Cancellation Policy
If you wish to cancel an appointment, we ask that you provide at least 24 hours notice. No-shows and cancellations with less than 24 hours notice will be charged the full appointment fee.
Note that cancellation fees are not claimable with Medicare or private insurance.
Payment Policy
Our preferred payment method is to securely store your credit/debit card and automatically charge it after each appointment.
Alternatively, or if a payment fails, we will email you after each appointment with a link to pay online via card or direct debit.
Please contact us if neither of these options are suitable for you, so that we can make alternative arrangements.
We kindly ask you to pay promptly following each appointment. If you are having difficulty paying for an appointment, please contact us to come to an arrangement. If an invoice remains unpaid after 10 days, and you have not contacted us, we may cancel your future appointments.
Medicare & Referral Policy
If you are using a Medicare referral, we try our utmost to keep you informed about the status of your referral and when you will need a new one. At any time, you can use our website to obtain a report on your referral status.
If you have a valid referral, we will lodge a claim with Medicare on your behalf after receiving payment in full for your appointment. Medicare will then pay you a rebate, which typically takes one to two business days to arrive in your bank account.
We also have a detailed FAQ on our website explaining Medicare rules. Ultimately, ensuring that you have a valid referral is your responsibility – but we will help as much as we can.
Telehealth Policy
Telehealth has risks and no system can be guaranteed to be secure, or to work perfectly every time.
It can be helpful to think about where you will be holding the session and what your needs are in terms of a therapeutic space and privacy. We ask that counselling be somewhere you can be for the length of the session (so not transiting or in a public place), where you are safe and where counselling is your primary focus. For your safety and wellbeing, we will require that you provide your location and the details of an emergency contact who lives within your proximity, city or suburb.
For some people it can be helpful to set up for counselling in a space that feels as though it would be calming for you. This may include having items that carry a personal meaning or that feel supportive to you close by (soft toys, blankets, fidget toys). It might mean letting people know not to disturb you for a period of time and limiting background sounds.
Confidentiality Policy
As part of providing mental health services to you, we need to collect and record personal information from you that is relevant to your situation, such as your name, contact information, medical history and other clinically relevant information.
Your personal information is gathered as part of your assessment and treatment, is kept securely and, in the interests of your privacy, used only by your psychologist and the authorised personnel of the practice (as necessary). Your personal information is retained in order to document what happens during sessions, and enables your practitioner to provide a relevant and informed service to you.
You are entitled to access your personal information kept on file at any time. Should you wish to see the information kept on your client records, please discuss this with your psychologist.
We will never share your information without your express consent, except under the following circumstances:
- There are concerns about your immediate safety or the safety of others
- Your information is subpoenaed by a court of law, or disclosure of your information is otherwise mandated by law.
- In cases of abuse, ongoing domestic violence, or neglect of a vulnerable person i.e. children, people with a disability or the elderly.
- If you are using a Medicare referral, we must periodically communicate with your referring doctor to update them on your mental health.
- If you are under 16, some information may be shared with your legal guardian. The specifics of this will be discussed during your first appointment.
- Your practitioner may consult with a colleague or supervisor regarding your work together; in this case, your identity will be kept anonymous.
We may contact Medicare to inquire about your Medicare claims or your eligibility for Medicare services as relevant to our services.
Data Security Policy
We employ all practical safety measures with your data, and ensure that it is stored securely. Where possible, we aim to ensure that your data is stored within Australia. We will only use your data for necessary administrative purposes.
We have no direct access to your payment details. They are stored securely with our payment provider, Stripe.
Some of your information may be stored with the following companies. We are satisfied that each one implements appropriate data security protocols: