Terms and Conditions

Please find following the ‘Terms and Conditions’ page for my services. These are necessary to keep you (the client) and me, (the provider), safe. Please read and feel free to ask me any questions you may have at any time throughout our time together.

If you have any questions, or need some support to read and/or understand these terms and conditions please get in contact with us so we can make an arrangement. Throughout this document, the terms “I”, “me”, and “my” and “we”, “us” and “our” refer to The Counselling Collective. The terms “you”, “your”, “client” and “user”refer to you.

The Albury Wodonga Counselling and Therapies offers this service, including all information, tools, website and therapy available to you conditional upon your acceptance of all terms, conditions, policies and notices stated here.

By visiting our site and/or purchasing something from us, you agree to be bound by the following terms and conditions (“Terms and Conditions”, “Terms”), including those additional terms and conditions and policies referenced herein and/or available by us. These Terms and Conditions apply to all users of the service, including without limitation users who are browsers, vendors, customers, merchants, and/or contributors of content.

If you do not agree to all the terms and conditions of this agreement, then you may not access or use any services. If these Terms and Conditions are considered an offer, acceptance is expressly limited to these Terms and Conditions.

We reserve the right to update, change or replace any part of these Terms and Conditions by posting updates and/or changes to our website. It is your responsibility to check this page periodically for changes. Your continued use of or access to the service following the posting of any changes constitutes acceptance of those changes.

We reserve the right, but are not obligated, to limit the sales of our products or services to any person, geographic region or jurisdiction. We may exercise this right on a case-by-case basis. We reserve the right to limit the quantities of any products or services that we offer.

All descriptions of products, services or prices are subject to change at anytime without notice, at the sole discretion of us. We reserve the right to discontinue any product or service at any time.

Access to Information

Your privacy is important to us. To provide you with the highest standard of care and maintain our services, the following individuals may access basic details and demographic information in your file:

Offshore Contractor: For administrative and operational purposes only.
Accounting and Finance Staff: For billing, invoicing, and financial record-keeping purposes.
Students: For educational and training purposes, under supervision and with adherence to confidentiality standards.

Please note that therapeutic notes and clinical documentation remain strictly confidential and are not accessible to these parties. Access is limited to non-clinical information such as your name, contact details, and appointment history as necessary to fulfill administrative or educational functions.

By signing this consent form, you acknowledge and agree to this limited access arrangement.

Privacy and Confidentiality

Albury Wodonga Counselling and Therapies takes your privacy very seriously. When sharing your information we will comply with the Australian Privacy Principals (APP) under the Privacy Act 1988 (CTH). We also operate in compliance with our obligations under other laws, regulations and industry codes as set by the Australian Counsellors Association and the Australian Association of Social Workers.

Confidentiality is a fundamental component of counselling. Any information discussed during your sessions is strictly confidential. Your therapist will obtain your consent before sharing your information with any person, agency or organisation.

LIMITS OF CONFIDENTIALITY

Confidentiality may be limited in certain circumstances. These circumstances may include:

If you express harm to yourself or others.
If your therapist is subpoenaed by a court of law.
All therapists at Albury Wodonga Counselling and Therapies are mandatory reporters. If there is any disclosure or information regarding harm, abuse or neglect involving children, this information, by law will be shared with governing authorities.

YOUR INFORMATION AND RECORD KEEPING

To ensure the safety and privacy of your information Albury Wodonga Counselling and Therapies utilises Splose, an independent external client management system designed specifically for allied health professionals. If you would like to know more about Splose and how your information is stored, kept and protected on their data system you can read their privacy policy here https://splose.com/privacy-policy

Albury Wodonga Counselling and Therapies by law are required to document session notes and case notes of client services. These will be entered and stored on the Splose client management system in the clients profile.

All technology devices and programs used at Albury Wodonga Counselling and Therapies are password protected. Any paper documentation received will be uploaded to the clients profile on Splose and kept in a key locked filing cabinet to be shredded or returned.

Albury Wodonga Counselling and Therapies uses Heidi Health to make our sessions even more focused and supportive. Heidi is a secure AI-based system that helps us capture notes more efficiently, giving us more time to focus on our conversation without manual note-taking. Attached is the link containing further details, including how Heidi protects your privacy. By default, we will begin using Heidi within your sessions unless you’d prefer to opt out. https://www.heidihealth.com/au/legal/privacy-policy

Informed Consent

Counselling services are intended to assist individuals in addressing a variety of personal, emotional, psychological, or relationship-related challenges. The primary goal of counselling is to collaboratively explore and address these concerns with the therapist's support to improve mental and emotional health and well-being.

Counselling or therapy may encompass confidential and privileged discussions about thoughts, feelings, experiences, and behaviors. The therapist will employ various therapeutic techniques and interventions to help the client achieve their therapeutic objectives and goals.

BENEFITS AND RISKS

Counselling and therapies may provide you with insights, coping skills, emotional relief, and personal growth. However, Albury Wodonga Counselling and Therapies can not guarantee any specific outcomes. The counselling process may evoke strong feelings and emotions. It is your responsibility to communicate any distress to your therapist throughout your support period, so they can uphold their duty of care to you and ensure you are appropriately supported outside of your therapy sessions.

I acknowledge that I am informed about the potential benefits and risks of counselling.

SAFETY

Your therapist at Albury Wodonga Counselling and Therapies has a duty of care to ensure safety to yourself and others receiving the service. If the therapist has reason to believe your safety is compromised, either through your admission or your mental health presentation, your therapist may have to contact relevant authorities such as police or ambulance to prioritize and ensure your safety.

I agree and understand Albury Wodonga Counselling and Therapies has a duty of care to my safety and wellbeing whilst i am engaged in the service.

Service Agreement

FEES AND PAYMENT

Albury Wodonga Counselling and Therapies fees:

Standard: $190 per 50- 60 minute session

NDIS: $190 per 50- 60 minute session

Concession: $150 per 50- 60 minute session

Payment for sessions are due to be paid immediately after each session.

Eftpos and bank transfer accepted

NDIS funded sessions to be pain within 3 business days

Other third party billing

Sessions will not be rebooked until all outstanding invoices are paid in full

I understand the fee structure for my/ my child’s counselling sessions and the accepted payment methods. I agree to pay for each session promptly in accordance with the agreed-upon fee schedule.

THIRD PARTY BILLING AND INSURANCE

I understand that if I choose to use health insurance or another third-party payer for counselling services, my confidential information may be disclosed to these entities for billing and reimbursement purposes only

CANCELLATION POLICY

Albury Wodonga Counselling and Therapies cancellation fees are as follows:

48 hours or less- full cost of the session fee

Cancellation fees are due to be paid before your next scheduled session.

Service Agreement

PURPOSE OF COUNSELLING

NATURE OF COUNSELLING

Counselling or therapy may encompass confidential and privileged discussions about thoughts, feelings, experiences, and behaviours. The therapist will employ various therapeutic techniques and interventions to help the client achieve their therapeutic objectives and goals.

BENEFITS AND RISKS

DURATION AND FREQUENCY

The duration and frequency of counselling sessions will be determined collaboratively with the therapist based on your individual needs, circumstances and goals.

TERMINATION OF SERVICES

I am aware that either my therapist or I may decide to terminate counselling services at any time for any reason. The therapist will engage in a discussion with you about such a decision, and provide appropriate referrals if necessary.

Rights and Responsibilities

RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Service Rights and Responsibilities

Albury Wodonga Counselling and Therapies agrees to:

Formulate treatment plans in collaboration with you, to ensure the support is in line with and meets your counselling and therapy goals.
Consult you on decisions about how supports are provided
Communicate openly and honestly in a timely manner
Treat you with courtesy and respect
Listen to feedback and aim to resolve any issues quickly
Hold safe and professional boundaries
Where possible give you adequate notice if the service agreement is to end
Protect your privacy and confidential information
Provide therapeutic services which are compliant with all relevant laws, practice standards and code of ethics as stated by the National Disability Insurance Scheme Act 2013 ,the Australian Consumer Law, Australian Counselling Association and the Australian Association of Social Workers.
Keep accurate records on the supports provided to you

Client Rights and Responsibilities

The client agrees to:

Inform your therapist about your counselling goals and what you would like to achieve accessing the service
Treat your therapist with courtesy and respect
To be open and engaged in the therapeutic journey with your therapist
To communicate any mental health or wellbeing safety concerns if they arise
To communicate any issues or grievances if they arise
To adhere to the service conditions and policies written in this agreement

Terms and Conditions

Access to Information

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Privacy and Confidentiality

Informed Consent

Service Agreement

Service Agreement

Rights and Responsibilities