+ Are you accredited and covered by a code of ethics and a complaints procedure?

Yes - I am covered by two bodies providing Codes of Ethics and complaints procedures. These are:

1) The United Kingdom Association of Transactional Analysts (UKATA)
2) COSCA, Scotlands national Counselling and Psychotherapy accrediting body.

+ If I wanted to make a complaint about the service I received from you, how would I do this?

It's best if we can try to come to some understanding about what happened, however if you don't feel that I have given you satisfactory answers and you want to make a complaint about me you can contact either UKATA or COSCA to lodge a complaint. Each organisation has a different complaint handling procedure, however the organisation will guide you through the process and if initial investigation of the complaint indicates I may have contravened either the Code of Practice or the Ethical Code of the organisation, a hearing would be held and an adjudication made.

+ Are you insured?

Yes - Under the Code of Practice of both COSCA and UKATA I am required to have liability insurance.

+ Is therapy regulated?

No - There is no statutory regulation of Counselling or Psychotherapy in the UK. This means anyone can call themselves a Counsellor or Psychotherapist. Most reputable Counsellors and Psychotherapists will be a member of one or more accrediting bodies that provide an ethical framework for the practitioner and a complaints procedure for clients. The main ones are UKCP or BACP which are UK wide and COSCA which is Scottish based.

Individual types of therapy usually have their own specialist accrediting bodies, for example UKATA for Transactional Analysts or GPTI for Gestalt therapists.