Safeguarding is something that therapists often talk about, but have you ever thought about exactly what it means? There’s a lot more to it than you might think, and this month I’m going to have a look at how we can safeguard our clients - and ourselves - in the best ways possible.
Safeguarding in therapy
Safeguarding is important for therapists for several reasons. Firstly, it’s essential for maintaining trust, promoting positive therapeutic outcomes, and upholding the integrity of the profession.
Secondly, therapists often work with individuals who may be classed as vulnerable adults, or who are facing challenging life circumstances. Clients may be dealing with anxiety, depression, or trauma. And all our clients need a safe and supportive environment to address their issues effectively. Safeguarding is about identifying and responding to any risks or potential harm that may arise during the therapy.
Thirdly, we should safeguard ourselves as well as our clients. We need to feel (and be) safe with clients, and to achieve a good work/life balance. We all come into this profession to help others, but you have to look after yourself as well. Your clients are not being safeguarded if you are on the verge of exhaustion.
Running a small therapy business is always a challenge because it’s not just about running a therapy business. It’s also about running a business, if you see what I mean.
Most of us don't have an admin team. We have to be what my Nanna used to call “chief cook and bottle washer” – in other words, we have to know about every aspect of health and safety, ethics, tax, PR and all the other stuff that goes on top of actually providing clients with therapy. Safeguarding is part of this.
What is safeguarding?
Here's a bakers' dozen* of safeguarding issues to be aware of:
- Confidentiality: Maintaining client confidentiality is crucial, of course. You need secure systems in place to protect client information. It’s easy to be relaxed about this if you work from home, but client notes should never just be left lying around where visitors or family can see them, and you should always clear away the paperwork from one client before allowing the next one into your room.
- Data Protection: Even small sole trader therapy businesses handle sensitive client data, including personal and health information. This means records should be stored password protected if electronic and under lock and key if on paper. Your phone and laptop should be password protected if you use them to receive calls or emails. If you have to carry client notes around, perhaps from your home to an office, make sure they are also secure during the journey. A small, coded lock on a briefcase or bag should accomplish this.
- Informed Consent: Getting informed consent from clients is vital. This basically means having a contract or written terms and conditions and asking clients to sign to accept it. It should include practical details like prices, refund and cancellation policies, and any limits on confidentiality (for example, if you would release information in an emergency and who to). I’m happy to direct you to my T&C if you want to check it out. Post a request below.
- Arising from the last two points: Legally, getting consent for therapy is not the same as getting agreement to your Data Protection Policy, and vice versa. The first sets out the way in which their therapy will be delivered and the second gives permission to collect and use their data. You need to get the two permissions separately.
- Chaperones: Consider if your client needs to have someone else in the therapy session with them to help them feel safe. This can be part of safeguarding adults, if they are classed as vulnerable. Or part of safeguarding children who are too young to take part in therapy alone. But consider it in other circumstances too if the client requests it. I have only ever refused permission for a chaperone once. The presenting issue was relationship anxiety and bear in mind I am not a couples counsellor, I'd have been working with the client on a one-to-one basis. The potential client's husband came with her to our first, informal meeting. He spoke for her most of the time, and talked over her when she did try to say something. Then he announced that he would be sitting in at all her sessions because "I need to know what she says". Given that theirs was the main relationship she was said to be anxious about, I didn't feel this was the best approach. I would have been open to a different person being with her if she wanted that, but he wouldn't hear of it. We decided we were not a good fit, and they never came back. But a supportive chaperone can be a blessing, especially with clients who are very lacking in confidence to be alone in sessions.
- Education: Ensure that all clients fully understand the nature of hypnotherapy, its potential benefits and risks, and any limitations. Clients should have the opportunity to ask questions and provide their consent voluntarily before starting therapy.
- Professional Boundaries: Maintaining clear professional boundaries is crucial for your business and your self-care as well as for your clients’ well-being. Make sure that your clients know how, when, and how often it is appropriate to contact you between sessions, for example. It can be handy to have a separate phone for work: switch it off outside your working hours. Discuss any potential conflicts of interest or dual relationships so you can prevent them from interfering with the therapeutic process.
- Work within your sphere of competence and comfort: This doesn’t mean you can’t work with an issue for the first time, of course, or none of us would have any clients! And we all need to be professionally challenged. But it does mean that if you don’t have the skills, or if you feel uncomfortable or unsafe sitting with a client, it’s best for both of you to part company. Refer them to someone who is better placed to help.
- Duty of Care: This goes back to the point above about the limitations of confidentiality and when you might break it. Hypnotherapists have a duty of care towards their clients. This includes being aware of signs of abuse, neglect, or harm and taking appropriate action, such as reporting concerns to the relevant authorities or referring clients to other support services when necessary. Your professional body will have guidelines on when it would be right for you to take action or discuss it with your supervisor.
- Risk assessment: You need one of these to keep you, your client and your environment safe. There's an article here about how to carry out a risk assessment.
- Business Ethics: Safeguarding extends to implementing ethical business practices. Small therapy businesses should ensure that their advertising and marketing materials are accurate, transparent, and ethical, avoiding misleading claims or guarantees of specific outcomes. The CNHC has recently released guidelines on when the use of testimonials might come under the Advertising Standards Act, for example. It’s a useful guide even if you are not registered with them, so familiarise yourself with these and similar regulations.
- Continual Professional Development: Staying updated with the latest knowledge and best practices in hypnotherapy is important. CPD, or continual professional development, helps ensure that you have the necessary skills and knowledge to provide effective and ethical services while staying aware of any new legal or ethical considerations.
- Supervision: Finally, regular supervision meetings should be relevant throughout your career. Not all professional bodies make this mandatory after the first few years but there is nothing to stop you from continuing supervision as long as you wish. As you get more experienced, you will more than likely take on more complex clients. Supervision provides an outlet for discussing both how to manage these and to check your own emotional response to them. Some therapists are happy staying with the same supervisor for years, while others find it beneficial to change supervisors from time to time, as their needs and practice develop in new directions.
By addressing these safeguarding issues, you can create a safe, professional, and ethical practice that prioritises client well-being and fosters positive therapeutic relationships. And you will be looking after yourself as well, enabling you to provide your services safely and ethically for many years to come.
*For those who haven't heard the expression "baker's dozen" before, it means thirteen. In the Middle Ages, bread was sold by weight and bakers were severely punished if they gave customers less than they had paid for. So, especially if you bought smaller items like bread rolls, they would throw in an extra one to make sure they were over.
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Author: Debbie Waller is an experienced hypnotherapist and hypnotherapy trainer. She is the author of The Hypnotherapist's Companion, Their Worlds, Your Words, and The Metaphor Toolbox, all available from Amazon or direct from the author, and a co-writer of the Hypnotherapy Handbook.
Find out more about Debbie's services on
Yorkshire Hypnotherapy Training - multi-accredited hypnotherapy practitioner training, taster days and foundation levels.
CPD Expert - accredited CPD and other therapy training (online and workshops options), expert and qualified hypnotherapy supervision
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