Last updated: Nov 2022

Every successful relationship starts with a clear set of boundaries. Your relationship with Spill is no different. Boundaries make sure you don't expect us to be something we're not.

As with all products, using Spill means you agree to these boundaries, as well as our Privacy Policy and Platform T&Cs. The rest of our legal fine print, in case you're wondering, can be found here.

#1 Spill is not a crisis service

We are not an immediate crisis service and we don't employ staff to be on call. We're also not a medical service. If you think you're having an emotional crisis, please call the NHS 111 for non-emergency advice. If you think you might harm yourself or someone else, please call the Samaritans on 116 123, ring 999, or go straight to A&E.

If you request that we contact you, using the I'd like to be contacted button in the Slack app, we'll do our best to be in touch within two or three hours. However, we can't guarantee this, so please don't use Spill as a crisis service.

#2 Spill is not a replacement for medical treatment

Spill counsellors are able to support you if you want to keep on top of your emotional wellbeing. They can work with you if you experience anxiety, depression, or other mental health problems, so long as you're able to manage your wellbeing day-to-day and aren't considering causing harm to yourself or others. If you need more support than Spill can offer, we will work with you to help you find that support.

#3 Spill is confidential within legal & ethical limits

According to UK law, our counsellors have to contact the emergency services if they believe you might hurt yourself or someone else, or if you mention terrorism or money laundering. If you're involved in a crime, a UK court might ask us to share any information we have on you and we'd legally have to agree, even if all the information we hold about you is your session booking details.

All of our counsellors are required by the Ethical Guidelines to have a clinical supervisor. Counsellors may discuss some of their work with their clinical supervisor, but if they do, they must keep you anonymous. This means they won't tell their clinical supervisors anything that could identify you - they will only discuss clinical matters, such as what technique to employ or how they can support you better.

If your practitioner feels a bit concerned about you (for instance, if you miss a session without notice after discussing a difficult situation with them), then they will seek advice from other clinicians in the service, such as the Spill Clinical Supervisor or the Clinical Director, as is standard clinical practice. This means they’ll share a summary of their concerns, which may also be shared with other Spill therapists you speak with in the future: but the information remains confidential within the service.

After seeking advice, they may get in touch with you, to make sure you're OK. They will use the email address and phone number you gave Spill when you booked the session or any other contact details you gave them directly. We will never tell your employer or anyone else if this happens, unless you ask us to.

So we do require before you begin Spill therapy that you provide us with an emergency contact. In all but very few cases, we never need to use this. However, it does provide us with an extra level of security.

Please let your counsellor know during the consultation if you'd like us to do anything else in case we feel concerned about you, such as call a friend or family member.