PRIVACY POLICY

COUNSELLING SESSIONS AND FEES

Your counselling sessions will last for 60 minutes.
Payment for your counselling sessions should be paid before the commencement of the counselling session.

Complete payment of the session is required 24 hours in advance. Your appointment will not proceed unless this payment has been made. If payment has not been received, your appointment time will be scheduled for another client.

1. CONFIDENTIALITY

Your use of the Counselling Service and what you talk about in your sessions are treated with the strictest confidence. In accordance with the professional requirements, Counsellors discuss their work regularly with an external Counselling Supervisor.
The counsellor will not provide information about clients unless:
1. You ask your Counsellor to break confidentiality because you consider that to be in your best interest.
2. There is a risk of harm to you or to someone else. The Counsellor’s Duty of Care may require steps to be taken to minimise any danger. Where possible, a proposed course of action would usually be discussed with you first.
3. The Counsellor is legally compelled by a court of law, or a specific piece of legislation makes disclosure mandatory.

2. CANCELLATIONS

You are expected to give at least 24 hours’ notice of any cancellation, otherwise, you are expected to pay for the session. The counsellor will also do her best to give reasonable notice of any changes.
A minimum of 24 hours’ notice is required for cancelling or changing the online appointment.
As a client, you understand that you will be charged the entire full session fee if you were to give less than 24 hours’ notice for cancellation, change the appointment time, or forget your appointment.
Although I utilize email or telephone reminders, you understand that you are responsible to remember and be online for your scheduled appointment, even in the event that the reminder technology fails.

3. CONTINUITY 

Continuity of sessions is important. Let us say you have agreed to weekly sessions. It would be disruptive to suddenly change this; if however, you find that you are wanting to make a change to the arrangements then you need to discuss this with your counsellor.

4. MAKING THE MOST OF EACH SESSION

You understand that Internet counselling is not a substitute for medical care provided by a physician.
Please communicate with me (your counsellor) if you become dissatisfied with your treatment and I will work with you to discover what might be preventing progress, modify goals, or refer you to another counsellor.
You understand that you may experience increased discomfort in your personal life and relationships resulting from counselling.
Clients who get the most out of counselling are usually the ones who use their session time to increase awareness, learn new skills and be actively involved in getting what they want from the sessions. They are also the ones who are willing to try out new behaviours in between sessions and take time to reflect on the work. If at any time, you are left with concerns or discomfort from a session it is especially important that you tell your counsellor about this either when it is happening or at the next session.

5. TERMINATION 

When you feel ready to finish your counselling it is important to bring this up with your counsellor so that together you can plan for ending your work in a satisfactory way.

6. OUT OF SESSION CONTACT

Sometimes clients want extra contact with their counsellor. It is inadvisable to mix a social and therapeutic relationship. Sometimes you may accidentally meet your counsellor outside of the sessions – it is important to tell her how you want to handle this. I have read the above information. I have discussed any questions or concerns with my counsellor. 

I agree to the terms of this contract.