General Consents

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Nature and Purpose of the Psychological Service

As part of providing a psychological service, including assessments and intervention, your practitioner will need to collect and record personal information about you. This information is a necessary part of psychological assessment and treatment. Psychology services vary depending on the personalities and interpersonal styles of both the practitioner and client, the particular issues you are seeing the practitioner for assistance with, and the practitioner's particular approach to working on issues. Your practitioner may use many different methods to deal with the problems that you hope to address. 

Your first few appointments will involve evaluating your needs. By the end of the assessment period, your practitioner will be able to offer you some initial impressions of what subsequent intervention will require, and will communicate this with you. If you have questions about the proposed treatment, you and your practitioner should discuss them when they arise. You may choose to discontinue appointments with your practitioner at any time. If you feel uncomfortable with what is happening during an appointment, you may request that the appointment cease immediately.

Cultural safety

This workplace is committed to respecting and incorporating cultural safety into practice. Please inform your practitioner about any cultural considerations that are important to you in the way services are provided and who you would like involved in your care. Please also inform your practitioner if you have specific access support needs, communication support needs such as interpreting, the use of assistive technology, resources provided in different languages, or any other support needs in order to assist your participation.

Appointment fees

Standard appointment fees are listed on the website here. Fees are payable directly after each consultation. Appointments are generally 50 minutes in duration.

By signing and submitting this form, I understand that:

  • My treating practitioner will confirm my fee with me in the first appointment, and is entitled to set the professional fee as outlined on the website;

  • It is my responsibility to pay Wise Psychology the professional fee as documented on the website and agreed during the first appointment;

  • If I am eligible for Medicare rebates, I am required to pay the full fee, and that once this fee is paid, Wise Psychology will generally submit Medicare claims on my behalf;

  • If issues arise in the claiming of Medicare reimbursement, I will be notified, and am responsible for submitting any subsequent claims; and

  • I can ask questions and discuss concerns about the professional fees with my treating practitioner at any time.

Bookings & cancellations

Bookings will not be effective until confirmed in writing by us.

If you wish to cancel or reschedule an appointment, the following appointment costs will usually apply:

a. When providing notification of cancellation or reschedule fewer than two business days* before an appointment, 50% of the full appointment cost will be payable.

b. When providing notification of cancellation or reschedule less than one business day* before an appointment, 100% of the full appointment cost will be payable.

c. When no notice of cancellation or reschedule is provided and the appointment is not attended, 100% of the appointment cost will be payable.

d. These costs will be payable regardless of whether a deposit has been received.

*e.g. Changes to a 10 am appointment on a Monday must be notified no later than 10 am on the Thursday prior the appointment to avoid paying a fee. The definition of ‘business days’ is Monday to Friday standard business hours.

If our service is cancelled by us, no cancellation fee will be payable and you may have the option of rescheduling or receiving a refund in full with no deductions or fees applicable.

No Medicare or private health insurance rebate is possible to be claimed on cancelled appointments.

Sessions will be considered 'not attended' 20 minutes after the scheduled start time. If you arrive 20 minutes or more after the scheduled start time, the session will be considered cancelled, and relevant fees will apply.

Medicare Rebates

Under the Medicare Benefits Schedule (Better Access), Medicare rebates are available to clients with an assessed mental disorder, if they and their practitioner reside in Australia. Medicare rebates are accessed with a Mental Health Treatment Plan and eligible referral from a medical practitioner such as a GP, psychiatrist, or paediatrician. The rebate is limited to a maximum of 10 appointments per calendar year and is only available with a valid referral. Please note the maximum number of appointments per referral is six, and rebates cannot be provided beyond the number stated on the referral.

Private Health Insurance

Some private health insurance policies partially cover psychology services. If you are using private health insurance, you acknowledge that you will check with your insurance company to determine eligibility for such claims, and will submit such claims directly to your insurer as required.

Multiple or dual relationships

Wise Psychology is committed to maintaining clear, ethical boundaries. To protect client wellbeing and ensure that practitioner  therapeutic judgement remains objective and free from conflict, our practitioners avoid entering into any additional relationships with clients, as this may that could impair professional effectiveness or create a real or perceived risk of harm.

A multiple or dual relationship may occur when the psychologist has another role with a client outside therapy (e.g., professional, social, educational, financial, collegial or familial). If an unavoidable dual relationship emerges, your practitioner will discuss this with you transparently, assess risks, implement safeguards to protect your interests (such as referral to another practitioner if appropriate), and obtain informed consent before proceeding. Your safety, confidentiality and the integrity of the therapeutic process take priority at all times.

In practice, this means:

  • Our practitioners will not commence therapy where they hold another relationship with our clients that might compromise objectivity or create a power imbalance.

  • Our practitioners will not form personal, social, financial or business relationships with clients.

  • If a conflict of interest emerges at any time, your practitioner may arrange a referral or alternative support to ensure safe, ethical care.

  • You are encouraged to raise any concerns about boundaries or conflicts of interest at any time.

Telehealth services

The benefits of telehealth/video conferencing therapy appointments can include:

  • Continued access to your practitioner;

  • Continued therapeutic support as part of your treatment plan; and

  • Avoiding the need to travel to attend appointments.

You acknowledge that you are aware that there are also potential risks and disadvantages of telehealth/video conferencing therapy sessions and that these can include the possibility that:

  • Telehealth/video conferencing may not feel the same as face-to-face sessions;

  • Technical problems could affect the video/sound quality or internet connection, which may disrupt the session in some ways; and

  • Although your practitioner uses video conferencing software, which has end-to-end encryption and high-security standards, there remains a small risk of the service being monitored by others.

Your practitioner will take necessary precautions to ensure confidentiality, including:

  • Choosing a secure telehealth platform;

  • Ensuring the privacy of the telehealth appointment is upheld in the same way an in-person appointment would be, by choosing a private location and aiming to keep the appointment free from interruptions; and

  • Not allowing any voice or video recording of the appointment.

You may ask questions about the telehealth appointment anytime.  Attending a telehealth/video conferencing appointment is not compulsory, and you can withdraw your consent at any time.

If you do not wish to continue or if technical difficulties interfere with the appointment to the point where the appointment cannot continue, a phone consultation may be offered as an alternative.

Emergencies

In an emergency, please go to the nearest hospital's emergency department or call 000. For further information, refer to the website for your local health district. 

For after-hours immediate phone support, you may find it helpful to call Lifeline on 13 11 14.

Code of Conduct

To ensure a safe and effective treatment environment, we maintain a zero-tolerance policy against abusive or intrusive conduct. By using our service, you agree to the following rules:

Respectful Communication

You agree not to engage in personal verbal or written attacks, harassment, or abusive language towards your practitioner or any staff member. This includes threats, slurs, insults, or otherwise intimidating behaviour.

Personal Boundaries

You agree not to engage in intrusive contact, such as using any practitioner or staff member’s personal channels (e.g., personal phone, social media), or sending excessive, demanding messages to any practitioner or staff member via any channel.

Safety & Security

You must not engage in any behaviour that compromises the physical or psychological safety of your practitioner, any staff member, or the therapeutic space. Actions intended to threaten, manipulate, or cause distress are strictly forbidden.

Privacy

You must not record appointments (audio or video) without your practitioner's prior written consent. You are also responsible for joining appointments from a private location to do your part to protect the confidentiality of your conversations.

Consequences of violation

Any violation of this code may result in the termination of your therapeutic relationship and/or exclusion from Wise Psychology Pty Ltd’s service.