Privacy Policy & Service Information

This policy outlines the ways in which Tammy’s counselling handles the personal information of our clients. We take privacy seriously and are committed to protecting our client’s personal information collected as part of our work (whether the information is publicly available or not), its storage, and disclosure.

Terms and Conditions:

Counselling Service Personal Information

As part of providing a mental health service to you, we need to collect and record personal information from you that is relevant to your current situation. This information will be a necessary part of the assessment and treatment that is conducted.

You may view and/or have a copy of the material recorded in your file upon request, subject to the exceptions in National Privacy Principle 6.

Personal information

Personal information is any information about an individual that can be used that can be used to identify them directly or indirectly. This includes information such as their names, address, phone number, email address, and date of birth.

Sensitive information is a type of personal information which includes details, for example, about a person’s racial or ethnic origins, political or religious beliefs, sexual orientation, health, or genetic information, family court order, or criminal record. The breach of sensitive information is likely to leave people open to discrimination or embarrassment.

Why we collect personal information

The sharing of personal information by a client to Tammy’s Counselling assists us to assess and support the client in processing their identified concerns. Personal information is retained to enable us to provide a relevant and informed service. Within our practice and due to our duty of care a client cannot be anonymous. A client may request to use a pseudonym, but a name as listed on ID’s is required.

How we collect personal information

We collect personal information through a variety of means, including:

o   The information you verbally share with us

o   Written communication received from you via email, SMS, or letter

o   Our online booking system

o   Our intake form

o   Social media

o   The guardian of those under 18 years of age

o   A referral from your GP or another treating practitioner or service.

Our storage of personal information

To protect the personal information, we hold from misuse or loss we store it in several ways, all of which are secure and can only be accessed by approved individuals. The method of storage varies between typed of information and includes both hard copies and digital versions (either on a secure server or offline).

We do not retain any credit card or banking details once processing the payment is finalised. We also try not to retain unnecessary information, disposing of it securely from time to time, depending on the type of information it is and our legal obligations.

If we become aware of a security breach we will promptly investigate and, where appropriate, take remedial action and notify the individual affected in accordance with the Privacy Act.

Disclosure of your personal information

We will not disclose personal information about you to third parties without your consent, except when the disclosure is required by law.

It is unlikely that we will disclose any information to a recipient outside of Australia.

Accessing your personal information

You may request access to personal information we hold about you. We may ask you to specify what information you require and may charge a fee where we provide access.

We deal with all requests for access to personal information as required by the Privacy Act. We may refuse to provide access if the Privacy Act allows us to do so.

Integrity of your personal information

We try to ensure that the personal information we collect is accurate and up to date. You may request an update or correction to personal information we hold about you, and we will deal with all such requests as required by the Privacy Act.

Complaints

If you think your personal information has not been handled in line with the Privacy Act, please contact us in the first instance. We will investigate your complaint and try to promptly resolve your complaint directly with you.

Changes to this privacy policy

We may make changes to this privacy policy from time to time and in such cases we will notify clients by email or on our website.

Confidentiality

All personal information gathered by the therapist during the provision of the service will remain confidential and secure within the organization except when:

• It is subpoenaed by a court, or

• Failure to disclose the information would place you or another person at risk; or

• Your prior approval has been obtained to:

• Provide a written report to another previously uninvolved professional or agency (for example GP, Lawyer)

• Discuss the material with another person (for example: partner, employer)

Please note that while this email is regularly used to schedule appointments, we do not recommend you send confidential information to your therapist via email, as email is not secure, and your privacy cannot be guaranteed.

Service Provision Via Telehealth

Therapy provided to you by video call or phone call is referred to as telehealth.

You are responsible for your own technology costs associated with setting yourself up to access telehealth services.

Tammy’s counselling will be responsible for the cost associated with the platform used to conduct the telehealth services.

To access telehealth sessions, you will need access to a quiet, private space; an appropriate device (example: smartphone, computer, webcam); and a reliable broadband internet connect.

The privacy of any form of communication via the internet is potentially vulnerable and limited by the security of the technology used. To support the security of your personal information, for video calls we use Zoom, hosted on our own secure server, with end-to-end encryption.

A telehealth session may be subject to technical limitations such as unstable network connection which may affect the quality of the psychology session.

Telehealth might not be suitable for your treatment. Your therapist will consider and discuss with you the appropriateness of ongoing telehealth sessions.

Cancellation and Fee Policy

If you need to cancel or postpone the appointment, please give us at least 24 hours’ notice, otherwise, you may be charged the cost of the session.

Limitations of Service

You acknowledge that we are not an emergency service, are not always available at short notice or outside our regular practice hours, and we may not be able to respond to telephone calls or emails requesting urgent assistance. Ask your therapist if you wish to be provided with the details of other services who can provide these services.

It is important that you are fully informed about counselling and the counselling process prior to commencing therapy. For this reason, please read the following carefully and do not hesitate to ask any questions.

Some Important Facts About Counselling

Professional counselling is a safe and confidential collaboration between qualified counsellors and clients to promote mental health and wellbeing, enhance self-understanding, and resolve concerns. Clients are active participants at every stage of the counselling process (PACFA Scope of Practice for Registered Counsellors 2018, p.2).

People seek counselling for a wide range of reasons. I look forward to exploring your reasons for making your appointment with me and to navigate the counselling journey together.

We are all unique human beings with our own history, perceptions, and expectations, and as a result the outcomes of counselling can vary widely. This means as your counsellor I cannot promise any particular outcome for the counselling process, but I can assure you that I am committed to best practice with you in resolving your concerns.

It’s the very nature of counselling that these processes may deal with issues and aspects of your life that might spark or be a catalyst for triggering a wide range of feelings and reactions. It is important therefore to keep me informed of any such experiences should they arise, in order to ensure my support.

To help you get the best out of the counselling process, the following guidelines are useful:

o   Aim to attend every scheduled session

o   Be prepared to share your thoughts and feelings openly with me

o   Complete any out-of-session tasks we agree to

o   When unsure, ask for clarification about any of the counselling activities being undertaken, and discuss any doubts or concerns you have with me.

My Professional Background and Counselling Approach

Having completed a master’s degree in counselling, I consider that the relationship established between the client and myself is central to the counselling process. I seek to provide an atmosphere that is respectful and non-judgemental in which each person can feel that their experience is understood and valued. I utilize an integrated and informed approach to my counselling and draw on a range of theory to understand how to facilitate processes of change and growth including theory that addresses human development, personality and character, patterns of attachment, and contemporary psychodynamic theory.

Some Practicalities

Hours of practice:

My consulting hours are from 10:00 am to 7:00 pm weekdays. There is a limited outside-hours service for which appointments can be made.

Session frequency:

A typical counselling session is 60 minutes in length. Whilst the frequency of sessions depends on the client and the nature of the concern, I do recommend an initial commitment to five appointments preferably on a weekly or fortnightly basis.

Scheduled sessions

Sessions are offered via telehealth. Sessions via phone or video conferencing are provided on the bases that we both:

o   Ensure that we have a confidential and uninterrupted space; this may or may not involve using a headset,

o   Will not record sessions, and

o   As far as we are able, will aim to have reliable connectivity.

Please advise me not less than 24 hours in advance if you cannot attend an appointment. Failure to do so will incur a charge.

Fees

The hourly charge for counselling sessions will vary based on your booking (age group, individuals or couples) and is payable online at the time of the booking via Card.

In an emergency

As I do not provide crisis service, if there is an emergency please contact:

o   Your doctor, or the emergency section of your local hospital

o   Lifeline on 13 11 14, or the Mental Health triage Service on 13 14 65.

My supervision

I have ethical responsibility to reflect on my counselling practice. As part of this professional reflection, I may discuss my work with you with a clinical supervisor. In such situations, content presented is de-identified.

Contact us

If you have any questions relating to privacy matters or service information, please contact us at tammy1.counselling@gmail.com

Thank you for choosing our practice to seek support. We value and prioritise creating an inclusive and safe environment for all individuals. to better serve you, please provide us with the following information: 

 If the client is a minor, please provide details of the parent/guardian filling this form