Welcome to my practice. This document is intended to provide some essential information about the counselling process. Please read the entire document carefully and be sure to ask me any questions that you may have regarding its content. If you are happy with the document, please sign at the bottom to indicate that you have reviewed this information.
Length and frequency of the treatment
Counselling typically involves regular sessions, usually 50 minutes in length. Duration and frequency vary depending on the nature of your concern and your individual needs.
Confidentiality
Information you share with me will be kept strictly confidential and will not be disclosed without your written consent. By law, however, confidentiality is not guaranteed in life-threatening situations involving yourself or others or in situations where children are put at risk (such as by sexual or physical abuse or neglect). If I need to discuss your treatment with a colleague, I will ensure that identifying information is disguised, including using a pseudonym. You also need to be aware that clients’ files stored at my practice may be subpoenaed by a court of law.
Fee policies
My fee for an individual counselling session is $100. If you need to cancel an appointment, please tell me at least 48 hours ahead. Otherwise, I will charge you for the missed session. Please be aware that my sessions are not covered by Medicare rebate.
Emergency
If there is an emergency during therapy where I will become concerned about your safety, the possibility of you harming yourself or others, or about you receiving proper mental health care, I will do whatever I can within the limits of the law, to prevent you from injuring yourself or others and to ensure that you receive appropriate medical care. For this purpose, I may also contact the person whose name you provided in the intake form.
Freedom to withdraw
You have the right to end the therapy at any time. If you wish, I will give you the names of other qualified counsellors and psychotherapists. But I would encourage you to discuss your thoughts about termination of the process with me first and allow at least 2 to 3 sessions to complete the counselling process properly.
Ethical and professional guidelines
My practice comes under the Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia (PACFA) standards. Please read the Ethical Code