What are the terms and conditions under which psychodynamic and psychoanalytic therapists work?
Therapists make an agreement to keep a certain time or times free for the client every week except for weeks when the therapist is on holiday or there is an emergency such as the therapist becoming ill. A month’s notice of the ending of therapy is usually expected. Some clients prefer to make a contract for a certain length of time, to be reviewed near the end. Therapists charge clients for missed sessions including the client’s holidays, if the client cannot attend when the therapist is working. Therapists are expected to give clients reasonable (i.e., more than two months) notice of their own holidays so that clients can make any arrangements they wish. The emphasis, in this arrangement, is on the reliability of the therapist, who will do all that is humanly possible to be consistently available to the client at the agreed times. Therapists are expected to give clients a clear explanation of the terms and conditions under which they work.
