UK Therapy Guide – Client Terms and Conditions of use
These Terms and Conditions govern the relationship between UK Therapy Guide (“UKTG,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) and the clients (“Client,” “you,” or “your”) who use our platform to connect with therapists and receive therapy services. These terms cover the legal and contractual aspects of being a client on the UK Therapy Guide platform.
Definitions
Client: means an individual over the age of 18 who uses the UK Therapy Guide platform to connect with and receive therapy services from a therapist.
Therapist: means a qualified and registered professional who provides therapy services to clients through the UK Therapy Guide platform.
UK Therapy Guide: The online platform and service that connects clients with therapists and provides related administrative and support services.
Platform: The UK Therapy Guide website.
Services: The therapy services provided by therapists to clients through the UK Therapy Guide platform, as well as the placement and customer support services provided by UK Therapy Guide to clients.
Using the UK Therapy Guide Platform
1. Eligibility
1.1 You must be at least 18 years old to use the UK Therapy Guide platform. By using the platform, you represent and warrant that you are 18 years of age or older.
1.2 Account Creation: You may need to create an account to access certain features of the platform. You are solely responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your account information and for all activities that occur under your account.
1.3. Accurate Information: You agree to provide accurate and complete information when creating your account and using the platform.
1.4. Appropriate Use: You agree to use the platform only for lawful purposes and in a manner that does not infringe the rights of others or restrict or inhibit their use and enjoyment of the platform.
1.5. Respectful Communication: You agree to communicate respectfully with therapists and UK Therapy Guide staff.
1.6. Suitability: You understand that UK Therapy Guide is a platform that connects clients with therapists, but we do not guarantee that a particular therapist is suitable for your needs. It is your responsibility to assess the therapist’s qualifications, experience, and approach to therapy to determine if they are a good fit for you.
2. Therapy Services
2.1 Therapist Responsibility: Therapists are solely responsible for the therapy services they provide to clients. UK Therapy Guide is not responsible for the quality or outcome of therapy services.
2.2 Professional Conduct: Therapists are expected to conduct themselves in a professional and ethical manner, adhering to the standards of care and ethical guidelines of their respective professional body (e.g., BACP, UKCP).
2.3 Confidentiality: Therapists are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of client information in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and relevant ethical guidelines.
2.4 Inappropriate Conduct: Any behaviour deemed unacceptable or inappropriate towards therapists will be dealt with strictly by UKTG, who reserve the right to withdraw or suspend any Client whose conduct is deemed unbecoming.
3. Fees, Payments & Cancellation
3.1 Session Fees: You are responsible for paying the fees for therapy sessions as agreed upon with the therapist and as displayed on the platform.
3.2 Payment: Payment for therapy sessions is collected by UK Therapy Guide through the platform.
3.3 Payment Timing: Payment for a therapy session must be made at least 48 hours before the appointment takes place. If payment has not been received by the required time, UKTG or the therapist, at their discretion, will not go ahead with the session.
4. Cancellation & Refund Policy:
4.1 Our services are directly delivered to you online by way of video conference facility. This is a session between you and your therapist on a one-to-one basis. As such, counselling and therapy is regarded as a specific, individually tailored service. These services are considered to be bespoke services and are therefore exempt from the Consumer Protection Regulations 14 day “cooling off” period.
4.2 If you book a session and cancel more than 14 days in advance, then you shall be entitled to a full refund, paid back according to the method you used to pay. This shall be made within 10 days of your cancellation. However, if you book and cancel a session less than 14 days from the date of the appointment, then you are indicating that you wish the service to be delivered and you waive your right to the statutory Cooling Off period.
4.3 If you book any session as part of a group or batch of bookings, then any cancellation of a session must be made at least 2 working days before the appointment is due to take place. We will be able to offer you a credit for an alternative appointment/ booking for that cancelled place. Failure to cancel within 2 working days beforehand, will result in a 100% cancellation fee and no credit or allowance being given.
4.4 Refunds: Subject to any statutory right of cancellation, payments for sessions are non-refundable unless otherwise stated in these Terms and Conditions. Any refunds are at the discretion of UK Therapy Guide and the therapist, considering the circumstances of the cancellation. An allowance will always be taken into consideration with regard to any medical emergencies and close bereavements.
4.5 No-Show: If you fail to attend a scheduled therapy session without providing prior notice in accordance with the cancellation policy, you will be charged the full session fee and will not be entitled to a refund.
4.6 Multi-Session Purchases: UK Therapy Guide offers clients the option to purchase multiple therapy sessions, either by paying in full upfront or through various payment plan options.
4.7. Entitlement to Sessions: Regardless of the payment method chosen, clients are only entitled to attend therapy sessions for which they have already paid.
4.8 Payment Plans: If you choose a payment plan, your entitlement to therapy sessions is directly linked to your payment schedule. For example, if you are on a payment plan for six sessions and have made the first of two payments, you are entitled to the first three sessions covered by that payment. You will only be entitled to the remaining three sessions once the second payment has been successfully processed.
4.9 Outstanding Payments: UK Therapy Guide reserves the right to suspend or terminate access to further therapy sessions if payments are not received according to the agreed-upon payment schedule.
4.10 Cancellation of Multi-Session Purchases: Cancellation of multi-session purchases, including those on payment plans, are subject to the standard cancellation policy outlined above for individual sessions, unless otherwise stated in the specific terms of the multi-session purchase.
4.11 Refunds for Unused Sessions: Refunds for unused sessions within a multi-session purchase may be considered at the discretion of UK Therapy Guide and the therapist, taking into account any administrative costs and the number of sessions already attended.
5. Disclaimer of Liability
5.1 Platform Services: UK Therapy Guide provides a service to connect clients with therapists. We do not provide therapy services directly ourselves, and we are not responsible for the quality or outcome of therapy services provided by therapists on the platform.
5.2 Therapist Qualifications: While we take steps to verify the qualifications and registration of therapists on the platform, we do not guarantee the accuracy or completeness of this information. It is your responsibility to verify the therapist’s qualifications and suitability for your needs.
5.3 No Endorsement: UK Therapy Guide does not endorse any particular therapist on the platform. The choice of therapist is solely your responsibility. Nothing that appears on our website or in any literature constitutes advice from us that you should rely upon. You are solely responsible for ensuring the choice of therapist and that any therapy is suitable for your particular circumstances. It is your responsibility to ensure that any device or equipment you use when engaging the Services, is suitable and capable of operating the Service.
5.4 Limitation of Liability: To the maximum extent permitted by law, UK Therapy Guide shall not be liable for any direct, indirect, incidental, consequential, or punitive damages arising out of or relating to your use of the platform or the therapy services provided by therapists on the platform. We are not liable to you for any other third-party liability, unless caused by our sole, directly attributable negligence. We are not liable to you for any financial losses whether consequential or inconsequential, or for any loss of income, loss of opportunity or loss of business, unless caused by our own sole, directly attributable negligence.
6. Data Protection and Privacy
6.1 We are committed to protecting your personal data in compliance with the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018. As a user of our counselling services, you have the following rights regarding your personal data:
- The Right to Be Informed: You have the right to know how your personal data is collected, used, and stored. We will provide clear and transparent information about our data practices.
- The Right of Access: You can request access to the personal data we hold about you. This includes the right to receive a copy of your data and understand how it is being processed.
- The Right to Rectification: If any of your personal data is inaccurate or incomplete, you have the right to request corrections.
- The Right to Erasure: You can request the deletion of your personal data, subject to certain legal or contractual obligations.
- The Right to Restrict Processing: You have the right to request that we limit the processing of your personal data under specific circumstances.
- The Right to Data Portability: You can request that your personal data be provided to you or another service provider in a structured, commonly used, and machine-readable format.
- The Right to Object: You have the right to object to the processing of your personal data for certain purposes, such as direct marketing.
- Rights Related to Automated Decision-Making and Profiling: You have the right not to be subject to decisions based solely on automated processing, including profiling, which significantly affects you.
6.2 If you wish to exercise any of these rights or have questions about how we handle your data, please contact us at support@uktherapyguide.com. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) if you believe your data rights have been violated.
6.3 Consent: By using the UK Therapy Guide platform, you consent to the collection, use, and processing of your personal data in accordance with our Privacy Policy.
6.4 Confidentiality: We will take reasonable steps to ensure that your personal data is kept confidential and secure. However, we cannot guarantee the security of your data transmitted over the internet.
6.5 Therapist Confidentiality: Therapists are bound by professional ethical guidelines regarding confidentiality.
7. Client Consent
7.1 By using the UK Therapy Guide platform, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by these Terms and Conditions.
7.1.1 You acknowledge that you have the right to: Receive sufficient information to enable an informed decision to be made about using the platform and receiving therapy services.
7.1.2 Withdraw consent at any stage without prejudice to future services, subject to the cancellation policies outlined herein.
7.1.3 You consent to the collection, use, and processing of your personal data as described in our Privacy Policy.
7.1.4 You understand and agree that UK Therapy Guide may contact you with information, alerts, and suggestions related to the service, as well as for billing-related purposes.
7.1.5 You agree that UK Therapy Guide may reach out to you, either directly or through appropriate authorities, if we or a therapist have a good reason to believe that you or any other person may be in danger or may be either the cause or the victim of a criminal act, or in circumstances where you are considered to be at risk of causing serious harm to yourself or others.
7.1.6 You consent to UK Therapy Guide measuring and improving the quality, effectiveness, and delivery of our services.
8. Concerns, Complaints and Dispute Resolution
8.1. If you have concerns regarding our Services, please notify us in writing as soon as possible to allow us to investigate and resolve the issue. We commit to addressing disputes or complaints in good faith, and in line with recognised alternative dispute resolution (ADR) procedures.
8.2. If your complaint is not resolved satisfactorily within 14 days, you may escalate the matter to a Director of The Company via our Registered Office, who shall respond within 7 days.
8.3 If you remain unsatisfied by their decision, then you can request the appointment of an Independent Arbitrator, who shall be appointed by the then current President of The Chartered Institute of Arbitrators of 12 Bloomsbury Square, London. If you choose this route of Arbitration, you agree that the Arbitrator’s decision shall be regarded as being final. The cost of the arbitration shall be born by both Parties equally.
8.4 We act as a conduit to bring you and the therapist together. If you have any concerns or complaints regarding a therapist’s services or their conduct with you, you can make them known to us in confidence. However, if you feel a complaint is warranted, such complaint will be handled by the therapist’s own professional governance and regulation body.
9. Events Outside of Our Control (Force Majeure)
9.1 We will not be liable for any failure or delay in performing our obligations where that failure or delay results from any cause that is beyond our reasonable control. Such causes include, but are not limited to: power failure, internet service provider failure, strikes, lock-outs or other industrial action by third parties, riots and other civil unrest, fire, explosion, flood, storms, earthquakes, subsidence, acts of terrorism (threatened or actual), acts of war (declared, undeclared, threatened, actual, or preparations for war), epidemic, pandemic or other natural disaster, or any other event that is beyond our reasonable control. If any event described under this Clause occurs that is likely to adversely affect our performance or any of our obligations under these Terms.
9.2 We will inform you as soon as is reasonably possible, and take all reasonable steps to minimise the delay;
9.3 To the extent that we cannot minimise the delay, our affected obligations under these Client Terms (and therefore the Contract) will be suspended and any time limits that we are bound by will be extended accordingly;
9.4 We will inform you when the event outside of our control is over and provide details of any new dates, times or availability as necessary;
9.5 If the event outside of our control continues for more than 14 days we will cancel the contract and inform you of the cancellation. Any refunds due to you as a result of that cancellation will be paid to you as soon as is reasonably possible and in any event within 14 calendar days of the date on which the contract is cancelled and will be made using the same payment method that you used when purchasing your session.
9.6 If an event outside of our control occurs and continues for more than 14 days and you wish to cancel the contract for service as a result, you may do so.
10. Law and Jurisdiction
10.1 These Client Terms of Sale, and the relationship between you and Us (whether contractual or otherwise) shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with the Laws of England & Wales.
10.2 As a Consumer, any disputes concerning these Terms, the relationship between you and us, or any matters arising therefrom or associated therewith (whether contractual or otherwise) shall be subject to the jurisdiction of the Courts of England, Wales, Scotland, or Northern Ireland, as determined by your residency.
10.3 If you are a business, any disputes concerning these Terms of Sale, the relationship between you and us, or any matters arising therefrom or associated therewith (whether contractual or otherwise) shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the Courts of England and Wales.