joint sessions. If you refuse to share a critical piece of information that actively undermines the therapy (such as an ongoing, unrevealed affair), I reserve the right to suspend or terminate the couples therapy immediately.

Both of You Need to be Present

As I provide a safe and neutral clinical space, for couples sessions to go ahead, both of you need to be present, unless we have an agreed individual session booked. Individual sessions – referred to here as 'break-out sessions' are planned sessions with each of you individually, to either a) obtain your personal journey right at the beginning of our therapy together or intermittently scheduled to check-in with each of you, as the need arises. Importantly, these are equal for each of you in terms of frequency and duration.

What You Can Expect: Session Logistics & the Online Framework

Format & Platform:

All sessions are conducted online via a secure, GDPR-compliant Zoom platform. You will receive a unique access link prior to each scheduled appointment.

Session Duration:

The standard couple's therapy session is 75 minutes long.

Session Frequency:

For new clients, weekly sessions are advised for at least 6 consecutive weeks (where possible), to ensure that there is sufficient time between sessions for processing but not too big of a gap to interrupt the therapeutic process. If you are thinking of having less sessions than this, please use the contact us form before we get started to discuss this and see if it could foreseeably be viable.

Ensuring a Safe Therapeutic Environment:

It is important for us to access the session from a private, quiet space. To maintain confidentiality, you are requested not to attend sessions from public spaces, or in spaces where children or relatives can overhear the session. Neither partner may record any portion of our therapeutic sessions via software, audio devices, or video capture tools.

Technical Disruptions:

In the unlikely event that our connection drops, we will first attempt to reconnect via the platform. Should the platform fail completely, I will call your mobile number to mutually decide if and how to complete the session or to reschedule.

Fees, Payments & Cancellation Policy

Session Fees:

There are variances in the couples therapy fees, depending on type of session, and the session frequency and duration:

Payment Terms:

To secure your booking, payments should be made via bank transfer at the time of the booking or at least 48 hours before the scheduled session time. Sessions will not be considered to be confirmed until the payment is received, and without a payment reflecting 48 hours before the scheduled session, the slot may be given to another couple at this time.

Cancellation Policy:

BSpoke Therapy Practice operates a strict 24-hour cancellation policy. If you cancel or request to reschedule an appointment with less than 24 hours' notice, or if you miss a session entirely, the full session fee remains payable, as this slot cannot be made available to other clients.

Confidentiality & Legal Limits (UK Based Psychotherapy)

BSpoke Therapy Practice is registered in the UK. As such, you will be accessing UK based Psychotherapy, meaning that the ethical and professional framework that informs my work is the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) and is governed by UK law. You can access and review the BACP ethical and professional framework by following this link: BACP Ethical Framework. From within these frameworks, your privacy is fundamental. All information shared within our sessions is strictly confidential. However, limitations to confidentiality do exist in terms of the following exceptional circumstances:

Risk of Harm:

I have a duty of care to yourself and others. Therefore, if I assess that there is a severe, imminent risk of serious harm to yourself or to another identifiable person, I will need to breach confidentiality.

Legal Mandates:

If I am legally compelled to disclose information, such as by a court order or under UK legislation concerning terrorism, drug trafficking, or money laundering, confidentiality will need to be breached.

Safeguarding:

If a disclosure is made regarding the ongoing abuse or neglect of a child or a vulnerable adult, I am unable to keep this in confidence.

Professional Supervision:

In line with my BACP professional and ethical standards, I regularly discuss my client work anonymously with a qualified Clinical Supervisor. Should your case be discussed, your identity is never revealed during Supervision sessions.

Data Protection & GDPR Compliance

Data Controller:

I operate as the Data Controller for your personal information. Therefore, I am personally registered with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO).

Record Keeping:

I keep brief, anonymised client notes in accordance with UK law and ethical frameworks. These are stored securely and kept for 3 years after therapy ends, after which they are permanently destroyed.

Communication & Crisis Support

Between Session Contact:

Clients can contact me for administrative purposes (e.g., booking or altering appointments). Please note that I am not able to provide therapeutic support or crisis management via messaging channels. Phone details are reserved for us communicating in the event of a technical issue or a short-notice unavailability at the time of a session.

Crisis Management:

Unfortunately, I am not able to provide an emergency crisis service. If you experience an acute mental health crisis or require immediate medical attention between sessions, please contact:

• Your local NHS GP surgery.
• The NHS 111 service (or 999 in a life-threatening emergency).
• The Samaritans by calling 116 123.

Professional Standards, Ending Therapy & Consent

Ethical Adherence:

I am a registered member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) and abide by their Ethical Framework for Good Practice.

Complaints:

If you have any concerns regarding our work together, please discuss them with me first. If the matter cannot be resolved, you can file a formal complaint directly with my professional body.

Planned Ending:

You have the right to end therapy at any time. To ensure a safe and psychologically grounded ending, I strongly recommend giving at least one week's notice so we can hold a dedicated closing session.

Legal Proceedings, Court Attendance, and Release of Records

Joint Record Protection:

Clinical notes taken during couples sessions represent a joint record under UK Data Protection law (UK GDPR). Because the file belongs to the relationship, notes will never be released to any third party, solicitor, or insurance provider unless BOTH partners provide independent, signed written consent. Neither partner can unilaterally authorize the release of joint couples files.

Production of Notes and Records:

In accordance with UK data protection laws, therapy notes will not be disclosed to any third party without your explicit written consent, unless I am legally compelled to do so by a formal Court Order or Production Order issued by a judge.

Witness Summons and Court Appearance:

By agreeing to these terms, you explicitly acknowledge that couples therapy is intended solely for relational healing, not for legal or adversarial leverage. You agree not to involve the therapist or our clinical records in any court proceedings, including civil litigation, divorce disputes, asset distribution, or child custody evaluations. If I am legally served with a Witness Summons requiring me to attend court or a tribunal regarding our therapeutic work, my role is strictly restricted to that of a "witness of fact" (confirming dates of attendance and factual session occurrences). I am not an expert witness and will not provide clinical opinions to a court.

Legal Fees and Costs:

Because legal proceedings compromise the therapeutic dynamic and require extensive administration, you agree to jointly reimburse all professional time associated with any legal requests originating from your case. This includes record reviews, preparation, consultation, and court attendance. This time is billed outside standard therapy rates at £150 per hour.

Domestic Abuse and Safeguarding Policies

Couples therapy requires an environment of basic safety and mutual equity. If during our initial assessment or ongoing therapy it becomes apparent that active domestic abuse, physical violence, severe intimidation, or coercive control is present, couples therapy will be safely suspended. Couples work is clinically contraindicated and unsafe in these environments. In such cases, I will work with you to safely pivot to individual signposting or specialized support services.

Keeping You Safe During Sessions

As mentioned above, in the event of risk to yourself, either by means of a mental health crisis or a medical emergency which becomes apparent during a session, I have a duty of care towards you. For this purpose, please confirm that you have filled in your GP and Emergency Contact details in Section A of the assessment form.

Client Consent & Agreement Confirmation

By filling out the details below, I confirm that I am aware that I am accessing UK based Couples Therapy, and that I have read and understood the terms outlined in this Couples Therapy Agreement & Informed Consent form. I further confirm that I voluntarily consent to engage in online couples therapy under these conditions and allow my therapist to make use of the details I provided if required for the purposes outlined within.