TERMS OF SERVICE FOR THERAPISTS

Last updated: January 1, 2026

These Terms of Service (“Terms”) form a legally binding agreement between Aligned Therapy Ltd (trading as Aligned / Aligned Therapy) (“Aligned”, “we”, “us”, “our”) and you (“Therapist”, “you”, “your”). By joining Aligned, accepting referrals, or continuing to participate, you agree to these Terms.

These Terms are intended to be consistent with the Aligned Therapist Partner Guide (“Partner Guide”), which sets out day-to-day operating processes. If there is any inconsistency, these Terms govern, but the Partner Guide may be used to interpret operational details.

Registered address: [INSERT REGISTERED ADDRESS]

1) Definitions

  • Client: A person seeking therapy support through Aligned.

  • Match / Introduction: A connection made by Aligned between you and a Client (by email thread or WhatsApp), made only after the Client has agreed to proceed.

  • Match Summary: A brief summary of the Client’s intake sent to you shortly after introduction (Client not CC’d).

  • Session: Any therapy session between you and the Client that takes place outside Aligned.

  • Started Therapy: A Client is treated as having started therapy when they have completed a first paid session with you (or otherwise commenced paid therapy with you, as reasonably evidenced).

  • Aligned Fees: The fees payable to Aligned as set out in Section 7.

  • Leakage: Any attempt to bypass Aligned’s referral and fee structure for Clients introduced by Aligned, including inaccurate outcome reporting intended to avoid fees.

  • Outside-Patient Referral: A referral you send to Aligned of a prospective client who contacted you outside Aligned but is unsuitable for your practice (if Aligned is running this programme).

2) What Aligned is (and is not)

  1. Aligned is a referral and matching service. We introduce Clients to Therapists and provide a Match Summary to reduce repetition and improve handover quality.

  2. Aligned does not provide therapy, does not supervise clinical work, and does not control how you practise. All Sessions occur outside Aligned, using your own tools and policies.

  3. No guarantee of Clients or revenue. Referrals are provided on a reasonable-efforts basis, with no minimum volume guaranteed.

3) Therapist eligibility and ongoing requirements

You confirm that throughout your participation you will:

  1. Maintain active membership with at least one appropriate UK professional body (e.g., BACP, BABCP, UKCP or similar) and comply with its ethical/code requirements.

  2. Maintain professional indemnity insurance appropriate to your practice and professional body requirements, and provide evidence upon request.

  3. Work only within your competence and qualifications, and comply with applicable law.

  4. Maintain accurate, current profile details with Aligned (including fees, format, and availability).

  5. Not misrepresent your qualifications, experience, or scope of practice.

4) Onboarding and profile information

  1. To join Aligned you will complete onboarding steps (e.g., form and onboarding call; and other materials Aligned may request from time to time).

  2. You agree that information you provide must be accurate and not misleading.

  3. You must promptly notify Aligned of material changes to availability, fees, modality/approach, or the kinds of clients you can take, by emailing support@aligned.co.uk.

5) How referrals and handovers work

Aligned’s default handover process is:

  1. Client agrees first: Aligned introduces you only once the Client has agreed they want to be connected.

  2. Introduction channel: Aligned introduces you via:

    • an email thread (Aligned CC’d), or

    • a temporary WhatsApp group, depending on Client preference.

  3. You message first: You are expected to initiate contact, offering 2–3 options for a short introductory call (or a scheduling link).

  4. Read the Match Summary: Aligned will send a Match Summary shortly after introduction. You agree to read it before the intro call.

  5. Keep Aligned in the loop until intro call is complete: Keep Aligned CC’d / in the WhatsApp group through completion of the intro call, after which you may move to direct 1:1 communication.

  6. If the Client goes quiet: Follow up 1–2 times in the following days, consistent with normal professional etiquette. If there is still no response after roughly 5–7 days, inform Aligned so we can support the Client or rematch.

6) Responsiveness standards (platform expectations)

  1. You are expected to respond to new introductions within 24 hours, ideally sooner, and aim to book the intro call promptly (often within 3–4 days where possible).

  2. Aligned may prioritise referrals to Therapists with strong responsiveness, reliability, and outcomes for Clients.

7) Fees, reporting, and invoicing

7.1 When Aligned is paid

Aligned is paid only when a Client starts therapy.

7.2 Fee structure

Unless otherwise agreed in writing, Aligned charges:

  • a fee equal to the Client’s first session fee, and

  • 10% of subsequent session fees.

7.3 Reporting (monthly; lightweight)

  1. Aligned will email you a monthly reporting table requesting operational outcomes (e.g., intro call completed, started therapy, first session date, number of sessions, fee charged, and why not started where relevant).

  2. You agree to complete monthly reporting within 7 days of receipt.

7.4 Invoicing and payment terms

  1. You collect all Client fees directly.

  2. Aligned invoices you based on your monthly reporting. Invoices are typically issued mid-month for the prior month and have 14-day payment terms.

  3. If you dispute an invoice, you must notify us promptly by replying to the invoice email with details. Undisputed amounts remain payable.

7.5 VAT

If Aligned is VAT-registered (now or in future), VAT will be added where applicable.

8) Integrity, leakage, and monitoring

  1. Aligned operates a low-admin model that relies on accurate Therapist self-reporting. You agree to report outcomes honestly and promptly.

  2. Leakage is taken seriously. Aligned may conduct periodic pattern reviews and limited Client follow-ups for service feedback, which may incidentally surface discrepancies.

  3. If Aligned suspects leakage or a sustained pattern inconsistent with platform norms, Aligned may apply a staged process:

    • Stage 1: Pause + review (temporary pause on new referrals, discussion, and clarification), and/or

    • Stage 2: Platform removal for repeated or material integrity breaches.

  4. You agree to provide reasonable clarification (e.g., timelines) if requested as part of a review.

9) Confidentiality, privacy, and WhatsApp boundaries

  1. You must keep confidential any non-public operational information from Aligned, including Match Summaries and internal process details.

  2. After handover, you are responsible for handling Client data in accordance with applicable data protection law (including UK GDPR).

  3. WhatsApp (where used) should be used mainly for logistics/scheduling; avoid requesting or sharing highly sensitive details and keep Match Summaries confidential.

10) Safeguarding and urgent risk

If you become concerned about immediate risk after handover, you agree to follow your safeguarding process and direct the Client to urgent support as appropriate, and notify Aligned that an escalation occurred without unnecessary clinical detail.

11) Independent contractor status

You participate as an independent practitioner. You control pricing, working hours, and clinical practice. Nothing in these Terms creates an employment relationship, partnership, or agency.

12) Suspension, termination, and offboarding

12.1 By you

You may leave Aligned at any time by emailing support@aligned.co.uk. Aligned will pause new referrals promptly.

12.2 By Aligned

Aligned may suspend or terminate your participation:

  • for breach of these Terms,

  • for integrity/leakage concerns under the staged process, or

  • where continued participation is reasonably deemed detrimental to Clients, Therapists, or Aligned’s reputation.

12.3 Effect of leaving (ongoing clients introduced by Aligned)

For Clients introduced by Aligned who remain in ongoing therapy with you at the time you leave the platform, Aligned may issue a final invoice that includes a one-off fee equal to one session, after which Aligned will take no further payment for additional sessions those Clients complete with you outside Aligned.

13) Intellectual property and profile materials

  1. You retain ownership of materials you provide (bio, photo, video if any).

  2. You grant Aligned a non-exclusive licence to use those materials to operate the service (e.g., sharing your profile with Clients to support matching).

14) Liability

  1. You are solely responsible for therapy provided to Clients, including clinical outcomes and duty of care.

  2. To the extent permitted by law, Aligned is not liable for your acts/omissions in therapy delivery.

  3. Nothing in these Terms limits liability that cannot be limited under law (e.g., fraud, death/personal injury caused by negligence).

15) Governing law and disputes

These Terms are governed by the laws of England and Wales, and the courts of England and Wales have exclusive jurisdiction.

16) Contact

Operational support: support@aligned.co.uk
Other enquiries: liam@aligned.co.uk