Do I need separate consent for online work?

A written addition to your agreement is what professional bodies expect, yes. Online sessions raise things in-person work does not: what happens when the connection dies, where the client is, who might overhear, and what you would do in an emergency at a distance. A short clause, agreed before the first remote session, covers all of it.

Can I see clients who are abroad?

Two separate questions decide it: your insurer and the client’s local law. Professional indemnity policies are typically written for clients resident in the UK, and some countries regulate who may provide psychotherapy to people on their soil. Confirm scope with your insurer in writing before agreeing to it; do not assume either answer.

What do I do when the connection fails mid-disclosure?

Follow the plan the clause sets, which is the point of having one: the client is not left wondering whether to redial while holding something raw. Phone is usually the better fallback precisely because it keeps the thread; rebooking is kinder than limping through a frozen call. Whichever you chose, name what happened when you reconnect.

Is it okay for clients to join from a car?

Sometimes it is the most private space they have, and that is worth taking seriously rather than treating as a rules violation. Parked, private and able to speak freely can be fine; driving is an immediate no. The private-space line in the clause is an expectation to work towards together, not a purity test.

Online therapy consent clause generator

Platform

If the connection fails

Start-of-session location checkThe line insurers and safeguarding trainers actually care about.Private-space expectationEmergency information lineStates that you hold their address, an emergency contact and GP details.I record occasionally for supervisionAdds a consent-based recording line. The no-recording default always stays.Cross-border lineSessions are offered to clients resident in the UK unless agreed otherwise.

Your clause (151 words)

Online sessions

We meet by video, using Zoom. Please join from somewhere private where you can speak freely; headphones help, and it is worth thinking about who else is within earshot.

If the video drops twice, I will call you on the number I hold and we will finish the session by phone.

At the start of each session I will ask where you are, so that if you ever needed urgent help I would know where to send it. For online work I keep your address, an emergency contact and your GP's details on file, and I will check they are current from time to time.

Neither of us records sessions without the other's written agreement.

My practice is set up for clients living in the UK. If you are travelling or moving abroad, tell me before our next session so we can check whether we can work while you are away.

Add this to your counselling agreement

Preparing for online sessions

Check the client’s location at the start of each session and keep emergency contact information. You need an address if you have to summon help.

Check your indemnity cover and local law before seeing a client abroad, including a client who moves during therapy. The clause prompts that conversation; your insurer confirms what your policy covers.

Agree how you will both protect privacy. Ask clients to join from a private space and consider headphones.

Add the clause to the session-format section of your counselling agreement, or transfer it with the button above.

Frequently asked questions

Bloom handles the video session itself: the link goes out with the booking confirmation and reminder, so the plan in your clause and the plumbing behind it come from the same place.

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