newpathwayscounselling.com.au

Privacy and Confidentiality

The following points summarise the privacy and confidentiality procedures that will be followed at New Pathways Counselling and Support. The Privacy Amendment Act 2000 requires these procedures. Please read the following carefully and if you have any concerns, please discuss these with me before accepting the client agreement form.

As a counsellor I am required to belong to a professional accreditation association and am required to engage in ethical and legal conduct as well as have ongoing clinical supervision and professional development.
I may discuss clients with my supervisor but this remains strictly confidential. No names or specifically identifying information is discussed. This process is in the clients’ best interest as it helps me gain valuable feedback, which in turn contributes to my development as a therapist and to the quality of ongoing sessions.

As your therapist, I can only speak to someone else about you or let someone else know you are here if they have your written permission. There are some exceptions to this, of which you need to be aware:

  • If you disclose to me information regarding ongoing abuse of a child, this information may need to be passed onto the appropriate authorities.

  • If I have reason to believe that you may be in danger of physically hurting yourself or somebody else, then other people (such as family members, friends, emergency services) may need to be advised to protect you or others.

    If legal proceedings are taken out against New Pathways Counselling & Support or yourself relating to your situation, then your file may be subpoenaed by a court of law. You will be informed should this occur.

Storage and use of information.
  • Your file will be stored in a locked filing cabinet/or in 256-bit bank-grade security and encryption programme; meaning patient records, notes, and payment information are protected to the same level required by banks. These records can only be accessed by your personal practitioner. Only in case of emergency, will another clinician access details that may be contained in your file.
  • You are entitled to see the information that is kept by your practitioner about you. You may also have a right to a copy of that material and to make corrections to the information that you can demonstrate is incorrect. To proceed and access your file will require one week’s notice in writing.

  • Your practitioner has the right to deny access to some of the material in your file if it poses a serious threat to the life or health of yourself or another person or has an unreasonable impact on the privacy of other people.

Terms and Conditions:
Payment must be made at the conclusion of each therapy session either via cash, bank transfer or credit
card.

Urja gives 100% to sessions with you and asks that you do the same. Please be on time for your appointments. If you need to reschedule a session please give more than 24 hours’ notice so someone on her waiting list can be offered an appointment. Cancellations or changes received with less than 24 hours’ notice will be charged a $30 fee. Same-day cancellations or non-attendance without notice will be charged the full session fee.

To proceed with counselling, you will need to sign the Privacy and Confidentiality agreement along with the Terms and Conditions form. These will be sent to you on intake.