There are some important elements in how all counsellors work.

These are explained in the following sections.

Confidentiality

Confidentiality is fundamental to counselling, and I do everything possible to ensure your privacy. The only limits to confidentiality would be in situations where you or someone else may be at risk of harm. In such rare cases we would always seek to inform you of our concern, where possible, and work with you to ensure that those at risk are protected.

  • If I am compelled by a Court of Law to reveal information.

  • If you disclose issues relating to fraud, trafficking or terrorism.

  • If a child (under 18) or vulnerable adult is at risk of harm.

  • If I believe that you or another person could be in danger of significant harm.

When working through Zoom, I use a waiting room function, and I will only admit you into the room if I recognise your name. You can help to maintain confidentiality by:

  • Keeping any login details, usernames, passwords, and PINS private.

  • Ensuring you have anti-virus software and latest updates on your phone or other devices.

Session Notes

I am required by my governing body, the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP), to keep brief notes on our sessions. These notes are kept securely and will ordinarily be disposed of 7 years after our work has ended. Your personal information will not be shared with any third parties without your consent.

If you have any queries, you can email me: miriam.highgate@outlook.com. Alternatively, you can ask me any questions in our first session when we will check you are happy with this.

Supervision

The discussions that take place in our sessions are confidential. All counsellors have regular supervision from an experienced counsellor. I use supervision to discuss the work I do with you, while protecting your anonymity. This helps me to make sure that I focus on you and your needs throughout our time together.

Things to consider

Counselling is a place to explore your feelings and patterns of behaviour. I take care not to open anything up that you can’t manage outside of the sessions. It is worth considering that having counselling from your home can make this more difficult and you need to be sure that you can be safe during and after the sessions.

You may want to think about the following:

  • Do you have a quiet space in your home where you can talk freely and not be interrupted or overheard?

  • Can you use headphones?

  • If you live with other people, are they aware you are having counselling?

  • If we use video link, think about how much of your personal surroundings you feel comfortable sharing.

  • Plan an activity for after a session to give yourself time to process what has been discussed if needed.

  • Have you got access to other support should you need it between sessions?