1. Introduction

Welcome to Trusted Psychologists, a trading name of Joanna Brook trading as Trusted Psychologists (“we”, “us”, “our”). By accessing or using our website at trustedpsychologists.co.uk (“the Site”), you agree to be bound by these Terms and Conditions (“Terms”). Please read them carefully before using the Site.

These Terms apply to all visitors, users, clients and psychologists who access or use the Site. If you do not agree to these Terms, you must not use the Site.

We may update these Terms from time to time. Where we make material changes, we will notify you by email (if you have registered with us) or by a prominent notice on the Site, not less than 30 days before such changes take effect. Continued use of the Site after any changes constitutes acceptance of the updated Terms. However, for registered practitioners and clients, we will seek your active confirmation of acceptance of any material changes before they take effect.  

2. Consumer Rights

These Terms do not affect your statutory rights. If you are a consumer, nothing in these Terms is intended to limit or exclude any rights you may have under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013, the Consumer Protection Act 1987, or any other applicable consumer protection legislation. To the extent that any provision of these Terms is inconsistent with your statutory rights, your statutory rights shall prevail.

3. About Our Service

Trusted Psychologists is an online directory that connects members of the public (“clients”) with HCPC-registered psychological practitioners (“psychologists” or “practitioners”). Practitioners listed on the Site are independent paid subscribers to the directory service. We provide a platform for practitioners to list their profiles and for clients to search for and enquire about services. We do not take a commission on any fees charged by practitioners to clients, and we do not sit between you and any practitioner once an enquiry has been made.

Important: We are a directory service only. We do not provide psychological services, medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Any services provided by practitioners listed on this Site are provided directly by those practitioners and are entirely independent of Trusted Psychologists.

Nothing on this Site constitutes medical, psychological, therapeutic or clinical advice. This Site is not designed, intended or suitable for use in crisis situations, for clinical or diagnostic assessments, or as a substitute for professional medical or psychological treatment. If you are experiencing a mental health crisis, are at risk of harming yourself or others, or require urgent clinical support, do not rely on this Site. Instead: call 999 or attend your nearest A&E; contact the Samaritans on 116 123 (free, 24/7); text HELLO to 85258 (Shout Crisis Text Line); or contact your GP or NHS 111. Trusted Psychologists accepts no responsibility for any reliance placed on this Site in an emergency or crisis situation.

4. HCPC Registration Disclaimer

Trusted Psychologists collects HCPC registration numbers from practitioners at the point of registration. However:

• We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or acting on behalf of the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC)
• HCPC is a registered trade mark of the Health and Care Professions Council
• We do not independently verify HCPC registration numbers at the point of submission
• We do not monitor ongoing HCPC registration status after a profile is approved
• It is the sole responsibility of the practitioner to ensure their HCPC registration remains current and valid
• Clients are strongly advised to independently verify a practitioner’s HCPC registration at hcpc-uk.org before engaging their services

Trusted Psychologists accepts no liability for any harm, loss or damage arising from a practitioner’s lapsed, invalid or fraudulently obtained HCPC registration. Practitioners are required, as a condition of listing on the Site, to hold valid professional indemnity insurance throughout the duration of their listing. However, we do not independently verify the existence or adequacy of any such insurance. Clients are responsible for satisfying themselves as to a practitioner’s insurance arrangements before engaging their services.

5. Terms for Clients

By using the Site as a client or visitor, you agree that:

• You will use the Site for lawful purposes only
• Information provided through the enquiry form will be accurate and truthful
• You understand that submitting an enquiry does not guarantee a response from a practitioner
• Any engagement with a practitioner is a direct relationship between you and that practitioner — Trusted Psychologists is not a party to that relationship
• You are responsible for assessing whether a practitioner is suitable for your needs
• You will independently verify a practitioner’s qualifications and registration before engaging their services
• You will not misuse the enquiry form or submit false, misleading or abusive information

6. Introductory Calls

Some practitioners listed on the Site may offer a free introductory call prior to any formal engagement. Any such offer is made by the practitioner independently and at their sole discretion. Trusted Psychologists does not guarantee the availability of introductory calls, does not endorse any representations made during them, and accepts no liability for anything said, agreed, or arising from any introductory call between a client and a practitioner. Any commitment made during an introductory call is a matter solely between you and the practitioner.

7. Profile Information, Fees and Availabilty

Practitioners are required to keep their profile information accurate and up to date. However, Trusted Psychologists does not continuously monitor or independently verify the accuracy of information displayed on practitioner profiles, including stated fees, availability, specialisms, or therapeutic modalities. Before engaging a practitioner’s services, you are strongly advised to confirm their current fees, availability, and any other material information directly with the practitioner. Trusted Psychologists accepts no liability for any loss or inconvenience arising from reliance on profile information that is inaccurate, incomplete, or out of date.

8. Age and Capacity

This Site is intended for use by adults aged 18 or over. By using the Site, you confirm that you are at least 18 years of age and have the legal capacity to enter into a binding agreement. If you are under 18, you must not use the Site or submit any enquiry without the involvement and consent of a parent or legal guardian. We reserve the right to refuse or remove any enquiry or registration where we reasonably believe the user is under 18 or lacks the capacity to consent.

9. Terms for Practitioners

Important: Practitioners who list on this Site do so as paid subscribers and are subject to  separate Practitioner Subscription Terms, which govern the commercial terms of their listing including fees, profile obligations, termination, and data handling. When you register to list on our Site you will be provided with these terms for your review and agreement.

10. Intellectual Property

The design, layout, graphics, and content of the Site (excluding practitioner-submitted content) are the intellectual property of Trusted Psychologists and may not be reproduced, distributed or used without our prior written consent.

11. Limitation of Liability

To the fullest extent permitted by law, Trusted Psychologists shall not be liable for:

• Any harm, loss or damage arising from your use of or reliance on the Site
• The conduct, services or advice of any practitioner listed on the Site
• Any inaccuracies in practitioner profiles
• Any failure or delay in the availability of the Site
• Any loss of data, revenue or profits arising from use of the Site
• Any indirect, consequential or special loss of any kind

Nothing in these Terms excludes or limits our liability for death or personal injury caused by our negligence, fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation, or any other liability that cannot be excluded or limited by English law.

12. Third-Party Links and Services

The Site may contain links to third-party websites including practitioner websites. These links are provided for convenience only. We have no control over the content of those sites and accept no responsibility for them or for any loss or damage that may arise from your use of them.

13. Acceptable Use

You must not use the Site to:

• Transmit any unsolicited or unauthorised advertising or promotional material
• Submit false, misleading or fraudulent information
• Impersonate any person or misrepresent your qualifications
• Attempt to gain unauthorised access to any part of the Site
• Transmit any harmful, offensive or illegal content
• Scrape, harvest or collect data from the Site without our written consent
• Interfere with the proper operation of the Site
  
  

14. Privacy

Your use of the Site is also governed by our Privacy Policy, which is incorporated into these Terms by reference. By using the Site, you consent to the processing of your personal data as described in our Privacy Policy.

Joanna Brook trading as Trusted Psychologists is registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) as a data controller. We process personal data in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

The lawful basis on which we process personal data submitted through the Site (including via the enquiry form) is our legitimate interests in operating the directory service, and, where health-adjacent information is provided, your explicit consent, which you give by submitting such information via the Site.

You may withdraw your consent at any time by contacting us at info@trustedpsychologists.co.uk; however, withdrawal of consent will not affect the lawfulness of processing carried out prior to withdrawal.

Where we use automated tools, artificial intelligence, or machine learning systems in connection with the operation of the Site (including, without limitation, for profile moderation, search functionality, or content processing), we will disclose this in our Privacy Policy. Any such processing will be carried out in accordance with applicable data protection law and will not involve automated decision-making that produces legal or similarly significant effects without human review.

Full details of how we collect, use, store and share your personal data, your rights as a data subject, and how to exercise those rights are set out in our Privacy Policy, available on the Site.

15. Confidentiality

We understand that clients may share sensitive personal information, including information relating to their mental health, when using the Site’s enquiry form or otherwise contacting us.

We treat all such information as confidential and will not disclose it to third parties except in the following circumstances:

• where you have given your explicit consent to disclosure;
• where disclosure is required by law, court order, or a regulatory authority;
• where we reasonably believe that disclosure is necessary to prevent serious harm to you or another person; or
• where disclosure is made to our professional advisers under an obligation of confidentiality.

We will use reasonable endeavours to notify you before making any disclosure required by law, court order or regulatory body, unless doing so is prohibited by law or would itself create a risk of harm. For the avoidance of doubt, enquiry content is passed directly to the practitioner you have selected, as is necessary to provide the directory service.

16. Governing Law and Jurisdiction

These Terms are governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of England and Wales. You may bring proceedings in the courts of England and Wales or, if you are domiciled in Scotland or Northern Ireland, in the courts of the country in which you are domiciled. Nothing in this clause affects your statutory rights as a consumer.

17. Complaints

We take all complaints seriously and are committed to resolving them promptly and fairly. If you have a complaint about the Site, a practitioner’s profile, or our handling of your personal data, please contact us in the first instance at:info@trustedpsychologists.co.uk (please mark your subject line “Complaint”).

We will acknowledge your complaint within 5 working days and aim to provide a full response within 28 days. Where a complaint cannot be resolved within that period, we will keep you informed of progress.

Please note that Trusted Psychologists is a directory service only and is not responsible for the conduct or services of individual practitioners. If your complaint relates to a practitioner’s professional conduct, qualifications, or fitness to practise, you should contact the relevant regulatory body directly:

• Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC): hcpc-uk.org / 0300 500 6184
• British Psychological Society (BPS): bps.org.uk
• Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) (for data protection concerns): ico.org.uk / 0303 123 1113

18. Contact Us

If you have any questions about these Terms and Conditions, please contact us:

Trusted Psychologists is a trading name of Joanna Brook trading.

Email: info@trustedpsychologists.co.uk

Website: trustedpsychologists.co.uk