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Terms of Service
By engaging our services, you confirm that you have read, understood, and agree to our Terms of Service which can be found below.
1. The terms of the ContractThe terms of this contract are important. They help you to understand what to expect. They include the fees you pay, the time of your appointments, the frequency of sessions and what you and your counsellor expect from each other. Throughout this document, the terms “I”, “me”, and “my” and “we”, “us” and “our” refer to Savvy Counselling & Consulting. The terms “you”, “your”, “client”, “user” or "Participant" refer to you.
2. Personal Information As part of providing a counselling and consulting service to you, Savvy Counselling & Consulting will need to collect and record personal information from you that is relevant to your current situation. This includes taking notes during the sessions, and the information will be a necessary part of the counselling and consulting assessment and service provided. You do not have to give all of your personal information, but if you don’t, this may mean that the counsellor is unaware of something which may be pertinent to your current situation. By engaging our services, you confirm that you have read, understood, and agree to our Privacy Policy, Cancellation Policy, and Complaints Policy that can be found on our website.
3. Access to Participant Information At any stage, you have the right to access the personal information that Savvy Counselling & Consulting has on file about you upon written request. A small administration fee may apply to cover the cost to process your request. Official Government Photo Identification will be required (Drivers license, Passport, or other government issued photo ID) before any requested information is handed over. Please allow up to 7 days for the request to be processed.
4. Confidentiality All personal information gathered by the counsellor during the provision of the counselling service will remain confidential and secure except where: 1. It is subpoenaed by a court, or 2. Failure to disclose the information would place you or another person at serious and imminent risk; or 3. Your prior approval has been obtained to: a) provide a written report and/or referral to another professional or agency. eg. a GP or a lawyer; or b) discuss the material with another person, eg. a parent or employer; or if disclosure is otherwise required or authorised by law. This also includes if someone else is paying for the services on your behalf. In this situation, your name and billing information will be disclosed. 4. The counsellor undertaking Supervision may discuss your situation with a qualified supervisor in which your strict confidentiality will be maintained, as all information will be de-identified. Note: Supervision is fundamentally to protect clients, and to improve the ability of Counsellors to provide value to their clients, and to monitor the self-care of the Counsellor, or health care professional,
5. Indemnity/ Hold Harmless clauseAs the service provider, we have a duty of care to our clients, and we will endeavor to uphold this to the best of our abilities, however, by engaging our services, you agree that you will indemnify and hold harmless Savvy Counselling & Consulting, including it's staff from, and against all losses, claims, suits or other legal liability and legal expenses of any nature imposed upon or brought against them by reason of any act or omission of the contractor/service provider, or its agent or employees in the course of performing the work of providing the services that are the subject of this contract. You acknowledge by engaging, and/or accessing the use of our services (including online services) are done so at your own free will and also at your own risk.
6. Fee's Fees are payable at the start of each session by debit/credit card with receipt sent to you via email. If you receive an invoice from Savvy Counselling & Consulting, these are to be paid in full within 14 days from the date shown on the invoice. We are a cash free business, and accept cards only. 7. Refusal of Service Savvy Counselling & Consulting reserve the right to refuse any, and all services to anyone for any reason at any time. If a client/participant arrives under the influence of alcohol, drugs, or other substances, or becomes abusive or aggressive before or during the session, we reserve the right to cancel that session immediately, and the session will still be charged for in full. The care and safety of our staff and clients/participants is our first priority.
8. Harm to Self or Others If your personal safety is at risk, or there is the possibility of you injuring someone else, the Counsellor must do whatever they can within the limits of the law, to prevent you from injuring yourself, or others, and to ensure that you receive the proper care. For this purpose, the Counsellor may need to contact the police, hospital or an emergency contact whose name you have provided at the commencement of counselling. This is, however, very rare and in any circumstances like this, your Counsellor will make every reasonable effort to discuss the situation with you first and limit the disclosure to what is necessary. This includes, but not limited to: - Suspected, or known child abuse/neglect - Suspected, or known elder abuse, neglect, exploitation or isolation - Risk of imminent serious harm to another - Risk of imminent serious harm to yourself.
9. Attendance to Sessions. If you arrive late for your appointment or service, no additional time will be added or allocated, and you accept that your appointment or service will be charged at full price between the originally designated times, and that you will only receive the remaining time for that session. In exceptional circumstances, we may reschedule your appointment, but this is at the discretion of Savvy Counselling & Consulting. This attendance clause applies to all services, including online and phone Counselling.
10. Cancellation and Refund PolicyNote: The following Cancellation and refund policies apply to all Counselling services, Mentoring Services, and Presentation Services.Payment for services is taken at the start of each session, however, If you are unable to attend your scheduled appointment, please inform Savvy Counselling & Consulting at least 1 day (24 hours) before the start time of your scheduled appointment. No cancellation Charge will apply. If you Cancel within 1 day (24 hours) before the start time of your scheduled appointment, the full cost of the service will apply. Our Cancellation Policy can also be found on our website.
Note: The following Cancellation and refund policies apply to all Wellbeing Consulting Services, and Disaster & Crisis services, and Community Resilience Building services.All cancellations will incur a cancellation fee of 50% of the total service cost with no exceptions.
11. Termination of Service The average number of Counselling sessions is 6 sessions, over 6 weeks; however, this varies from person to person depending on their individual situation and needs. When you feel ready to finish your counselling, it is important to bring this up with your counsellor so that together you can plan for ending the counselling sessions in a satisfactory way. This may take more than a few sessions to accomplish.
12. Out of session Contact Sometimes clients want extra contact with their counsellor. It is inadvisable to mix a social and a therapeutic relationship, also known as a Dual Relationship. A Dual Relationship is one where your personal life coincides with the professional relationship you have with your Counsellor. Sometimes you may accidently meet your counsellor outside of the sessions – it is important to tell your counsellor how you want to handle this, however we will never acknowledge working therapeutically with anyone, without the clients/ participants written permission, other than in the rare circumstances outlined in our privacy policy. In some instances, even with permission, your Counsellor will preserve the integrity of the working relationship. For this reason, your Counsellor will not accept any invitations via social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin or any other online social media platform. Your Counsellor is only available and accessible during your booked counselling sessions with them, and your counsellor will not be accessible outside of this time via, phone, email, instant messages, or any other form of communication. 13. Walk and Talk Counselling service – animal terms and conditions and weather Policy.If you wish to bring your pet dog, or support dog with you during a Walk n Talk Counselling session, you are 100% responsible for your own dog at all times and accept liability, and that Savvy Counselling & Consulting cannot, and will not be held responsible or liable – legally and financially- for your dog at any time during the deliverance of our services. It is your responsibility that your dog is kept on a lead at all times throughout the duration of the Counselling session. You are also responsible to follow all animal regulations, controls and laws in relation to your dog and you are responsible for paying any monies or fines owed if you breach any conditions. If the Counsellor is not satisfied with the safe handling or conduct of your dog, then the counselling session will be immediately cancelled and rescheduled. The Safety of participants and members of the public are of the upmost importance. For your safety, The Counsellor reserves the right to cancel and reschedule the session at his discretion if weather conditions are deemed too dangerous. This includes wet weather, or extreme conditions. If the temperature is forecast to be over 35 degrees, the session will be rescheduled.
14. Changes to Terms and Conditions These terms and conditions are reviewed periodically and may change without notice. If you have any questions in regards to our Terms and Conditions of Service, please feel free to email us: hello@savvycounselling.com.au and we will respond as soon as possible.
2. Personal Information As part of providing a counselling and consulting service to you, Savvy Counselling & Consulting will need to collect and record personal information from you that is relevant to your current situation. This includes taking notes during the sessions, and the information will be a necessary part of the counselling and consulting assessment and service provided. You do not have to give all of your personal information, but if you don’t, this may mean that the counsellor is unaware of something which may be pertinent to your current situation. By engaging our services, you confirm that you have read, understood, and agree to our Privacy Policy, Cancellation Policy, and Complaints Policy that can be found on our website.
3. Access to Participant Information At any stage, you have the right to access the personal information that Savvy Counselling & Consulting has on file about you upon written request. A small administration fee may apply to cover the cost to process your request. Official Government Photo Identification will be required (Drivers license, Passport, or other government issued photo ID) before any requested information is handed over. Please allow up to 7 days for the request to be processed.
4. Confidentiality All personal information gathered by the counsellor during the provision of the counselling service will remain confidential and secure except where: 1. It is subpoenaed by a court, or 2. Failure to disclose the information would place you or another person at serious and imminent risk; or 3. Your prior approval has been obtained to: a) provide a written report and/or referral to another professional or agency. eg. a GP or a lawyer; or b) discuss the material with another person, eg. a parent or employer; or if disclosure is otherwise required or authorised by law. This also includes if someone else is paying for the services on your behalf. In this situation, your name and billing information will be disclosed. 4. The counsellor undertaking Supervision may discuss your situation with a qualified supervisor in which your strict confidentiality will be maintained, as all information will be de-identified. Note: Supervision is fundamentally to protect clients, and to improve the ability of Counsellors to provide value to their clients, and to monitor the self-care of the Counsellor, or health care professional,
5. Indemnity/ Hold Harmless clauseAs the service provider, we have a duty of care to our clients, and we will endeavor to uphold this to the best of our abilities, however, by engaging our services, you agree that you will indemnify and hold harmless Savvy Counselling & Consulting, including it's staff from, and against all losses, claims, suits or other legal liability and legal expenses of any nature imposed upon or brought against them by reason of any act or omission of the contractor/service provider, or its agent or employees in the course of performing the work of providing the services that are the subject of this contract. You acknowledge by engaging, and/or accessing the use of our services (including online services) are done so at your own free will and also at your own risk.
6. Fee's Fees are payable at the start of each session by debit/credit card with receipt sent to you via email. If you receive an invoice from Savvy Counselling & Consulting, these are to be paid in full within 14 days from the date shown on the invoice. We are a cash free business, and accept cards only. 7. Refusal of Service Savvy Counselling & Consulting reserve the right to refuse any, and all services to anyone for any reason at any time. If a client/participant arrives under the influence of alcohol, drugs, or other substances, or becomes abusive or aggressive before or during the session, we reserve the right to cancel that session immediately, and the session will still be charged for in full. The care and safety of our staff and clients/participants is our first priority.
8. Harm to Self or Others If your personal safety is at risk, or there is the possibility of you injuring someone else, the Counsellor must do whatever they can within the limits of the law, to prevent you from injuring yourself, or others, and to ensure that you receive the proper care. For this purpose, the Counsellor may need to contact the police, hospital or an emergency contact whose name you have provided at the commencement of counselling. This is, however, very rare and in any circumstances like this, your Counsellor will make every reasonable effort to discuss the situation with you first and limit the disclosure to what is necessary. This includes, but not limited to: - Suspected, or known child abuse/neglect - Suspected, or known elder abuse, neglect, exploitation or isolation - Risk of imminent serious harm to another - Risk of imminent serious harm to yourself.
9. Attendance to Sessions. If you arrive late for your appointment or service, no additional time will be added or allocated, and you accept that your appointment or service will be charged at full price between the originally designated times, and that you will only receive the remaining time for that session. In exceptional circumstances, we may reschedule your appointment, but this is at the discretion of Savvy Counselling & Consulting. This attendance clause applies to all services, including online and phone Counselling.
10. Cancellation and Refund PolicyNote: The following Cancellation and refund policies apply to all Counselling services, Mentoring Services, and Presentation Services.Payment for services is taken at the start of each session, however, If you are unable to attend your scheduled appointment, please inform Savvy Counselling & Consulting at least 1 day (24 hours) before the start time of your scheduled appointment. No cancellation Charge will apply. If you Cancel within 1 day (24 hours) before the start time of your scheduled appointment, the full cost of the service will apply. Our Cancellation Policy can also be found on our website.
Note: The following Cancellation and refund policies apply to all Wellbeing Consulting Services, and Disaster & Crisis services, and Community Resilience Building services.All cancellations will incur a cancellation fee of 50% of the total service cost with no exceptions.
11. Termination of Service The average number of Counselling sessions is 6 sessions, over 6 weeks; however, this varies from person to person depending on their individual situation and needs. When you feel ready to finish your counselling, it is important to bring this up with your counsellor so that together you can plan for ending the counselling sessions in a satisfactory way. This may take more than a few sessions to accomplish.
12. Out of session Contact Sometimes clients want extra contact with their counsellor. It is inadvisable to mix a social and a therapeutic relationship, also known as a Dual Relationship. A Dual Relationship is one where your personal life coincides with the professional relationship you have with your Counsellor. Sometimes you may accidently meet your counsellor outside of the sessions – it is important to tell your counsellor how you want to handle this, however we will never acknowledge working therapeutically with anyone, without the clients/ participants written permission, other than in the rare circumstances outlined in our privacy policy. In some instances, even with permission, your Counsellor will preserve the integrity of the working relationship. For this reason, your Counsellor will not accept any invitations via social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin or any other online social media platform. Your Counsellor is only available and accessible during your booked counselling sessions with them, and your counsellor will not be accessible outside of this time via, phone, email, instant messages, or any other form of communication. 13. Walk and Talk Counselling service – animal terms and conditions and weather Policy.If you wish to bring your pet dog, or support dog with you during a Walk n Talk Counselling session, you are 100% responsible for your own dog at all times and accept liability, and that Savvy Counselling & Consulting cannot, and will not be held responsible or liable – legally and financially- for your dog at any time during the deliverance of our services. It is your responsibility that your dog is kept on a lead at all times throughout the duration of the Counselling session. You are also responsible to follow all animal regulations, controls and laws in relation to your dog and you are responsible for paying any monies or fines owed if you breach any conditions. If the Counsellor is not satisfied with the safe handling or conduct of your dog, then the counselling session will be immediately cancelled and rescheduled. The Safety of participants and members of the public are of the upmost importance. For your safety, The Counsellor reserves the right to cancel and reschedule the session at his discretion if weather conditions are deemed too dangerous. This includes wet weather, or extreme conditions. If the temperature is forecast to be over 35 degrees, the session will be rescheduled.
14. Changes to Terms and Conditions These terms and conditions are reviewed periodically and may change without notice. If you have any questions in regards to our Terms and Conditions of Service, please feel free to email us: hello@savvycounselling.com.au and we will respond as soon as possible.