Terms and conditions

Accessing the Wellness & Co. Counselling & Supervision website constitutes use of the Site and acceptance of these Terms and Conditions. By using the Site, you agree to these Terms and Conditions and acknowledge that you have read them without modification. We reserve the right to change these Terms and Conditions and/or impose new conditions, fees and services on use of the Site from time to time. Any changes to these Terms and Conditions will be communicated and published on the Site.

Wellness & Co. Counselling & Supervision cannot guarantee the outcome of services, recommendations or information provided on the website or by email. By participating in a consultation session by phone, video or online, you acknowledge that the information provided is general in nature and is not intended to replace advice from your medical, legal or other professional advisers.

Wellness & Co. Counselling & Supervision may provide information relating to counselling, supervision, well-being, mental health and related topics for informational purposes only. By using the Wellness & Co. Counselling & Supervision website, services and products, you acknowledge that Wellness & Co. Counselling & Supervision is providing general information only.

In order to use the Site, products and services, you may be required to provide information about yourself, including your name, phone number, email address and other personal information. You agree that any information you give to Wellness & Co. Counselling & Supervision will be accurate, correct and up to date. You must not impersonate someone else or provide account information or an email address other than your own. Your account must not be used for any illegal or unauthorised purpose. You must not, in the use of the Site, violate any laws in your jurisdiction.

We reserve the right to immediately refuse you access to the website and all its products and services without refund if you violate these terms.

Late Cancellations and No Shows.

Please note that we operate strictly by appointment only. We require a 50% deposit to secure all appointments. A late cancellation attracts the full fee. A late cancellation is defined as providing less than four (4) days’ notice of cancellation or rescheduling, and includes all no shows. If you are more than 15 minutes late to your appointment, this will be considered a no show and the full fee will apply. Sessions that go over time may incur an additional fee. Fees are subject to change. Please see your appointment confirmation email for current fees. All late payments will incur a late payment fee.

Payments are made by credit or debit card using Square, and payment details are stored securely.

The booking system allows for rescheduling, provided it is at least 96 hours prior to your appointment. A late cancellation fee of the full fee may be charged if your appointment is cancelled within 96 hours of your appointment.

Private Health Insurance.

Please check with your private health insurance company to find out whether rebates are available for counselling services under your extras cover.

We are providers with:

• Medibank Private Health Insurance
• Bupa
• Police Health Fund
• CUA Health Insurance
• Teacher Union Health Fund
• Emergency Services Health Insurance
• Phoenix Health Fund
• GMHBA
• St Luke’s Health
• Westfund Health Insurance
• WorkSafe VIC

We can advise you about counselling eligibility with the listed health funds. Specific counsellors must be requested if you are seeking rebates through private health insurance.

Medicare does not offer reimbursements for counselling services.

Medicare Rebate:

Medicare benefits are available for a range of psychological services under the Better Access program. Eligible people can receive up to 10 subsidised individual and 10 subsidised group mental health treatment services per calendar year. At Wellness & Co. Counselling & Supervision, Medicare rebates only apply to eligible appointments with psychologists and where the client has a valid Mental Health Care Plan. Medicare rebates are not available for counselling services.

You can find instructions on how to claim Medicare on our website. Medicare rebates are only available for appointments that have been arranged under a Mental Health Care Plan prior to your first appointment. Psychological services provided without a Mental Health Care Plan incur the full service fee and are not eligible for a Medicare rebate.

Eligibility for Service.

To access Wellness & Co. Counselling & Supervision counselling services and products, you will need to be:

• Aged 18 years or over
• Currently residing in Australia
• For video chat, 18 years or over
• Clients under 18 years of age require parent or guardian consent to use services

Wellness & Co. Counselling & Supervision is not a crisis support service. If you require urgent support, please contact:

• Emergency Services – 000
• Lifeline – 13 11 14 http://lifeline.org.au
• Beyond Blue – 1300 22 4636 http://beyondblue.org.au
• Kids Helpline – 1800 55 1800 http://kidshelpline.com.au
• Suicide Call Back Service – 1300 659 467 http://suicidecallbackservice.org.au

Technical Issues.

Wellness & Co. Counselling & Supervision is not able to answer technical or IT questions. We cannot guarantee that the technology used to deliver online counselling will always be available, function as intended or operate without interruption. In the event of a technical failure, the counsellor will work with you to try to maintain the continuity of the online counselling session.

Use of Electronic Communications.

You must not forward email messages or other electronic communications from Wellness & Co. Counselling & Supervision and/or its counsellors to other people, except where this has been agreed in advance by Wellness & Co. Counselling & Supervision and written permission has been provided.

You may not use advice or information provided by Wellness & Co. Counselling & Supervision out of context, or pass on that advice to another person or organisation.

Prohibition Against Recording Video, Phone or Face-to-Face Counselling Sessions.

All counselling sessions are for the benefit of the client only. You must not record the counselling session or services provided, copy it, distribute it or make any part of it available to any other person.

Important notice:

Online or telehealth counselling is only one form of counselling and may not be appropriate for all people. You should consider other options that may better suit your personal needs, such as in-person counselling.

You may consider options other than online or telehealth counselling if:

• You are at risk of self-harm
• You may be at risk of harm from another person if the details of the counselling conversation became known
• You have a diagnosed mental health condition
• You do not feel comfortable using written words to express yourself

Any decisions you make and any action you take as a consequence of your online or telehealth counselling session are at your own risk and are your responsibility.

Safety

If Wellness & Co. Counselling & Supervision identifies concerns that you are at risk to yourself or others, your counsellor will speak with you about this.

In most circumstances, Wellness & Co. Counselling & Supervision will follow the process below:

• Request details such as your location and best contact number so that a counsellor may provide support and/or practical assistance.
• Continue to work with you and attempt to obtain as much relevant information as possible. We will work with you to help keep you safe and provide referrals to local services.
• If you choose not to provide Wellness & Co. Counselling & Supervision with information, we may be unable to follow up in the event of an emergency and will be limited in the practical assistance we can provide.
• If your safety cannot be assured, Wellness & Co. Counselling & Supervision may choose to alert local emergency services in an effort to protect your safety or the safety of others.

Please note that if you attempt to harm yourself during the course of your online counselling session, your counsellor will terminate the session and contact emergency services.

Zero Tolerance Policy

This policy states that staff have the right to be treated with dignity and respect, and that abuse will not be tolerated. It may also outline the consequences for those who abuse staff, such as removal from a patient list.

Unacceptable Actions Policy

This policy defines what constitutes unacceptable behaviour, such as language or behaviour that is derogatory, racist, sexist or transphobic. It may also state that the workplace will assess each situation individually.

Disclaimers

Wellness & Co. Counselling & Supervision does not accept any liability or responsibility for any loss, damage and/or injury suffered, nor for any action or inaction taken by you.

By accessing the Wellness & Co. Counselling & Supervision website and/or purchasing any counselling programs, products or services, you are voluntarily agreeing to this Disclaimer. You agree that you have read, understood and consented to the terms and conditions herein. Any enquiries can be made via the Wellness & Co. Counselling & Supervision website before purchasing. You must be eighteen (18) years of age and have the legal ability to agree to this Disclaimer. If you are under 18 years of age, a parent and/or guardian is required for use of, and agreement to, these terms and conditions.

For all enquiries and feedback:

Please email: info@wellnessandco.com.au