Frequently Asked Questions
What you might want to know…
How can I go about deciding if this is right for me?
We will usually have a brief discussion with you by phone or email to decide if we can be helpful and how to move forward. It is important that you feel comfortable with your therapist before we start working together. If so, we will make an agreement about how and when to start our therapy/assessment.
Do I have to commit right away?
It is important to get the right therapist. We understand that this sometimes takes time.
How often do I need to come?
Most people choose to come weekly however this is part of your initial discussion and may change during the course of therapy.
What about confidentiality?
Unless you and your therapist have previously discussed it, what you speak about remains confidential. However, there are two legal exceptions:
- If there is a real risk that someone may harm themselves significantly, there is a duty of care to ensure that does not happen.
- If there is any risk to others – particularly to children – there is a legal obligation to prevent that happening and to report abuse of children.
These would usually be discussed and, hopefully, a plan of action can be agreed. Please see privacy notice for further details.
How long will the therapy last?
- That depends – but it is important to keep all therapies under review.
- Some people come with a specific issue to explore – which can be done in a time-limited therapy of 3-6 months.
- Others will choose to look at long-standing difficulties, which might take time to explore and remedy. Typically this might take 9-18 months.
What if I can’t attend my sessions?
- It is important that if either you or your therapist cannot attend, advanced notice is given.
- There is no charge for cancellations more than 24 hours in advance – however cancellation less then 24 hours in advance will need to be paid in full.
What can I do if I’m unhappy about any aspect of the work?
Firstly, discuss this with your therapist, who is always interested to hear honest feedback and adapt their work accordingly. If this doesn’t resolve matters, you can contact the HCPC at:
and Social Work England at www.socialworkengland.org.uk.
When would it not be appropriate to work with one of our therapists?
We are not able to offer a crisis service in private work, so if you are unable to keep yourself safe between sessions and/or are regularly engaging in very risky self-harming behaviours, it would usually be recommended that you seek input from your local NHS service. Please discuss this with your therapist if you are unsure whether it is relevant for you.
What is working online like?
It might feel scary or uncertain to have some sessions online but they can be as effective as meeting face to face, so long as you follow the sensible tips below. Our goal is to create a safe and contained space to work with you.
Our current preferred online service is ZOOM. This is an encrypted service and is free for you to access and download. You can download this on your computer or phone.
If we are using ZOOM we will send you an email before the session which contains a link. Please make sure we have the correct email before the session. When you open ZOOM, it will ask you to enter the meeting number so that you can join.
Privacy Statement
Your privacy is of great importance to Kaleidoscope Therapies and we are committed to complying with the terms of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) regarding the responsible and secure use of your data.
Kaleidoscope Therapies has a legitimate interest in processing personal data in order to provide psychological services. The purpose of this statement is to let you know what personal information Kaleidoscope Therapies collects and holds, why this data is collected, how long it is kept and what your rights are with regards to this personal data. Kaleidoscope Therapies is registered with the Information Commissioners Office (ICO).
When you are referred for psychological services with Kaleidoscope Therapies you will be asked to consent to the processing of your data under the terms of this policy. Kaleidoscope Therapies associates will also be responsible for their own data management, will abide by this privacy statement, and will hold their own privacy statement that complies with the GDPR terms.