Thinking about a workshop on Therapy Agreements in Private Practice would this be useful?
Can you help us shape something useful for you and the community
Hello everyone,
We are thinking about putting together a new training called something along the lines of Contracting for Therapists 101, focused on therapy agreements/terms & conditions.
The aim would be simple: reduce anxiety and increase knowledge and confidence around what to include, how to word it, and how to hold boundaries kindly and clearly, what you can do when things go wrong, do you need to get it signed and dated, and whether the format of this is important. All the things you might have wondered but not had the opportunity to ask.
Until now, in our community, we have a contract lawyer turned therapists to has reached out as she has seen that therapists could be helped in this area, while being very clear that this would be general guidance and education, not legal advice.
What’s a therapy agreement?
A therapy agreement (sometimes called terms and conditions, a therapy contract, or an informed consent agreement) is a clear written summary of how therapy will work between you and your client. It sets out practical boundaries fees, cancellations/DNAs, payment terms, contact between sessions, confidentiality and its limits, record-keeping, online/remote working, and what happens if either of you needs to end therapy. The point isn’t to make therapy feel legalistic; it’s to reduce misunderstandings, protect the therapeutic relationship, and help both you and your client feel safer because expectations are clear from the start.
A few common pain points I hear from therapists:
“I’m not sure what’s legally necessary vs just nice to include.”
“I want to be warm and human, but I also need to be clear and boundaried.”
“Clients push back on cancellations/fees/payment terms and I’m not sure how to hold it.”
“I’m not sure what to do if someone doesn’t pay.”
“Social media makes it messy — followers → clients, dual relationships, boundaries.”
“AI note tools/transcription (e.g., Heidi): what do I need to disclose and where should it go?”
“GDPR/data protection feels overwhelming — what’s essential vs overkill?”
Would it be useful to learn more ? Can you help us shape how the workshop is delivered?
If it would be useful, what would you most want covered? Could you say what you are most stuck with so we can make sure you have all your questions answered?
Either comment below or you can email me with your ideas at enquiries@sarahdrees.co.uk
(Reply with the number(s), or write your own.)
1 - The must-haves: what every therapy agreement should include (the basics)
2 - Cancellations + DNAs: wording, fairness, and how to enforce it
3 - Getting paid: what to do when a client doesn’t pay (process + scripts)
4 - Social media boundaries: followers → clients, dual relationships, what to put in writing
5 - AI + notes/transcription tools (e.g., Heidi): what to disclose/where it belongs
6 - Data protection in the agreement: what’s essential vs overkill
7 - Common mistakes therapists make in agreements (and how to fix them)
8 - I’d like to be talked through an agreement - be given a copy that I know is up to date and I understand how to use it
9- How often do I need to review or alter it? Do we need to update it with our clients?
Thanks so much for your help on this — your comments will help me decide whether to run it, and what to include