F.A.Q

How do I make an appointment?

There are several ways you could get in touch with me.

This web page has an online form which you can use to send me an email message. I will respond as soon as I can and we can correspond by email or by telephone.

You could telephone me. Because I turn my phone off sometimes this may mean you get a voicemail message. Please do leave a message and I will call you back.

You could send an SMS text. I tend to look at the end of the day and so will not reply immediately. However I do always respond to voice message, email and SMS text. 

How much is a therapy session?

A session costs £60.

I take payment in cash or I have a card machine. Whilst working online payment is via bank transfer. Payment is made at each session. I charge for missed sessions unless 48hours notice is given.

Where is the therapy room?

I have two locations, in Central Bristol & Weston super Mare. Once we have made your first appointment I will send you exact details of the address and instructions for the appointment. This will include details of parking and so on.

Venues do not have a waiting room and so it is important to arrive at your appointment time.

How long will I need to attend therapy for?

Everyone has different needs, which we can discuss from the outset. I do not tend to prescribe a particular number of sessions. We decide together how therapy is going and review this periodically.

You can expect to continue for at least six weeks and some people will continue for several months or even a number of years. This depends on how you feel about therapy and what you would like the outcome to be.

I’m in a crisis, I need help now, what shall I do?

When you feel desperate it is important to connect with someone who you can trust. Reaching out can be hard but it will help in a time of crisis. Telephone or meet up with a friend. It may not be necessary to talk about your difficulties, instead just being in contact with someone who knows you can help you feel safe. In the middle of the night the Samaritans can help too. Telephone  116 123. You may not have to speak straight away, and they will understand how to be with you in your darkest times. Hold on, you will get through this.

Online and in-person therapy- can we meet?

I am working in a hybrid way with both online and in-person sessions according to your preferences and my availability.

Using online video-conferencing facilities might feel like a strange way of interacting, perhaps increasing a sense of self-consciousness. I understand this. I would not have previously considered this as a good substitute for in person working. However, with increased online therapy during the C19 pandemic I have been proved wrong. It works very well and research supports its effectiveness. I have completed some comprehensive online training to help me work with clients effectively.

As the pandemic abated I have resumed in person working. I am vaccinated.

Managing your data- privacy agreement

This document describes the way Janet Brandling (data controller) of Hut Therapy processes (collects, stores, shares & disposes of) personal data which you (the client/ supervisee) provide as a part of the working relationship. You are kindly requested to read this and decide if you are happy to share this information. You should sign the document on commencement of the work to indicate your informed consent.

Types of personal data:
1. Name
2. Address
3. Telephone number
4. Email address
5. Date of Birth
6. Emergency contact details
7. Assessment notes- your history
8. Session notes- my brief notes about our work
9. Audio-recordings (optional and where separate consent is provided)
10. Consent documents- privacy agreement, therapy/ supervision agreement, audio-recording

Reasons for keeping personal data:
I keep personal data so:
1. I can be in contact with you during our relationship, to make or change appointments;
2. If circumstances mean we must stop out work together. For instance, where unlawful activity such as terrorism and money laundering is suspected. This is a legal obligation;
3. As an obligation to my insurance company;
4. If I believe there is risk to you or another person(s).

Storing and disposing of personal data:

1. I store your name, email address and telephone number electronically and sometimes in hard copy. I am obliged to keep these as an archive for seven years after we complete our work for insurance purposes.
2. I will not contact you after our work ceases. Should you wish to work together again please get in touch with me.
3. I also keep brief notes of attendance and topic of discussions.
4. Your name will be used to identify your consent documents, assessment and session attendance notes.
5. Consent documents, assessment and session notes are kept for a period of 7 years for the purposes of legal action & defence. This is a requirement of my insurance company (Balens Insurance).
6. All paper personal data is kept in paper format in a locked filing box.

Data sharing:
1. Your contact information such as name, telephone number and email address are provided to me by you through the following means:
a. Sent via the contact form on my own website, or Facebook page.
b. Via the advertising mediums or lead finding agency I use.
c. Other referring organisations or individuals.
d. Given by you directly during conversation/ assessment.
2. As described above these contact details are kept for the duration of our therapy relationship and for 7 years afterwards.
3. As detailed in our therapy contract your personal data will not be shared unless you have discussed and agreed to this. Exceptions are unlawful activity.
4. I will not share your personal data with a third party for reasons other than referral or risks identified.

Your rights to see your personal data
1. You have the right to request to see personal data held by me, Janet Brandling
2. Please make the request in writing at janet@huttherapy.net
3. This personal data will be shared within 1 month of your request
4. This is free of charge
5. You can ask that any incorrect or irrelevant information is deleted
6. Breaches are reported to the Information Commissioner’s Office
7. The GDPR regulations can be viewed at the ICO- Information Commissioners Office https://ico.org.uk
8. You also have the right to be forgotten and this is why I delete your contact details once our working relationship and insurance term has expired.