Counselling Agreement
Counsellor responsibilities
The counsellor will:
- Collaboratively support the client’s self-empowerment journey.
- Communicate openly, responsively, and honestly in a timely manner.
- Treat the client with courtesy and respect.
- Uphold the client’s legal and human rights.
- Respect the client’s privacy.
- Honour the client’s individuality, free of discrimination.
- Regularly ask the client for feedback.
- Provide as much notice as possible if the counsellor needs to reschedule a counselling session.
- Provide evidence-based practices.
Ongoing agreement
This contract does not expire, and the client will continue to receive counselling services under this contract for as long as the service remains beneficial to the client. The counsellor will continue to monitor the client’s wellbeing and progress to determine the ongoing beneficence of the service. The counsellor will transparently discuss the client’s progress with them. If the client or counsellor believe that the counselling service is not adequately beneficial to the client then they will raise this with the other party and agree to alter the counselling approach, refer the client to a third-party, or cease the counselling contract.
Service delivery
Counselling service hours are between 9am and 5pm, Monday to Friday. As a sole operator the counsellor has limited availability to respond to calls and emails immediately, but will respond as soon as practicable. No communication will be entered into outside of service hours. Communication that specifically relates to the client’s therapeutic endeavours is limited to occurring within counselling sessions.
The client will be allocated the same one-hour time slot for their counselling session every week, fortnight, or four weeks. The frequency of appointments will be mutually determined. If the client requires an additional counselling session earlier than their next scheduled appointment, then this will be accommodated where possible.
Payment & cancellations
Each counselling session is 50 minutes and costs $120. The counsellor will allow an additional 10 minutes for the client’s first session, at no additional cost to the client, to enable the client to ask any questions and ensure this agreement is in place. Payments are to be made at the time of each session and can be made through the online payment portal, EFTPOS, or Osko funds transfer.
Cancellations should be made at least 24 hours before the scheduled appointment to allow the time slot to be used by another person requiring counselling services. A cancellation fee equivalent to the full session fee will be payable if cancellations are made with less than 24 hours’ notice given to the counsellor and the time slot can’t be filled by another client.
If any reports or liaisons with third parties are requested by the client, then such services will also be provided at an hourly rate of $120, pro rata. The client will be invoiced upon completion of the work and required to attend to payment within seven (7) days of the invoice being issued.
Confidentiality & privacy
The content of all counselling sessions will be treated as highly confidential. However, there are a few circumstances in which the counsellor may be required to break confidentiality. These are:
- If the client’s counselling records have been requested by a court of law;
- If the client provides express written consent for the counsellor to release certain information to a third-party; or
- If there’s a risk of harm. “Harm” includes any risk of harm to the client, the risk of the client harming someone else, or any suspected risk of harm to a child.
The counsellor may also discuss the client’s counselling sessions with their professional supervisor from time to time to improve the counsellor’s practice and provide the best service possible to the client. If details about the client’s counselling sessions are shared with the counsellor’s professional supervisor, then the client’s name and any other identifying information will be withheld to protect the client’s identity.
All client information and notes from counselling sessions (data) will be retained by the counsellor for no less than seven years. The data will be stored securely and will only be accessible by the counsellor. The data may be used for research purposes to enhance the counselling industry’s knowledge. However, any data analysed and reported on would be de-identified to ensure your anonymity. Please advise the counsellor if you do not wish for your deidentified data to be included in any research analysis and reporting.
Feedback & complaints
Client feedback is encouraged to support an effective therapeutic relationship. The client will be intermittently asked for feedback within counselling sessions and the client may also provide written feedback. As a small business, it’s hoped that any grievances are discussed in person; however, should the client feel that their concern requires external consideration, a complaint may be lodged with the Victorian Health Complaints Commissioner.
Questions & concerns
The client should not sign this agreement until any questions or concerns they have about it have been raised with the counsellor and addressed. By signing the agreement, the client is acknowledging that they fully understand and agree to its terms.
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