Referral Procedure
I am able to see you whether or not you have been referred by someone. If you would like to phone me to discuss your problems, that is a good place to start. It might be that I am not the best person for you to see and I would be able to tell you that, and possibly refer you to someone else, after a brief phone conversation. If we decide that I am the right person then we can schedule an initial session. If it is not an individual adult problem, for example a family, couple, or child’s problem, I will decide with you who should attend the initial session. It might be, for example, that you can attend as parents initially to discuss your child’s problem without your child present.
In-person or Zoom?
My strong preference is to meet with clients in person at my rooms. I think that this provides the optimum conditions for interviewing, whether that be for assessment or therapeutic purposes. It will be my expectation that we meet in person unless we explicitly agree to meet by Zoom.
I am able to meet by Zoom. There will be some instances when I will not agree to do this. In particular, some assessments can not be done remotely. Initial interviews are seldom best by Zoom. This is particularly so when I need to interview more than one person, such as a family or a parent and child. You are welcome to discuss with me your preferences in this regard.
Fees
My fee is $200 (GST incl.) for a standard 50-60 minute session. Initial sessions are often for 1.5 or 2 hours so the fee for an initial session could be $300-400 (GST incl.). If you prefer to limit the time for an initial session that is of course entirely acceptable. Most subsequent sessions will be for 50-60 minutes.
You should also be aware that I request payment by cash or eftpos (not credit) at the conclusion of the session. I do not send out invoices unless a third-party has agreed to pay. Payment by internet banking is possible by agreement.
Ethical Responsibilities
As a Clinical Psychologist in New Zealand I am bound by a Code of Ethics that has been agreed by a joint working party of the New Zealand Psychological Society, the New Zealand College of Clinical Psychologists, and the New Zealand Psychologists Board.
The Code of Ethics is available here. The Code identifies four major ethical principles
- Respect for the dignity of persons and peoples
- Responsible caring
- Integrity of relationships
- Social justice and responsibility to society.
Of particular importance to my clinical work are my responsibilities to respect clients’ privacy and confidentiality, to ensure that I only work within areas in which I am competent, and to obtain informed consent from clients, which means that clients have the necessary information about therapy before consenting to it.
Confidentiality
Unless the nature or purpose of our meeting requires the disclosure of information to a third-party, you can expect that I will treat your information in confidence.
Circumstances that might typically involve disclosure of information are when I am required to write a report for an organisation or agency following an assessment. You would be aware from the outset if that is the case.
If a third-party (for example an employer, insurer, a family member) pays for your sessions, that does not automatically entitle the payer to your personal information. In some cases there is a requirement that limited information is shared. Again, you would know that from the outset.
When I work with members from the same family (a couple or parents and children), there are many situations in which the sharing of information is clinically helpful. Most commonly this is between parents and children. I will always endeavour to discuss openly the benefits of disclosing information, but respect the wishes of individuals to maintain their privacy if that is their preference.
I am ethically obliged to disclose information in order to protect clients or others from physical harm. Whenever this is necessary, and it is rare, I will always endeavour to disclose that information with the client’s knowledge, and if possible, consent.
Missed, Cancelled, or Postponed appointments
I generally remind clients of appointments the day before by text.
Appointments that are cancelled or postponed by the client before 5pm the day before will not be charged for.
Appointments cancelled on the day of the appointment, but before 8.30am, will incur a 50% fee, either $200 for an initial session or $100 for a subsequent session.
Appointments cancelled after 8.30am on the day or that are missed will be charged at the full rate.
Fees due for cancelled or missed appointments will need to be paid by internet prior to the next session or at the conclusion of the next session.