Terms of use

These terms govern your use of the Elaine Ward Counselling website. They cover the website only. The terms of the counselling relationship itself — fees, cancellations, confidentiality and its limits — are set out separately in a counselling agreement you’ll receive before sessions begin.

1. About this website

This site provides general information about Elaine Ward’s counselling practice and a way to get in touch. It is run by Elaine Ward Counselling.

2. Not medical or crisis advice

Nothing on this website is medical, psychological, or crisis advice, and it is not a substitute for professional care. Counselling is not an emergency service. If you need urgent help, please use the resources on our crisis & urgent help page or call 999.

3. Booking and enquiries

Submitting the contact form or requesting an intro call is an enquiry, not a confirmed booking. A working relationship begins only once we have spoken and both agreed to proceed, and a counselling agreement is in place. Fees, payment and cancellation terms are confirmed at that stage.

4. Acceptable use

You agree not to:

• Use the site for any unlawful purpose or to submit abusive, misleading, or harmful content;
• Attempt to gain unauthorised access to, disrupt, or damage the site or its infrastructure;
• Use automated systems to scrape or overload the site.

5. Intellectual property

The content of this website — text, design, and graphics — belongs to Elaine Ward Counselling unless stated otherwise, and may not be copied or reused without permission. You’re welcome to link to the site and to share our downloadable resources in their original, unaltered form.

6. Third-party links

Where we link to other organisations (for example, the helplines on our crisis page), we do so for your convenience. We are not responsible for the content or availability of external websites.

7. Availability and changes

We aim to keep the site available and accurate but don’t guarantee it will always be uninterrupted or error-free. We may update or change the site, and these terms, from time to time. The “last updated” date shows the latest version.

8. Liability

To the extent permitted by law, we’re not liable for any loss arising from reliance on information on this website. Nothing in these terms limits liability that cannot be limited by law.

9. Governing law

These terms are governed by the law of England and Wales, and any disputes are subject to the courts of England and Wales.

10. Contact

Questions about these terms? Email hello@elainewardcounselling.co.uk.

Drafting note (remove before publishing): confirm governing-law jurisdiction (England & Wales vs Scotland/NI) and that clauses 3 and 8 align with Elaine’s counselling agreement and professional indemnity cover.