318 – Autism and the Law

Relational Ethics in Psychotherapy and Counselling Private Practice – Claiming Expenses as a Placement Counsellor

In Episode 318 of the Counselling Tutor Podcast, your hosts Rory Lees-Oakes and Ken Kelly take us through this week’s three topics:

• Firstly in ‘Ethical, Sustainable Practice’, we look at Autism and the Law
• Then in ‘Practice Matters’, Rory speaks with Caz Binstead about her book Relational Ethics in Psychotherapy and Counselling Private Practice: Solidarity, Compassion, Justice.
• And lastly in ‘Student Services’ we look at claiming expenses as a placement counsellor.

Autism and the Law [starts at 03:12 mins]

There are now multiple laws that protect autistic individuals, and it’s important to be aware of these in your practice so that you can best serve your clients.

The main points of this section include:

• To be an inclusive therapist, it’s important that you can accommodate reasonable adjustments.
• This can be simple things such as, does your practice have wheelchair access? But there are also reasonable adjustments that apply to those who are autistic or neurodivergent.
• Anticipatory duty – how are you going to adapt your practice for specific clients?
• Do you have a ticking clock in your practice room? This can be very distracting for certain neurodivergent individuals, and it can be as easy as removing it from the room to make the client more comfortable.
• Doing the correct CPD and training can give you an idea of the challenges a neurodivergent person might face.
• Can you be flexible in your sessions? If a client is low on energy one day, can you provide a shorter session?
• Clear communication is key – how can you achieve this?
• Can your client use a fidget toy during a session?
• Reflection and reflexivity – have a look at your practice from the outside, from a client perspective, what can you improve upon?
• Let the client know early on that you are willing to make these adjustments.

Relational Ethics in Psychotherapy and Counselling Private Practice [starts at 26:51 mins]

In this week’s ‘Practice Matters’, Rory speaks with Caz Binstead about her book Relational Ethics in Psychotherapy and Counselling Private Practice: Solidarity, Compassion, Justice.

The key points of this discussion include:

• Caz’s book looks at how private practice is – not just what it should be.
• Solidarity – how do we stay open to the fact that we come face-to-face with diverse clients? How can we have solidarity with not just their life experiences but with their cultural background, which may alter how we need to work with them?
• Contracting is really important for a counsellor in private practice to get right, because of boundaries.
• Feel confident with your own practice boundaries. Being inconsistent with your boundaries can lead to complaints.
• Reflection is key when it comes to ethics – it’s not black and white, there is guidance and frameworks, but you should reflect on what has gone on for you.
• Reflect both on your own and within supervision.
• Ethics is at the heart of our work as a therapist.

Claiming Expenses as a Placement Counsellor [starts at 55:03 mins]

When you go into placement, you are volunteering your time. In this section, Rory and Ken discuss what expenses you might be able to claim, and recognising your right to ask about it:

• Can you claim any expenses for your placement?
• When you go to an interview, it’s well worth asking if they offer any expenses – not all placements will be able to offer this.
• The NCVO discusses what volunteers can claim.
• You may be able to claim for things such as your travel, food, supervision, administration costs, stationary, etc.
• As a placement counsellor, you are valuable – have a voice.

Links and Resources

• Caz Binstead
• Relational Ethics in Psychotherapy and Counselling Private Practice
• Counselling Skills Academy
• Advanced Certificate in Counselling Supervision
• Basic Counselling Skills: A Student Guide
• Counsellor CPD
• Counselling Study Resource
• Counselling Theory in Practice: A Student Guide
• Counselling Tutor Shop
• Facebook group
• Website
• Online and Telephone Counselling: A Practitioner’s Guide
• Online and Telephone Counselling Course