Practitioner Agreement

Practitioner Agreement

This agreement sets out the expectations, responsibilities, and terms of working as a practitioner (therapist, coach, or allied professional) with LauraHow.com. By signing below, you confirm that you have read, understood, and agreed to these terms.

1. Purpose

This agreement explains how referrals, bookings, payment, confidentiality, and marketing are handled, and outlines the standards expected when working under the LauraHow.com banner. Practitioners work as independent practitioners, not employees. When a client books with you, their sessions and agreement are directly with you. LauraHow.com provides the booking, payment and marketing platform.

2. International Clients & Coaching Terminology

LauraHow.com works with clients internationally. You are responsible for making sure your work meets the licensing and legal requirements where you practise and where your clients are, and for describing it accordingly (for example, as coaching rather than therapy where needed). Claims about your work are yours to handle under your own insurance (see clause 14). Under the Client Agreement (clause 20), claims about therapists insured in the UK can only be brought in the courts of England and Wales, and claims about therapists based and insured elsewhere only in the courts of the country where they are based. Make sure your insurance covers this, and tell us where you are based and insured so your profile can say so.

3. Professional Standards & Conduct

• Practise to a high professional standard, maintain appropriate boundaries, and work ethically and responsibly with clients.
• Hold valid professional indemnity insurance that covers your work (including online and international clients).
• Clinical work is your responsibility. We provide the platform, referrals, and marketing, but do not oversee clinical decisions.
• Engage in appropriate supervision/consultation for your client work.

4. Ethos & Mentoring Support

Practitioners are expected to work broadly in line with the ethos and values of LauraHow.com: honest, practical, solution-focused, value-driven, and working courageously with clients. Alignment with this ethos will have been discussed during the interview process; no formal oversight is imposed beyond this.

Laura is available for guidance where appropriate. You’re welcome to email questions or seek input on complex cases at laura@laurahow.com at any time. In addition, one 60-minute mentoring and case-consultation session with Laura per month is included free of charge. This is mentoring in the practice’s approach and does not replace your own professional supervision, which you arrange independently (see clause 3). Additional sessions can be arranged by agreement. Laura’s own Code of Ethics shows how she practises and is worth reading.

5. Confidentiality, Record Keeping & Safeguarding

• Keep session notes brief, factual, and securely stored, in line with legal and ethical requirements in your jurisdiction.
• Maintain confidentiality except where there are safeguarding concerns, serious risk of harm, or legal obligations requiring disclosure (e.g. terrorism, serious crime, court orders).
• Where possible, inform the client before disclosure and document your decision.
• Practitioners are expected to act appropriately in safeguarding situations according to relevant laws and their professional standards.
• We may access limited administrative information (e.g., bookings, invoices, anonymised statistics) for operational purposes, but not your clinical records.
• Practitioners must handle client information securely and in line with applicable privacy and data protection laws in their jurisdiction.
• Your clinical records, session notes, recordings and transcripts belong to you, and you are responsible for them as data controller under your own data protection registration. LauraHow.com is the data controller for booking and payment records only.
• Have your own privacy policy for your clients. We’ll set one up with you before your first client.
• LauraHow.com handles personal data according to its Privacy Policy.

6. Client Agreement Awareness

All clients working with LauraHow.com agree to a standard Client Agreement before starting therapy or coaching. This sets out terms including confidentiality limits, safeguarding, cancellations, online session standards, and payment arrangements. Practitioners are expected to familiarise themselves with this document and work in accordance with its terms to ensure a consistent experience for clients and to avoid conflicting agreements.

View it here: https://laurahow.com/counselling-agreement/

7. Calendars & Availability

• We will set up your regular weekly availability windows in SimplyMeet.
• You must keep your connected calendar accurate by blocking out time for holidays, external work, appointments, or other commitments using Busy or Out of office.
• Do not use “Available” all-day events as they don’t block time. “Free” events (e.g., birthdays) also do not block bookings.
• During your working windows, any time not blocked will be treated as bookable. Double bookings caused by calendar mismanagement are your responsibility.
• Calendar syncing is essential if you also work elsewhere.

8. Online Sessions & Technology

• Maintain a stable internet connection, good lighting, clear audio, and a professional background.
• Zoom Pro (or higher) is required if using Zoom, to avoid the 40-minute limit. Google Meet is acceptable if you already use it.
• All client communication must be via your @laurahow.com email account.
• We’ll support setup; for operational issues, contact russell@laurahow.com.

9. Fees & Payment

• Invoice monthly for sessions delivered (70% of each session fee after VAT, see clause 10).
• Include dates, totals, a unique invoice number, and your bank details.
• Send invoices to russell@laurahow.com.
• Payments are usually processed within seven days of receiving your invoice.
• Payments are made by bank transfer after reconciliation with booking data.
• We aim to process invoices promptly.

10. Revenue Split

Our payment structure is simple and transparent. VAT is taken off the session fee first, and you keep 70% of what is left. The other 30% goes to LauraHow.com to cover marketing, referrals, admin, and technical infrastructure.

For example, on a £144 session, VAT is £24, which leaves £120. You receive £84.

The 70/30 split applies equally to all practitioners. Clients who began before a fee change may stay on the rate agreed at the time. Session fees are agreed with you at the outset and reviewed at least annually in line with demand and the practice’s profile; they may be reviewed at other times if there is a material change. You will be given reasonable notice of any change before it takes effect.

11. Marketing, Referrals & Non-Solicitation

• We will promote you via the website, YouTube channel, podcast, newsletters, and SEO.
• You may be invited to participate in podcast episodes or other promotional activities related to your specialisms.
• Laura may refer clients directly when her caseload is full.
• All communication with LauraHow.com clients must be conducted via your @laurahow.com email address and through approved systems (e.g., SimplyMeet, Zoom). Personal contact details, alternative booking links, or external payment methods must not be shared.
• Practitioners must not direct LauraHow.com clients to their personal websites, social media, or alternative pricing structures.
• Any link to your own website on your LauraHow.com profile is agreed with us separately and doesn’t breach this clause. If a client who first found you through LauraHow.com contacts you directly, you’ll ask them to book through LauraHow.com.
• Any referrals arising from LauraHow.com clients (e.g., partners, family members, friends) must be referred through the platform, not managed independently.
• Upon termination, practitioners agree not to actively solicit or accept approaches from LauraHow.com clients for private work outside the platform for a period of 12 months, unless otherwise agreed in writing.
• Breaches of this clause may result in immediate termination of this agreement and, where appropriate, legal action to recover losses.

12. Termination

• Either party may terminate with reasonable written notice (e.g., four weeks).
• Immediate termination may occur in cases of misconduct, ethical breaches, or repeated failure to meet obligations.
• Existing booked clients should be honoured or handed over appropriately.

13. Emergency Cover

In the rare event that you become suddenly unable to attend scheduled sessions, you agree that we may contact your booked clients using the booking details we hold, in order to arrange rescheduling or a refund. We will not access your clinical records and will not share any clinical information.

14. Complaints & Liability

• Practitioners are independent and responsible for their own clinical work, decisions, and insurance.
• Clinical complaints (therapy quality, boundaries, safeguarding, confidentiality, etc.) are the practitioner’s responsibility and must be handled through their own procedures and insurance.
• Administrative complaints are handled case by case:
  • If caused by a platform/system error, we will take responsibility.
  • If caused by practitioner error (e.g., calendar mismanagement), the practitioner is responsible.
• Data breaches are handled according to responsibility:
  • If caused by our systems, we are responsible.
  • If caused by the practitioner’s actions or devices, the practitioner is responsible.
• We will mediate where appropriate but do not accept liability for your clinical work.

15. Disputes

• Clinical complaints from clients should first be addressed by the practitioner, in line with clause 14; administrative or platform-related complaints should be raised with us.
• If necessary, we may mediate between practitioner and client.
• Disputes between practitioner and platform should be raised in writing.
• If not resolved informally, legal jurisdiction will be England & Wales.

16. Amendments

We may update this agreement or related policies with reasonable notice. You’ll be informed of any changes and may terminate if you do not agree.