therapist's declaration
Symantha’s Talking Therapy Limited is registered in England and Wales/Scotland/ Northern Ireland Company Number 12830933.
I, Symantha Simcox, am a hypnotherapist and I control the data relating to Symantha’s Talking Therapy Limited.
Education and Training:
Advanced Diploma in Clinical Hypnosis & Psychotherapy (DHP) – The Institute of Clinical Hypnosis (1996)
Diploma in Clinical Hypnosis (DCH) – The Institute of Clinical Hypnosis (1996)
Bachelors Degree: Fine Art & Art History – B A (Hons) – Wolverhampton Polytechnic (1987)
Certificate in Hypnotherapy & Psychotherapy – CHP(NC) – The National College of Hypnosis & Psychotherapy (2020)
ABC Level 3 Certificate in Counselling Skills – Shrewsbury Colleges Group (2019)
Diploma in Hypnotherapy & Psychotherapy (UKCP recognised) – DHP(NC) – The National College of Hypnosis & Psychotherapy (dissertation stage – current)
Memberships
UKCP trainee member status, currently writing dissertation for the DHP (NC) which is recognised for full registration with UKCP
National Council for Hypnotherapy
Complementary and Natural Healthcare Council
College of Medicine & Integrated Health
National Society of Talking Therapies
I adhere to a strict code of ethics in line with the governance frameworks of those organisations listed above.
Complaints:
If you are unhappy with any of my treatment of you during therapy and you feel unable to address your concern with me then you are welcome to write to any of the
above organisations.
Fees:
The fee for a private therapy session with me is £65.00*. This is for 90-minutes at the first consultation and 60 minutes for sessions thereafter. The fee for a Smoking Cessation session is £200.00.
* during office hours, sessions booked outside of these times may incur an additional charge.
Cancellation Policy:
I hold a strict cancellation policy and politely request as much notice as possible when cancelling any booked session. If you cancel giving me only twenty-four hours’ notice or less, payment in full remains due. If you do not show up for a booked appointment, payment in full remains due.
This policy exists to best ensure that my availability is maximised for all of my clients and no appointment is lost when it could have been given to another in need of a session. Of course, there are always exceptional circumstances, and these will be viewed sensitively and accordingly.
Where there is a need to rearrange a scheduled appointment, I will always endeavour to secure a suitable alternative.
In the unlikely event that I need to cancel or rearrange an appointment, I will always aim to give you as much notice as possible and I will do my utmost to reschedule the arrangement at the earliest opportunity and your convenience.
Data:
The client data I hold includes:
Basic information such as name, email address, phone number, the information that you volunteer within the confines of the therapeutic session, emails, texts, and/or messages that are sent between us, and any audio recordings of the therapy sessions.
Audio recordings are listened to by me once and then securely deleted from the stand-alone recording device upon which they were made. Audio recordings are only made with your expressed permission.
Any typed notes that I make are coded so that in isolation they will not be identifiable as relating to you and are held on a password-protected database on a separate hard drive.
Any handwritten notes (that are not securely destroyed upon being typed up) and therapy paperwork are kept in a locked filing cabinet. Notes are filed separately from any signed documents or paperwork that might identify you and are coded so that, whilst I would know to whom they relate, it would not be possible for someone else to know to whom they relate.
Your information is not shared with anyone else except in rare instances your doctor and where limits of confidentiality are breached.
Your data is kept for 7 years as required by my insurance, after which time any paper records are shredded and computer records permanently and securely deleted.
I work under the guidance of the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) and you have
rights with regard to how your data is used. https://ico.org.uk/your-data-matters/
The data is used to enable me to provide therapy for you.
My commitment to you:
In order for you to get the very best out of therapy, you need to trust me, ideally, you will feel completely at ease with me, so that you are best able to explore any aspect of your personality and behaviours without fear of judgment or shame. I promise to do everything possible to forge a unique relationship where you can feel that level of comfort and safety.
This is the most conducive environment for positive change to occur. I have skills and knowledge to assist the process, but you are your own expert. Everyone is unique and my intention is to understand and hear, and where I do not fully understand your worldview, I will ask more so that I can best tune into you and fully understand your journey. That will inform me how to best reach the solutions you seek.
Hypnotherapy:
Hypnosis is a useful therapeutic tool and can in isolation produce behavioural change in a short time. It can also be used as an adjunct to psychotherapy. There are many different approaches and techniques that are available, and I will utilise those that I feel best suited to you following our initial consultation and subsequent sessions.
What you can bring to our sessions:
Anything! Quite literally, you bring what you bring, and my role is not to judge but to understand so that you can move some of your stuck issues. It may be really difficult to address some of your issues, especially if they are tied to a sense of shame or secrecy. Please be assured, I am shocked by little, offended by none, and compassionately curious about all of my clients’ accounts. The list is not exhaustive, but I have been privileged to listen as clients explore their long-held silence about abuse (domestic, sexual, physical, or emotional, past or present), feelings of worthlessness, self-harm, suicidal thoughts/attempts, problems with eating (e.g., binging or purging), criminal convictions, disturbing intrusive thoughts, sexual issues, etc. It is natural to feel unsure about sharing deeply personal information and working from a person-centred approach as I do, I do not attempt to draw out information from you that you do not offer willingly. Where you do offer information, I may ask questions to ensure my understanding. I will not attempt to uncover anything more than you are willing to disclose. I will be guided by you.
The above and my website provide an indication of the many issues that can safely be brought to therapy without fear of scorn or judgment. My commitment is to provide a safe space where you can explore any aspect of your own ‘being’ confidentially and be confident that your thoughts and feelings are held safely by me and explored only on the basis of them providing helpful insights to self that will help you make the changes you desire.
Confidentiality:
Confidentiality is assured aside from the following exceptions: –
- If you say something that gives me significant reason to suspect, that you have knowledge of situations or incidents that may be dangerous or harmful to children, yourself, or others, and are not already known to the relevant authorities.
- If you reveal future or past criminal activity that has not been resolved in law and is deemed a serious offence (potentially punishable by imprisonment).
In the above circumstances and as a matter of safeguarding you and others, we will discuss the subject to see if we can work together to make appropriate disclosure to the relevant authorities.
- I have an immediate and legal obligation to disclose to relevant authorities any information you may disclose regarding acts of terrorism, money laundering, and/or drug trafficking.
- I can be required by subpoena from the courts to disclose any information held.
In the above cases, I am mandated to notify the relevant authorities and am legally bound.
- I may also discuss your case with my professional supervisor. I share only the case details and reflect on my role as a therapist to ensure that you receive the best possible service. Your name and personal details will be withheld but in the unlikely event of my being suddenly unable to continue therapy with you for any reason, your details will be made available to my supervisor so that an alternative therapist may be referred; this will most likely incur fees if you wish to continue therapy.
Communication:
I do not accept friend requests from former or current clients on any social networking site as this may compromise confidentiality and break the boundary of the therapeutic relationship. I aim to use email for general information such as confirmation of appointment times etc. If our sessions lead to our agreeing to share remote feedback or growth work to be continued at home, we will agree to exchange via password-protected word documents, or via WhatsApp or similarly encrypted technology, but always agreed beforehand.
You are welcome to contact me if you need to rearrange/ cancel appointments via phone. I will not always be free to answer but leave a message and I will do my utmost to come back to you ASAP.
If you want to share your private thoughts via email during the times between sessions, then please use a password-protected word document to contain what you wish to say.
If I see you in public, I will not approach you or greet you unless you acknowledge me first. This is out of respect for your privacy and need for confidentiality. Under no circumstance will I initiate discussion about your therapy outside of the arranged sessions and certainly not in a social setting even if you bring the matter up. You, however, are at liberty to speak with anyone you like about the work that we do.
Client's rights:
I abide by the code of ethics of the UKCP, a copy of which is available on request.
Please do not hesitate, to raise any questions with me if you are unsure about anything at any point during our sessions.
It is my committed aim to assist you to get to where you want to be in life via the shortest route, or in the manner that best serves you. At all times I am guided first by you, my client.
Warm regards