Counselling Approach

I use a person-centered approach to counselling which is to say I believe that my clients have the desire and the capacity to grow towards fulfilling their true potential, and that they are the experts on their own lives. As such, I will not give you advice or offer solutions, but will work with you to help you understand yourself more fully and to find your own ideas and answers. I will also help you develop skills and strategies to help you make positive changes. With greater self-awareness and trust in yourself, I hope that you will be able to make constructive changes, leading to a more satisfying and meaningful life. If you have service needs beyond my practice scope, I will endeavor to help you identify appropriate referral options.

Sessions, Payments & Cancellations

Prior notice is required to cancel a session, except in case of an emergency. If the client misses a session without cancelling, or they cancel the appointment the day of the appointment then they will be billed for the appointment session. If the client cancels the appointment prior to the day of the appointment, then they will receive it as credit towards their rescheduled appointment. In the case of the client’s late arrival, the session will commence as soon as the client arrives, however the session will end at the appointed time.

Record Keeping

I will keep information relevant to your counselling services, including the forms you have filled in today and notes for each session. These are critical to helping me keep track of our progress together and for the purposes of accountability. These notes will be stored in a private and secure location (see the Privacy and Confidentiality Agreement). You have the right to view the records I keep about you upon request. I will keep all records relating to our work together for a period of at least seven (7) years from the date of your last contact with the service. Under some circumstances I may be required to keep records for a longer period.

Contact Between Sessions

Email or telephone contact will be limited to practical arrangements only, such as booking or altering session times. I will not enter into telephone or email counselling except by prior arrangement. If you are faced with an emergency in between sessions, please contact the appropriate emergency service. If the client is in a crisis and the counsellor is not available, please ring Lifeline on 13 11 14. In a life-threatening situation, call 000 without delay.

Ending Counselling

In general, the counselling relationship ends by mutual agreement. However, you have the right to end your counselling service at any time. I would appreciate you letting me know if you decide not to return to counselling, particularly if you need to cancel an appointment. If at any time I feel that our counselling is no longer appropriate for you, I will discuss this with you; I may suggest discontinuation or a referral to a more appropriate service.