We understand that there may be exceptional situations where increased session frequency for therapy may be beneficial, e.g. two sessions per week for two weeks for a client experiencing severe depression or high risk that requires stabilisation. In such cases, the decision to offer more than one session per week must be carefully considered and a request submitted via the form at the bottom of this page for this.

It's crucial to remember that many clients have a pre-determined limit on the number of sessions they are entitled to through their organization. Each session attended, regardless of its frequency within a week, counts towards this total. For instance, a client allocated 12 sessions can engage in therapy for 12 weeks at 1 session per week. However, if they attend 2 sessions per week, their allocated sessions will be depleted in just 6 weeks, significantly reducing the overall duration of your therapeutic work with them. Therefore, before increasing session frequency, it's essential to:

• Assess the clinical need. Is there a specific clinical rationale and necessity that requires more regular sessions for a short duration? Does the evidence-base and clinical guidance support this? Do you have a clear plan for the sessions?
• Consider the client’s readiness and capacity.
  • Have they attended and engaged with previous sessions?
  • Can they tolerate the intensity that comes with more frequent sessions?
  • Is there enough time between the sessions to process, reflect and integrate insights into their life?
  • Have you considered the risk of dependency and discussed professional boundaries if appropriate?
  • Can the client realistically commit to two sessions per week and fit this around work and family commitments?
• Discuss the session allocation implications with the client. Ensure they fully understand how increased frequency will impact their total session count and the overall duration of their therapy. Ensure you adapt the sessions appropriately to account for this. Check they understand this is increase in cadence is time-limited.
• Explore all other viable options. Are there alternative interventions or support systems that could supplement weekly sessions without depleting their allocated sessions? Do you need to refer/signpost them to crisis support or their GP/primary care physician?

No more than two sessions per week should be offered, and this should be for a short period of time only.

Increasing the cadence of sessions should not necessarily require the client to need additional sessions beyond their allocated limit. Please do not assume additional sessions will be granted and therefore adapt the therapy to work within the allocated session number. If you and the client believe further sessions would be beneficial, please read the Additional Sessions article and put in a separate request for this.

If your client is at immediate risk of harm to themselves or others, the priority is urgent and emergency support, not necessarily additional sessions. In these situations follow your usual clinical and safeguarding pathways (for example, emergency services, crisis teams, GP, safeguarding contacts). See the risk policy here. Additional sessions may sometimes be helpful in stabilising your client or supporting a safe transition to more intensive care, but this should not replace emergency pathways.

By adhering to this principle, you can ensure that clients receive the most effective and sustainable support within their given parameters, maximizing the long-term impact of their therapeutic journey.

Submit a request to increase session cadence for your client using this form

What happens next?

Once your request is received, our Support team will review within three working days and:

• Check your request meets the criteria laid out in the form.
• Confirm your client's session usage and remaining session credits.
• Inform you of the decision.

If the decision is made to allow an increase in session cadence, you may begin to book the sessions immediately.