Terms & Conditions
Luma Psychological Therapies
Last updated: October 2026
These terms explain how appointments and services are arranged at Luma Psychological Therapies. They are intended to make things clear from the outset and to support a safe and respectful therapeutic relationship.
Our services
Luma Psychological Therapies provides psychological therapy for adults and young people. We also offer consultation, training and supervision for professionals, schools and organisations.
Therapy is tailored to the individual. Depending on your needs, this may involve approaches such as CBT, Compassion Focused Therapy, ACT, psychodynamic therapy, schema therapy, EMDR or an integrative approach.
The most appropriate approach will be discussed with you as part of the assessment process.
Starting therapy
Before therapy begins, an initial assessment or consultation will usually take place. This gives us an opportunity to understand what you are looking for and consider whether Luma is the right service for you.
Sometimes another service or type of support may be more appropriate. If this is the case, we will discuss this with you and, where possible, suggest an appropriate alternative.
Therapy is a collaborative process and you can decide at any point that you no longer wish to continue.
Appointments
Appointments are arranged in advance and are reserved specifically for you. Sessions may take place in person or remotely, depending on what has been agreed.
If you need to change or cancel an appointment, please give as much notice as possible.
Cancellations and missed appointments
Because an appointment is reserved for you, late cancellations and missed appointments may be charged.
Luma's cancellation period is 24 hours, Where an appointment is cancelled with less notice, the usual session fee may apply.
We understand that circumstances can change unexpectedly and individual situations will always be considered with compassion and common sense.
Fees and payment
Fees will be discussed and agreed before therapy or another service begins.
Payment arrangements will depend on the service being provided and will be explained when your appointment or service is arranged.
If your circumstances change and you are concerned about payment, please talk to us as soon as possible. We would much rather have an open conversation than for this to become a source of worry.
Confidentiality
Confidentiality is an important part of psychological therapy and we will respect your privacy wherever possible.
There are circumstances where information may need to be shared without your consent, such as where there is a serious concern about someone's safety, a safeguarding concern or a legal requirement to provide information.
Where appropriate and possible, this will be discussed with you beforehand.
Further information about how personal information is handled can be found in our Privacy Notice.
Young people
Luma works with young people as well as adults.
When working with a young person, we will consider their age, understanding and individual circumstances when agreeing how confidentiality will work. This will be discussed at the beginning of therapy so that the young person understands what they can expect.
Parents or those with parental responsibility may be involved where appropriate. The level of involvement will depend on the young person's circumstances and the nature of the work.
Where there is a significant concern about the safety or wellbeing of a young person, safeguarding responsibilities will take priority.
Communication
Email and telephone contact may be used for practical matters such as arranging appointments.
Email should not normally be used to discuss detailed therapeutic information or to seek urgent clinical support. If you are experiencing a mental health emergency, please use an appropriate emergency or crisis service rather than waiting for a response from Luma.
Emergency and crisis support
Luma Psychological Therapies is not an emergency or crisis service.
If you or someone else is at immediate risk of harm, please contact 999 or attend your nearest Emergency Department.
For urgent mental health support in Northern Ireland, you can contact Lifeline on 0808 808 8000.
Ending therapy
You can choose to end therapy at any time. Your therapist may also recommend ending or pausing therapy where this is clinically appropriate.
Where possible, we will discuss the ending of therapy in advance so that you have an opportunity to reflect on your progress and consider any further support that may be helpful.
Professional standards
Luma Psychological Therapies is committed to providing safe, ethical and evidence-based psychological services.
Therapists working with Luma will practise within their professional competence and in accordance with the standards of their relevant professional body. We also aim to work in line with relevant NICE guidance and current evidence-based practice.
Website information
The information provided on the Luma Psychological Therapies website is intended to provide general information about our services. It should not be considered a substitute for an individual psychological assessment or professional advice.
We take care to keep the information on the website accurate and up to date, although information may change as our services develop.
Complaints and concerns
We want people who use Luma to feel able to raise concerns if something doesn't feel right.
If you have a concern about your experience or any aspect of the service, please contact us so that we can listen to your concerns and try to resolve them.
Where appropriate, information about relevant professional complaints procedures can also be provided.
Changes to these terms
These Terms & Conditions may be updated from time to time to reflect changes to our services or professional and legal requirements.
The most recent version will be available on the Luma Psychological Therapies website.
Contact
If you have any questions about these Terms & Conditions, please contact:
Luma Psychological Therapies
North Down, Northern Ireland
Email: hello@lumanorthdown.co.uk