Safeguarding is something that therapists often talk about, but have you ever thought about exactly what it means? There’s a lot more to it than you might think, and this month I’m going to have a look at how we can safeguard our clients – and ourselves – in the best ways possible.
Safeguarding in Therapy
Safeguarding is important for therapists for several reasons. It’s essential for maintaining trust, promoting positive therapeutic outcomes, and upholding the integrity of the profession.
Therapists often work with individuals who may be classed as vulnerable adults or who are facing challenging life circumstances. Clients may be dealing with anxiety, depression, or trauma. And all our clients need a safe and supportive environment to address their issues effectively. Safeguarding is about identifying and responding to any risks or potential harm that may arise during the therapy.
It’s also about safeguarding ourselves. We need to feel (and be) safe with clients, and to achieve a good work/life balance. We all come into this profession to help others, but you have to look after yourself as well. Your clients are not being safeguarded if you are on the verge of exhaustion.
Running a small therapy business is always a challenge because it’s not just about running a therapy business. It’s also about running a business, if you see what I mean.
Most of us don’t have an admin team. We have to be what my Nanna used to call “chief cook and bottle washer”. In other words, we have to know about every aspect of health and safety, ethics, tax, PR, and all the other stuff that goes on top of actually providing clients with therapy. Safeguarding is part of this.
Understanding Vulnerability and Capacity
Some organisations are moving away from the term ‘vulnerable adult’ and using alternatives such as ‘adults at risk’, but the principle remains the same. A vulnerable adult is generally understood to be someone over the age of 16 who is unable to protect themselves from harm or exploitation, or unable to take care of themselves.
According to the NHS, a vulnerable adult is someone over the age of 16 who ‘is or may be for any reason unable to take care of him or herself, or unable to protect him or herself against significant harm or exploitation’, and this makes the definition broader than you might think because it makes no mention of another important concept, that of ‘capacity’.
It’s also important to be aware that having the capacity to give consent is a key part of safeguarding. Capacity is defined in the Mental Capacity Act 2005, and essentially refers to whether someone can make rational, informed decisions. A lack of capacity can be indicated by the inability to understand, remember, or apply information that’s essential to making a decision, or to communicate a decision to someone else once it has been made.
Lack of capacity can be a temporary or permanent condition. It might be caused by mental or physical health conditions or brain injuries, or could be due to the use of alcohol or drugs. Simply making bad decisions doesn’t indicate a lack of capacity.
Having capacity and being able to protect oneself are not the same thing. A client may have the capacity to consent to therapy but still be vulnerable due to physical disability, social circumstances, or other factors. This means we need to be aware of vulnerability in a broader sense, not just in terms of consent, though we are going to start there.
What is safeguarding?
1. Informed Consent
Ensure that all clients fully understand the nature of hypnotherapy, its potential benefits and risks, and any limitations. They should have the opportunity to ask questions and provide their consent voluntarily before starting therapy.
If a client does not have capacity, they cannot give informed consent for therapy, and you would need to seek consent from whoever is responsible for their care.
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2. Confidentiality and Duty of Care Exceptions
Maintaining client confidentiality is crucial, of course. You need secure systems in place to protect client information. It’s easy to be relaxed about this if you work from home, but client notes should never just be left lying around where visitors or family can see them, and you should always clear away the paperwork from one client before inviting the next one into your room.
Duty of care is about looking out for clients’ interests generally and remaining alert for possible signs of abuse, neglect, harm, or serious lawbreaking. If you are concerned, it isn’t appropriate to confront those involved or try to resolve the situation yourself. You should pass on your concerns to the appropriate authorities, usually after discussion with your supervisor and reference to your Code of Ethics. Duty of Care issues are discussed in more detail in my article on supporting suicidal clients.
3. Data Protection
Even small sole trader therapy businesses handle sensitive client data, including personal and health information. This means records should be stored password-protected if electronic and under lock and key if on paper. Your phone and laptop count as electronic devices, and should be password-protected if you use them to receive work calls or emails. If you have to carry physical client notes around, perhaps from your home to an office, make sure they are also secure during the journey. A small, coded lock on a briefcase or bag should accomplish this.
Arising from that: legally, getting consent for therapy is not the same as getting agreement to your Data Protection Policy, and vice versa. The first sets out the way in which their therapy will be delivered, and the second allows you to collect and use their data. You need to get the two permissions separately.
4. Chaperones
Consider if your client needs to have someone else in the therapy session with them to help them feel safe. This can be part of safeguarding adults, if they are classed as vulnerable, or part of safeguarding children who are too young to take part in therapy alone.
But consider it in other circumstances, too, if the client requests it. I have only ever refused permission for a chaperone once, and the request didn’t come from the client. The presenting issue was relationship anxiety. Bear in mind, I am not a couples counsellor, and I’d have been working with the client on a one-to-one basis. The potential client’s husband came with her to our first, informal meeting. He spoke for her most of the time and talked over her when she did try to say something. Then he announced that he would be sitting in at all her sessions because “I need to know what she says”.
Given that theirs was the main relationship she was said to be anxious about, I didn’t feel this was the best approach. I would have been open to a different person being with her if she wanted that, but he wouldn’t hear of it. We decided we were not a good fit, and they never came back.
But a supportive chaperone can be a blessing, especially with clients who are very lacking in confidence to be alone in sessions.
5. Professional Boundaries
Maintaining clear professional boundaries is crucial for your business and your self-care, as well as for your clients’ well-being. Make sure that your clients know how, when, and how often it is appropriate to contact you between sessions.
It can be handy to have a separate phone for work: switch it off outside your working hours. Discuss any potential conflicts of interest or dual relationships with the client, and/or in supervision, so you can prevent them from interfering with the therapeutic process.
6. Work within your sphere of competence and comfort
This doesn’t mean you can’t work with an issue for the first time, of course, or none of us would have any clients. But it does mean that if you don’t have the skills, or if you feel uncomfortable or unsafe sitting with a client, it’s best for both of you to part company. Refer them to someone who is better placed to help.
7. Identifying Risk and Vulnerability
The first part of safeguarding someone vulnerable is recognising that they fall into this category. This isn’t always easy, since harm and exploitation can occur in many ways: physical, psychological, emotional, organisational, financial, or through neglect and omission.
Indicators might include:
- Physical, psychological or emotional conditions
- Special educational needs
- Information the client shares about their life circumstances
- Topics the client avoids
- Injuries or behaviours that give you cause for concern
Being alert to these signs helps you decide what additional safeguarding steps may be needed.
8. Risk Assessment
You need one of these to keep you, your client and your environment safe. There’s an article elsewhere about how to carry out a risk assessment.
9. Business Ethics
Safeguarding extends to implementing ethical business practices. Ensure that your advertising and marketing materials are accurate, transparent, and ethical, avoiding misleading claims or guarantees.
10. Continual Professional Development
Staying updated with the latest knowledge and best practices in hypnotherapy is important. CPD helps ensure that you have the necessary skills and knowledge to provide effective and ethical services while staying aware of new legal or ethical considerations.
11. Supervision
Regular supervision meetings should be relevant throughout your career. As you gain experience, you are likely to work with more complex clients. Supervision provides an outlet for discussing how to manage these situations and to reflect on your own responses.
Accountability is also part of safeguarding, and supervision plays an important role in maintaining it.
Safeguarding in practice
How you safeguard a client will depend on their individual situation. You may need to consider:
- How their circumstances affect their suitability for therapy
- Whether adjustments are needed in your approach
- Whether they need additional support to access your services
- Whether a chaperone would be appropriate
- Whether duty of care issues arise
- How to balance confidentiality with safety
The Care Act offers useful guiding principles here:
- Empowerment
- Prevention
- Proportionality
- Protection
- Partnership
- Accountability
These can help you decide what action is appropriate in each situation.
Conclusion
By addressing these safeguarding issues, you can create a safe, professional, and ethical practice that prioritises client well-being and fosters positive therapeutic relationships.
Every therapist wants to help people — it’s why we are in the job. But safeguarding is about more than good intentions. It’s about recognising risk, responding appropriately, and balancing care with professional responsibility.
And you will be looking after yourself as well, enabling you to provide your services safely and ethically for many years to come.
References
- Ann Craft Trust. (n.d.). Six Principles of Adult Safeguarding – ACT. [online] Available at: https://www.anncrafttrust.org/resources/six-principles-adult-safeguarding/?gclid=Cj0KCQiA5bz-BRD-ARIsABjT4njv73Djz0NFgDdakPHHkKJhKimmbuTGuoRNHWabQFqWQHzJXMHS5UMaAldKEALw_wcB [Accessed 8 Dec. 2025].
- Rethink Mental Illness. (n.d.). Mental capacity and mental illness. [online] Available at: https://www.rethink.org/advice-and-information/rights-restrictions/mental-health-laws/mental-capacity-and-mental-illness/?gclid=Cj0KCQiA5bz-BRD-ARIsABjT4nilR6ZTxt8-FFqM7bNn9gcL7bCCYOTUKFIDVVGDdXfzrzE9HveiF_gaAgcfEALw_wcB [Accessed 8 Dec. 2025].
- Uhs.nhs.uk. (2013). What does ‘vulnerable adult’ mean? [online] Available at: https://www.uhs.nhs.uk/HealthProfessionals/Clinical-law-updates/Whatismeantbyavulnerableadult.aspx. [accessed 8.12.25]
About Debbie Waller
Blog Author Debbie Waller is a hypnotherapist, supervisor, and trainer with more than twenty years of experience. As well as having a busy client practice, she runs Yorkshire Hypnotherapy Training and writes books and articles for therapists who want to deepen their knowledge and develop effective practice.
Disclaimer
The information and ideas shared on this blog are based on the author’s professional experience, research, and training. They are intended for educational purposes and to support reflection and professional development. Therapists should always apply their own professional judgment and consider the needs of individual clients when using any techniques or suggestions discussed here.
While every effort is made to ensure the information is accurate and helpful, no responsibility can be accepted for any loss, damage, or difficulties arising from the use or misuse of material contained in these articles.