TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF SERVICE
This page outlines the terms of service, and provides information regarding client confidentiality, consent and data storage.
This page should be read in conjunction with our Terms and Conditions of Use and Privacy Policy.
About True North Psychology
(TNP)
True North Psychology (www.truenorth-psychology.com) is operated by Dr Sara Tookey as a sole trader in business. TNP currently does not have a permanent company address, and therapists individually hire space from which to conduct therapy in areas of London and Bristol UK.
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True North Psychology (TNP) is a platform to connect you with accredited clinical psychologists, as therapists. The therapist is the provider of the service (psychological therapy, supervision or consultancy).
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You must be aged 18 or over to register with us and to use the services listed on our website.
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We do not offer a crisis service and use of our platform is not suitable for individuals currently experiencing a crisis. If you believe you are at risk of harming yourself, please contact your local emergency services. A global list of phone numbers for crisis support are available on our resources page, here.
By using our services you understand that we are not a substitute for clinical mental health or medical care. We provide a platform for you to meet accredited Clinical Psychologists who can support you to meet your personal goals. We do not claim to provide services intended to treat, cure, or diagnose mental health conditions.
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Definition of Terms
- TNP is referred to as “we”, “us” and “our”, and you the user are referred to as “customer” “client”, “you” or “your”.
- We are a platform to connect you with accredited mental health professionals. The mental health professionals we are affiliated with are referred to as “therapist/s”, “therapist/s” or “clinical psychologists”
- “Platform” refers to the services provided using our website
- “Website” is www.truenorth-psychology.com
- “Session” refers to assessment, individual therapy sessions (which may include relationship therapy with more than one person as “the client”) , and a single therapy session within a package
- “Registration” means your registration with us when you book a session to access the platform provided by us.
- Therapy “Package” refers to a course of therapy that can range from 4 to 12 sessions, and is offered at a discounted rate per session. Payment for packages are made up front and in full, prior to starting the first session in a package.
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*Singular includes the plural and vice versa.
Confidentiality
TNP will respect and protect the confidentiality of your personal data, and your therapist will protect the confidentiality of any information you share during your sessions, in accordance with the principles of the General Data Protection Regulation May 2018 (GDPR), clinical governance audit standards, and requirements of their professional body. More details can be found in our Privacy Policy.
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Your personal data will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the below circumstances when your therapist is under legal obligation to provide information to the appropriate agencies (e.g. GP/Primary care provider, the police, Social Services, etc.):
a) They perceive that you are a danger to yourself or others
b) They perceive that a minor is at risk
c) They are required to share information under a court order or by law
d) They are required to disclose information for the prevention, detection or prosecution of a crime
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Your therapist will aim to discuss such concerns and obligations with you before notifying relevant parties, however this may not always be possible, and he/she will use clinical judgment to act in the best possible way to minimise possible harm.
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Your therapist is required to participate in regular supervision as part of their commitment to good practice and in accordance with professional standards. The duty of confidentiality extends to your therapist’s supervisor(s).
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You will be asked to consent to the terms and conditions before agreeing to meet for your initial therapy consultation and/or before sharing any confidential information with us (this will be sent upon booking).
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Registration
Registration is required when you book an appointment, so that we may contact you. You are responsible for providing us with a valid email address and phone number.
By registering you agree that you:
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Are over the age of 18
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Understand that we are not the provider of therapy services - we are a platform to connect you with clinical psychologists. Therapy, supervision and consultancy services are provided by the therapist and the contract for such services is only between you and them.
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Are providing us with accurate information.
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Information about you will be processed in line with our Privacy Policy
Services
The initial consultation is for the following purposes:
- For one of our therapists to assess your suitability for therapy services
- To provide a brief understanding of the difficulties you wish to address in therapy
- For you to decide whether you would like to proceed with therapy services
We reserve the right to decline to offer therapy services at any time. No advice will be given in the initial consultation.
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Assessments
Assessments are not intended to provide a diagnosis (we and our therapists do not offer diagnoses) or medical advice. An ‘assessment report’ is a summary of the information you provided in the session and some suggestions or recommendations based on evidence-based psychological science and psychological theory. Any recommendations made in the ‘assessment report’ are ideas and suggestions from your therapist based on the information you provided. They are not medical advice, nor should they be used in place of medical advice from a medical professional. By using any services advertised by True North Psychology you acknowledge that you are fully responsible for your own wellbeing during assessments or individual sessions (including packages) and for any and all subsequent choices and decisions you make.
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Sessions
Sessions will last either 50 minutes (individual therapy sessions, integration sessions, supervision sessions), or 90 minutes (assessments, relationships therapy, specialist sessions may also require longer sessions). If you have not entered the online waiting room within 15 minutes of the start of the session, the session may be ended and you will be required to pay for the full price of the session.
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Therapy Packages
Therapy packages are a set of four to twelve individual sessions. The number of sessions are determined at the time of the initial consultation. We and our therapists do not guarantee any particular outcome following the completion of a package of sessions. If you choose to have more individual sessions after completing your package of sessions, these will be charged at the standard individual session rate. Alternatively, you are welcome to purchase another package.
Fees, Cancelations and Suitability
Fees
Fees for initial consultations are booked and paid through our third-party provider, PayPal or Stripe. You are required to pay prior to the start of your initial consultation.
If you decide to engage with our service, and would like to book an assessment, session or therapy package, these are paid directly to your clinician via direct bank transfer or third-party provider: Stripe (https://stripe.com/gb/privacy) or Paypal (https://www.paypal.com/myaccount/privacy/privacyhub). Payment must be made within 24 hours of your appointment start time, and can be made before or after your appointment.
Cancellation, lateness and missed appointments
If you cancel a session with less than 48 hours notice, this will automatically result in the full session fee being charged.
For any sessions (including those within a package) cancelled with more than 48 hours notice, you will not be refunded however the money will remain on your account and we will offer you the opportunity to re-book.
If a session within a package is cancelled with less than 48 hours’ notice, this will be counted as a missed session and will not be refunded or replaced. For example, if you have four sessions remaining and miss/cancel one of these four with less than 48 hours’ notice, you will then have three sessions remaining.
If you have not entered the session (online waiting room) within 15 minutes of the session start time, this will be considered a missed session, and you will be charged the full fee. If you enter within 15 minutes of the start time you will be entitled to your remaining session time, but the session will not be extended and the session will finish at the expected time.
If a clinician cancels a session you will be offered the option of a refund or it will be re-booked at no extra fee.
Suitability
In some circumstances, clinicians may decide that their service is not best placed to support you and your needs. This will typically occur either after an initial 15-minute consultation, an assessment (90 mins) or a therapy session (50 mins). However, we reserve the right to withdraw services at any time. We will always let you know, and if possible we will make onward recommendations for services that we think may be able to better support you.
Therapists reserve the right to discontinue therapy at any time, including before the completion of a package. If we or the therapists decline service, we will endeavour to signpost you to other services, where appropriate. If we or the therapists decline to offer services, we will refund the cost of any sessions that you have paid for which have not been used (have not started).
Crisis
We are unable to offer help for acute or suicidal crises. If you you might harm yourself or are feeling suicidal, you should your local emergency services, or go to your nearest emergency hospital, or contact a crisis hotline (Global hotline numbers are available on our resources page.
We are unable to offer services to people under the age of 18. If you are under 18 and looking for support, you may find information on Childline (www.childline.org.uk).
Legal Disclaimers and Liability
Disclaimer
TNP is not the provider of therapy services to the client. The provider of such services is the therapist, who is regulated by their own regulatory bodies and insured with their own liability insurance. We will not accept liability for information provided by, or any loss or damage resulting from contact or work with the therapist. We do not guarantee the therapist’s ability to deliver results. Complaints about the therapist should be directed to the individual therapist, or (if necessary) to their respective member organisation.
Our practitioners are regulated by one or more of the following regulators:
The TNP platform and the services obtained through its use is not a substitute for clinical mental health or medical care. We provide a platform for you to meet therapists who can support you to meet your personal goals. Our therapists do not claim to provide any services intended to treat, cure, or diagnose mental health conditions.
Liability
We do not limit or exclude our liability for death or personal injury caused by our negligence, fraudulent misrepresentation or any other liability, which we cannot exclude by law.
We are not liable for any loss, harm, or damages (direct, indirect, consequential) whatsoever that arises as a result of use of our website, platform or services.
The content of the website, associated apps and our Instagram or Facebook are designed for information purposes only. We cannot guarantee its usefulness or accuracy. We accept no responsibility for decisions made as a result of our website content or our services and accept no liability or responsibility for any loss, damage or injury arising from its use or based on information found on our website.
We accept no responsibility for information given to us by therapists that is listed on our website. By advertising therapists on our website we confirm that they are registered with us, and that they have provided us with evidence of their registration to professional bodies. However, we do not accept any responsibility or liability for the services that they provide, nor have we checked the quality of their services. We do not accept liability for any fraudulent claims made by the therapists advertised on our website. We advise that changes in the registration or standing of our therapists with their accrediting bodies may have changed between their initial registration with us and when you begin your sessions with them. We recommend that you check that your therapist is in good standing with their professional body before beginning therapy.
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We also hold no responsibility for any costs, damages, injury, loss or false information given with regard to our services or external contact or websites.
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We do not guarantee that our site will be secure or free from viruses. We do not accept liability for any cost, loss or damage caused by a virus or any other technologically harmful material that may infect your computer or device due to your use of our site and content.
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It is your responsibility to ensure that you have sufficient technology, hardware, software and reliable internet access to access our website and services, and the therapy services provided by therapists.
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Website use
Please see Terms and Conditions of use before engaging with our website.
*Last updated 7th February, 2023