Treatment Terms and Conditions
Herbal Medicine Terms and Conditions
Introduction
These terms apply to herbal medicine consultations and treatment provided by Sarah Oakley Wallis, trading as Herbal Therapy Sheffield (NIMH Membership No. 2365-26). By booking or attending a consultation, you agree to the terms set out below.
For information on how I handle your personal data, including health information and patient notes, please see my Privacy Policy.
Consultation and Physical Examination
As part of your consultation, I may need to carry out a physical examination. This is most likely to involve checking your blood pressure and pulse, but may occasionally involve a more detailed examination where clinically relevant. I will always explain what an examination involves and why it is needed before carrying it out.
Accuracy of Information Provided
The advice and treatment I provide is based on the information you give me about your health, symptoms, medical history and any medication you are taking. Please give me as full and accurate a picture as possible.
I cannot be held responsible for the effects of any information you have not disclosed to me, whether or not you believed it to be relevant, where that information affects the safety or suitability of your treatment.
Your Ongoing Health
Please keep me informed of any changes relevant to your care, including:
new symptoms, diagnoses or medical conditions;
any new medication, or changes to medication you are already taking; and
if you become pregnant or start breastfeeding, or are planning to become pregnant or start breastfeeding.
If you do not understand any part of your treatment plan or recommendations, or feel uncomfortable with any aspect of your care, please tell me so I can address it with you.
Herbal Medicine and Safety
Any herbal medicine I prescribe or dispense is prepared specifically for you, based on your individual consultation, and must only be used by you. Please do not share or pass it on to anyone else.
While I take great care to recommend the safest and most appropriate treatment for your circumstances, herbal medicine, like any treatment, carries the possibility of side effects, adverse reactions, or the treatment not achieving the result you hoped for. I welcome any questions or concerns you have about your treatment at any point.
Please store any herbal medicine as advised, out of reach of children, and let me know if you experience any reaction you are unsure about.
Working Alongside Other Healthcare Providers
Being under my care does not replace advice or treatment from your GP or any other healthcare professional, and should not stop you seeking other treatment or advice if you need it. I have not suggested, and will not suggest, that you avoid or delay seeking care elsewhere.
Confidentiality
Everything you tell me is confidential. I will not share information about your care with your partner, family, or anyone else unless you give me permission. As part of good professional practice, I also have clinical supervision with another herbalist. This means I may sometimes discuss my work in a way that does not include your name or any details that could identify you.
The only time I may need to share information without your permission is if I am seriously concerned about your safety or the safety of someone else. If that happened, I would try to talk with you about it first, agree a plan together, and seek your consent before contacting another professional, such as your GP. In the unlikely event that I am unable to discuss with you first, I may need to contact your GP without your consent.
Notes and Records
I take notes during and/or after our sessions and keep these securely. I may also ask you to complete questionnaires about your symptoms; these form part of your clinical notes. You are welcome to see your notes if you wish - just ask during one of our sessions.
For full details of how your information is stored, retained and protected, please see my Privacy Policy
Fees
My current fees are available on my website. Payment is due on in advance of each session by bank transfer unless otherwise agreed; details will be provided when your appointment is confirmed. Cash is also welcome and payable at the appointment. If payments are not made on time and as agreed, I reserve the right to end treatment sessions. If you pay by bank transfer, please see my Privacy Policy for how this information is handled.
Cancellations and Availability
I will let you know in advance if I am unable to see you due to holiday, illness or other commitments; I will always give as much notice as possible and offer an alternative appointment time.
If you need to cancel or reschedule an appointment, please provide at least 48 hours' notice. Appointments cancelled with less than 48 hours' notice, or appointments missed without notice, may be charged at the full consultation fee. I understand that emergencies, illness and exceptional circumstances can arise, and will consider such situations on an individual basis.
Withdrawing Your Consent
You may withdraw your consent to treatment at any time. Withdrawing consent will not affect any treatment or advice already given.
Complaints
If you are unhappy with any aspect of your care, please contact me directly in the first instance so I can try to resolve this with you. I am a member of the National Institute of Medical Herbalists (NIMH), and further information about their code of ethics and complaints process is available at nimh.org.uk
Last updated 17.09.26
Holistic Psychotherapy Terms and Conditions
Introduction
These terms apply to therapy provided by Sarah Oakley Wallis, trading as Herbal Therapy Sheffield (HCPC Registration No. PYL22067). By booking or attending a session, you agree to the terms set out below.
For information on how I handle your personal data, please see my Privacy Policy.
Assessment and Starting Therapy
At our initial meeting(s), we will work together to identify the problem or issue you would like help with. I will ask about what has brought you to therapy, as well as any other treatment or support you have had or are currently having. This may take one or two meetings.
At the end of this assessment period, we will agree your goals for therapy, decide whether I am likely to be able to help you, and whether you would like to continue working with me. You are under no obligation to continue. If it becomes apparent during assessment that the therapy I offer is not appropriate for you at this time, I will explain why and signpost you to a service more suited to your needs.
Sessions and Reviewing Progress
If we agree to work together, I will initially offer you a set number of sessions. This can be revised to more or fewer sessions, and we will routinely review your progress together. You can choose to end therapy at any point without further cost.
If at any point during therapy it becomes apparent that the approach is not proving helpful or is destabilising your mental health, we will discuss alternatives, taking a break or stopping therapy, Wherever possible I will inform you of any actions I need to take at this point to keep you safe (see confidentiality section below).
Session Format and Length
Sessions usually last 50 minutes. Occasionally it may be clinically useful to have a longer or shorter session, and we can discuss this if relevant. If you are late for a session, we will still meet for the remaining scheduled time but will not be able to extend beyond the original end time.
Cancellations and Availability
I will let you know in advance when I am going on holiday. There may occasionally be times when a session needs to be cancelled due to illness or other work commitments; I will always give as much notice as possible and offer an alternative time to meet.
Confidentiality
Therapy is confidential. This means I will not share information about you with a third party unless you consent to that disclosure; I will not tell anyone that you attend therapy, or what you say in our sessions, without your permission to do so.
Exceptions to confidentiality
There are circumstances when I might have no choice but to share information about you, even if you do not agree to this happening. These are:
if there is a serious concern for your or someone else's safety;
if there is a legal obligation relating to your involvement in, or knowledge of, a serious crime;
if there is a court order requesting information about you, for example if a judge requires disclosure in court;
if it is essential to prevent a serious and imminent threat to either public health or national security.
Where possible, I will always seek your consent before any disclosure. Where disclosure is required by law without your prior consent, I will let you know that this has happened, unless it would be unlawful or unsafe to do so.
Clinical Supervision
I talk regularly to another experienced therapist about my work. In the therapy professions this is called “supervision” and is a form of confidential consultative support, not line management. If I discuss your sessions with my supervisor, I will not use your name or otherwise knowingly identify you.
Notes and Records
I take notes during and/or after our sessions and keep these securely. I may also ask you to complete questionnaires about your experiences and/or symptoms; these form part of your clinical notes. You are welcome to see your notes if you wish - just ask during one of our sessions.
For full details of how your information is stored, retained and protected, please see my Privacy Policy.
Video Sessions and Phone calls
During video call and phone call sessions, I will be in a room where you cannot be overheard or seen on my screen by anyone else. For your own safety and privacy, I recommend you do the same. I do not record sessions.
While video call platforms offer degrees of security and encryption, it is not possible to guarantee how the companies providing these services will handle data relating to the call. Also, with some platforms, it might mean both the call and your number is logged on my device. I do not store your name in my digital address book.
Working Alongside Other Healthcare Providers
Being under my care does not replace advice or treatment from your GP or any other healthcare professional and should not stop you seeking other treatment or advice if you need it. I have not suggested, and will not suggest, that you avoid or delay seeking care elsewhere. Unless otherwise discussed and agreed, all clients must be registered with a UK-based GP practice.
Crisis and Emergency Support
Due to my working hours, I cannot offer crisis or emergency support. If you are experiencing significant, life-threatening difficulties, please contact NHS 111, 999, or the Samaritans on 116 123. Outside of sessions, clients are responsible for their own safety and wellbeing, or that of their child (if the client is under 18), and should make use of local NHS mental health, emergency or voluntary services where needed.
Fees and Payment
My current fees are available on my website. Payment is due on in advance of each session by bank transfer unless otherwise agreed; details will be provided when your appointment is confirmed. Cash is also welcome and payable at the appointment. If payments are not made on time and as agreed, I reserve the right to end treatment sessions. If you pay by bank transfer, please see my Privacy Policy for how this information is handled.
Ending Therapy
You may end therapy or withdraw your consent to continue at any time, without further cost. Withdrawing consent will not affect any sessions or support already given. Where possible, I would welcome the chance to discuss ending sessions together, as this can be a valuable part of the therapeutic process, but this is entirely your choice.
Complaints
If you are unhappy with any aspect of your care, please contact me directly in the first instance so I can try to resolve this with you. I am registered with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC), and further information about their standards and complaints process is available at hcpc-uk.org
Last updated 17.09.26