Author: bristoldramatherapy

Please note, applying late notice cancellation fees is something I do not take lightly, which is why I clearly state this policy in the written therapy contract, and ask the client/referrer to read and sign to indicate they have understood before I begin working with any client. When requesting compensation for missed appointments, as always, I encourage open communication whenever additional information may be needed to be clarified.

Below are some basic questions you may have regarding your fee, as well as the reasons the business charges them.

Q: Why have I been charged a late notice cancellation fee?

A: As agreed in your initial agreement signed before your/your child’s first therapy session, late notice cancellation fees are charged in two incidences; either 48hrs notice was not provided before the agreed appointment time before cancelling a session, or you/your child did not attend the agreed appointment and did not give notice of intended absence. These fees are charged at the same rate as the original appointment.

Q: Why do I have to give at least 48hrs notice if I am not going to attend a session?

Ethically, therapists are strongly recommended to only see a limited amount of clients per week in order to ensure quality treatment to each and every client on their caseload. Therefore, if you are under a weekly therapy plan, your appointment is reserved purely for you every week by default, unless you give notice of your intended absence, or if the therapist is on annual leave. Giving at least 48hrs notice allows the therapist an opportunity to replan their time the appointment was due to take place effectively, in order to attempt to regain at least some of the financial loss. As such, late notice cancellation fees is a standard practice in private therapeutic services (the therapist has the same arrangement with their own Clinical Supervisor). Honouring cancellation fees also speaks to the mutual respect and accountability shared between both client and therapist within the therapeutic relationship.

Q: I/My child was ill, why do I still have to pay a cancellation fee?

Cancellation fees are enforced regardless of the reason for cancellation due to the fact they allow Bristol Dramatherapy to keep charges for services at an absolute minimum in order to keep therapy as accessible as possible, whilst being able to pay for session costs and business overheads, such as rent, insurance, resources and training. This means that over their therapy journey, clients who attend services regularly will pay less overall than if the business raised prices of sessions across the board to account for missed appointments and time, regardless if the individual has a couple of late notice cancellations throughout their treatment with the therapist. Late notice cancellation fees also discourage sessions being missed regularly, in order to promote the client undergoing a consistent treatment plan.

Q: What does the cost of an appointment cover?

Appointment costs do not only cover the therapist’s time with the client in the session, the use of the creative materials and resources used by the client and rent for the room and bills; they also cover time that the therapist spends on your/your child’s treatment planning when they are not with therapist, such as additional research, training and administration. The costs also cover the training and development the therapist has undergone previously in order to be recognised and registered as an Arts Psychotherapist with the Health and Care Professions Council, and as such, also goes towards covering the therapist’s necessary registration fees to the Health and Care Professions Council and Information Commissioner’s Office, among other costs.

Q: What happens if I have issues in paying?

The therapist is always open to discussing and agreeing to payment plans which are suitable for all parties. If intention to pay has not been clearly communicated, the therapist will contact you with next steps as they arise, which may include adding interest to your current bill, informing you that your weekly appointment will no longer be reserved for you, terminating services, and/or, as stated in the initial therapeutic contract, taking legal steps to secure any payment owed. The therapist will make every effort to contact you if these steps plan to be implemented.

Q: What happens if I feel that weekly sessions are not doable?

Please speak to the therapist to discuss moving to less frequent or ‘ad hoc sessions’, which means for more flexibility of choice for when you see your therapist, however, this also means that your current appointment may no longer be reserved for you, and will rely on you booking a new appointment when you wish to see your therapist next. For some treatment plans reflecting therapeutic goals, this is unadvised, however the therapist is always willing to discuss frequency of sessions and modify this wherever possible.

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LOCATION: The Bromley Therapy & Wellbeing, 73 Quaker’s Road, Downend, Bristol, BS16 6NH. Quaker’s Road is a residential street, and our building is located on the far left of a row of shops. Please come to the front door no more than 5 minutes before your appointment is due to start and text Laura to be let in (there is a more private entrance through our courtyard that will be shown to you on your first visit).

TRAVEL AND PARKING

CAR PARKING: There is one reserved parking space at the rear of the building (accessible from Queensholm Drive), directly in front of the gate to our courtyard (closest to the grass), however this is used on a first-come, first-serve basis. Please do not park in the parking space to the left, as this is reserved for the sport shop. The streets surrounding the building offer an abundance of free, on-street parking (the parking closest to the front of the shop is limited to 2hrs), however it is recommended that during school pick-up and drop-off hours you arrive a few minutes early to ensure a close parking space.

BUS: The Quaker’s Road bus stop is located directly next to the building on Queensholm Drive, which is used by the 5 and 462 bus services. The building is also less than a ten minute walk from Sandringham Avenue bus stop on Badminton Road, which is used by the 48 bus service.

BIKE: There are a number of bike paths in the area of Bromley Heath and Downend. When arriving by bike, please feel free to bring your bike into the courtyard where an anchor, bike cover and lock are available for you to use. The code to the bike lock will only be given to Bristol Dramatherapy clients by request only and known to be travelling by bike. For health and safety reasons, bicycles will not be permitted inside the building.

As always, if you have any questions, please feel free to ask.

Please read these T&C’s carefully before booking an appointment. Booking your appointment indicates you have understood and agreed to the following:

Please note that appointments currently available via the booking page may not be available on a regular basis, and may be shown as a result of a cancellation or rescheduled appointment on that day. If you are looking for a regular appointment, please visit our list of regular appointments.

RESCHEDULING/CANCELLATIONS/LATENESS: Missed appointments or cancellations made less than 48hrs notice will still be charged. Amendments can be made via Setmore up to 48hrs before the appointment is due to start, however, for later amendments, please contact Laura directly. If the client is late, the session/service will still need to end on time. If the therapist is unable to make a session/service, they will attempt to contact the client directly as soon as possible to amend the booking. For reasons behind our late notice cancellation policy, please visit this page for more information.

PAYMENT DUE: Payment is due on or before the day the session or service is due to take place. If debts incur, the therapist reserves the right to use legal means to secure payment owed. An interest of 1.5% per month will be charged to late fees (from 14 days from date of service). Payment methods such as cash or card can be made at the premises. Payment is also available through the booking page via Stripe.

PRIVACY: Confidentiality will be kept at all times in accordance with GDPR & the Data Protection Act. Information will not be shared with third parties without the client’s explicit consent, except in issues of safeguarding, child or adult protection, or if the therapist believes the client or others are at risk. In these cases, it is the therapist’s duty to inform and share information with the relevant parties in accordance with the law. The therapist is required to keep appropriate records about clients and services provided. These records tend to be brief as they are intended to aid the therapist in keeping track of client progress. Please view our full policies if you would like information of how these notes are kept.

ENTRANCE: Face-to-face services take place at The Bromley Therapy & Wellbeing, 73 Quakers Road, BS16 6NH. Please come to the front door of The Bromley and message Laura at the time of your appointment to be let in (there is a private entrance that will be shown to you for future use). For groups, the front door will be unlocked ten minutes before the group is due to start.

 CHAPERONES: All clients are welcome to have a chaperone in the room with them whilst they have their initial consultation, or until they feel comfortable to speak to the therapist one-to-one. We have a small waiting area directly outside the individual therapy room, or a larger space for the chaperone to wait if the client would like more privacy.

ONLINE WORKING & PHONE SESSIONS: The client may request an online/phone appointment with the therapist instead of a face-to-face session for any reason. The therapist requests that a minimum of 15 minutes notice is given via phone call before the service/session is due to start. The online sessions/services will take place via Whatsapp video using the therapist’s number, unless alternate arrangements have been agreed beforehand by both parties (e.g. Zoom or Microsoft Teams). Phone sessions/services are to be agreed by both parties. The client must phone the therapist on 0770 332 7330 at the agreed time, to indicate they are ready for their appointment to start. Confidentiality will be observed during online/phone sessions/services as it would during face-to-face appointments.

To view our therapy agreement that must be agreed to before individual (one-to-one) therapy can commence (once consultations have taken place and all parties have decided to work together), please view the consent form. Please feel free to visit our FAQs section or contact Laura directly if you have any questions.