Data Collection

In order to provide quality therapeutic services, Awefull Therapy will collect and record personal information relevant to your situation. ‘Your therapist' referred to in this document is Maggie Whitbread, providing professional counselling services under the business name The Awefull Therapist.

Purpose of collecting and holding information

Any personal information gathered as part of your assessment and treatment process will be kept securely and, in the interests of your privacy, used only by your therapist and the authorised personnel of the practice (as necessary). Your personal information is retained in order to document what happens during sessions, assisting your therapist to provide a relevant and informed service to you.

Access to client information

You are entitled to access your personal information kept on file, unless relevant legislation states otherwise.
If you require access to your information please discuss this with your therapist.

Disclosure of personal information

Personal information gathered by your therapist during the provision of services is considered confidential and will not be disclosed to another party except when:

• your prior approval has been obtained to:

a) provide a written report to another professional or agency. eg. a Doctor or a Lawyer; or

b) discuss your care with another person, eg. a Parent, Guardian, Employer or Health Care Provider;

or

• it is subpoenaed by a court of law; or

• failure to disclose the information would in the reasonable belief of your therapist place you or another person at serious risk of harm; or

• disclosure is otherwise required by law.

Client Management System

Client data is stored through the digital client management system ‘Splose’. Great care has been taken to ensure this system is both efficient and secure. The Awefull Therapist cannot be held liable for data breaches of Splose, in the unlikely event that one occurs, and complaints will be redirected to the Splose platform itself.

Cancellation Agreement

Please provide as much notice for the cancellation of your appointment as possible.
If you cancel less than 24 hours before your appointment, you may be charged for 50% of your appointment fee, rescheduling will be at the discretion of your therapist and may incur a fee.
If you cancel less than 12 hours before your appointment, you may be charged for the full cost of your appointment, rescheduling will be at the discretion of your therapist and may incur a fee.
Repeated last-minute or unexplained cancellations, no-shows, or unpaid invoices, may result in your therapy service being terminated, the full fee being charged and unpaid fees being pursued by a collections agency.

Intellectual Property and Therapist Privacy

To protect your therapist’s safety and privacy, you must not record your sessions in any format (including screen recording, voice recording, video, or photography). You may take your own written notes, and request a written summary of your session from your therapist.
Additionally, any materials given to you by your therapist are for personal use only, and are not to be reproduced in any manner.

Client Safety Checks

If your therapist is unexpectedly unable to contact you within two weeks, or if you are a no-show for an appointment with no contact in 48 hours, your therapist may contact your emergency contact to check in on your wellbeing.

Fellow Client Safety

Care is taken to prevent clients from overlapping with each other before/after appointments. If you do cross paths with a fellow client of The Awefull Therapist, please be respectful and considerate of their privacy, and avoid disclosing to others that they are attending the service. This also applies to the clients of other counsellors within the Arena Counselling space. If you attend a group or event hosted by The Awefull Therapist, it is also your responsibility in this context to keep the identity of other group members confidential, unless they have specified otherwise.

Therapist/Property Safety

By agreeing to this policing, you agree to act in a manner that is respectful and considerate of both your therapist and the counselling space. You may be held liable and/or charged for any damage you cause to the property. Threats to therapist safety, or aggressive behaviour will not be tolerated, result in immediate termination of service, and law enforcement will be involved.