Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy

Psychological Privacy Policy As part of providing a service to you, your psychologist will need to collect and record personal information that is relevant to your treatment. You do not have to give all your personal information, but if you don’t this may limit the services provided to you. Your personal information is gathered as part of your assessment and part of your therapy is kept securely and, in the interests of your privacy, used only by your psychologist and the authorised personnel of the practice (as necessary). For assessments our trainee clinicians may assist in data management and handling.

Our client data is stored securly with Cliniko, they hold the utmost privacy and security concerns and meet Australian standards for data management. Client reports and treatment notes may be prepared using deidentified data with the assistance of Australian based HIPPA AI secured that does not learn from data or store client data.

Psychological Service (50 minute or 75 minute sessions) As part of providing a service to you, your psychologist will need to collect and record personal information that is relevant to your treatment. You do not have to give all your personal information, but if you don’t this may limit the services provided to you. Your personal information is gathered as part of your assessment and part of your therapy is kept securely and, in the interests of your privacy, used only by your psychologist and the authorised personnel of the practice (as necessary).

 Access to client information At any stage you are entitled to access your personal information kept on file, subject to exceptions in the relevant legislation. The psychologist may discuss with you different possible forms of access. Please review the following information regarding the release of information, children and separated parents here

 Confidentiality  All information provided will remain confidential. Limitations to confidentiality are when: 1) disclosure is required by law or subpoenaed by a court, 2) failure to disclose information would place you or another person at serious and imminent risk as assessed by the psychologist, and 3) your written consent has been obtained, 4) Where you have been referred by a G.P or medical specialist and the information provided is relevant to you treatment. If you are attending therapy with your partner you agree that information shared within an individual session is free to be shared in joint sessions and that you need joint consent to remove/share information from joint sessions.

 Payments & Cancellation  Payment is required at the time of the consultation by EFTPOS or direct debit we are unable to accept cash payments.

If there is no way to keep your appointment by video/phone or in person and you need to change your appointment, please provide at least 48 hours notice so we can offer care to another person and call head office on 08 6007 3211 or email – Do not SMS. For cancellations/reschedules/non-attendance made with 48hrs notice the fee is $150.  If we can rebook the appointment, you will not be charged. A portion of late notice fees goes to support the Smith Family Australian Children’s Charity.

PLEASE NOTE: there are no Medicare payments, or TAC or Workcover reimbursements, for late notice fees or missed appointments.

What to expect at your first visit   Consultations usually go for around 50 minutes or 75 minutes for couples

When you arrive take a seat in our comfortable waiting area. Your psychologist will invite you into the consulting room and begin by asking ask you about what you would like help with, your stressors, your personal history, and family and relationships. At the end of the consultation, your psychologist will provide some feedback about the problem, identify your goals and explain what type of therapy will be provided. You will then have a chance to ask any questions. Consultations run on time so please arrive on time.

How long should you stay in counselling?

The length of therapy is quite variable, and the final decision regarding the length of therapy rests jointly with you and your psychologist. Some people stay for two or three sessions, while others are in counselling for two or three years or more.  Most people need between 6 to 14 sessions to overcome general anxiety, depression or relationship issues. This can vary for more complex issues.

Privacy Policy and Storage of Credit Card Details

We collect your name, credit card details and email address and store them securely in Eway for the purposes of streamlining our administration service to you, saving you and reception time at the end of your appointment. 

Your details will not be passed onto any third parties. For your privacy, we only have access to the last 4 digits of your card after it is entered into the system.

If you are making payments for another party attending our service, providing your credit card details provides consent to make payment for up to 6 sessions of therapy, after which we will seek approval for another 6 sessions. You can withdraw your consent at any time by contacting admin@aresolution.com.au. Session information about the person attending therapy is kept in line with our confidentiality policy.

Payments 

Invoices and payments are processed between 8 am and 9 am on the day of your booked session unless a valid third-party payment agreement is in place.

Please ensure that funds are available 24hrs prior to your session. If you cannot make payment please pay PRIOR to your session via bank transfer or at reception before your session and email your receipt to admin@aresolution.com.au.

Clients are responsible for ensuring they obtain valid referrals for their service and are responsible for the payment of session fees regardless of the status of their claims for insurance, NDIS, EAP or other third parties.

Please bring your referral for NDIS or Insurance to your first appointment for us to process third-party claims on your behalf or simply settle your account and send to your claims manager. 

Unpaid accounts attract an administration fee of $2.50 per reminder.

Unpaid Accounts

We request timely payments of accounts to ensure a smooth service delivery.  Accounts note paid on the day of service attract a fee of $2.50 per reminder.  Accounts over 45 days old will be sent to a debt recovery agency and recovery fees will be added to the account.

Late Notice Fee/Refunds/Dispute Resolution

Once you book an appointment it is yours, fees for your booked appointments are due on the day of service. We are able to offer video or phone sessions if you cannot make your appointment in person.

A late notice fee is charged unless you can provide a medical certificate for non-attendance at your session.

Privacy & Phone calls

Phone calls to reception may be recorded for training and reviewing, these will be stored for up to 3 months unless they are deemed relevant to our service.

Dispute Resolution

Please provide a valid medical certificate if you wish to dispute your late notice policy fee or contact your psychologist directly. If you have any concerns about the quality of therapy please discuss this with your psychologist or the practice manager on 08 6007 3211 or email admin@aresolution.com.au.