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Cancellation Policy
We inform you of this policy at the time of booking. Clients acknowledge they need to pay a late cancellation or reschedule fee when filling in their initial consult information sheet. They will receive a text message 48 hours prior to their appointment which also reminds them of their appointment. They will receive a second text message with a reminder of their appointment. Book online!
Aim:
The aim of this policy is:
To reduce disruptions to the psychotherapist’s diary and loss of the psychotherapist’s time in preparation because of clients late cancellations, late rescheduled, and missed appointments.
Make sure that other clients do not miss out on the opportunity to access therapy.
Reduce the income loss as a direct result of client cancellations, late rescheduled, and missed appointments. We are a private practice. If a client cancels or reschedules late or does not arrive for their scheduled appointment the psychotherapist loses income.
To reduce the level of late cancellations, late rescheduled, and missed appointments.
Policy Rationale
Sometimes there are good reasons for cancelling or rescheduling appointments. However, unlike brief medical appointments, it is impracticable to fill a psychotherapy appointment that runs for 50 minutes at short notice. If several clients are late in cancelling, rescheduling, or missing their appointments in one day, then the practice loses a large amount of income.
Imagine if a salaried employee was told they would only receive half of their salary for that day. If you consider the situation in these terms, as well as the overhead costs associated with private practice, then you can understand why we must charge a cancellation fee for late cancellations, late rescheduled appointments, and missed appointments.
If for some reason you need to cancel or reschedule your appointment, please allow a minimum of 24 business hours’ notice, i.e. call, SMS, or email prior to 9.00 am the day before your appointment; if your appointment is at 9.00 am on a Monday, you must cancel prior to 12.00 pm on Friday prior, otherwise, you will incur a fee. Cancellation fees will be calculated at 100% of the regular session fee for appointments cancelled within 24 business hours or no-show appointments.
** New Clients: A 50% deposit (NON-REFUNDABLE) is required to secure your booking **
** NDIS Clients – Late cancellation fees are charged at 100% as per NDIS guidelines **
You should note that calling is the most effective way to ensure we receive appropriate notice. You are welcome to leave a message outside of business hours if it is before the cancellation deadline. (Please do not call after 5.00 pm on a Friday and leave a message to cancel an appointment scheduled for Monday as you will incur the cancellation fee).
Please note that while we endeavour to remind you of your appointments through SMS reminders, these should not be relied upon and it is your responsibility to remember the appointments you have made.
Cancellation fees are payable on the phone at the time of cancellation, or will be directly charged to the encrypted credit card account details stored, or invoiced. Outstanding accounts (maximum terms = 7 days) will be referred for debt collection and will incur an 18% + GST debt collection fee.
** PLEASE NOTE: NO FUTURE APPOINTMENTS CAN BE BOOKED IF YOU HAVE AN OUTSTANDING ACCOUNT **
Our cancellation policy is based on the same rationale as many other industries, one example being the airline industry, where you pay for your seat whether you arrive at the airport or not. Given that the time has been set aside for you if you do not use it, then it is unlikely at short notice it can be used by anyone else. We trust you will agree that this is a fair and reasonable policy and we thank you for your understanding.
A late cancellation, late rescheduled appointment, or failure to attend your appointment is a loss to three people:
1. The client who is delaying their therapy progress
2. Another client who has been sitting on the waiting list to see the psychotherapist urgently
3. The psychotherapist who spent time preparing for the session, set aside the time in their calendar and lost income.
Please, therefore, ensure that you attend your appointments!
(The Office of Fair Trading states that a business is within its rights to charge a cancellation or “no-show” fee for appointments, so long as this has been communicated to a new patient or customer before making the appointment.)
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COVID- 19 Pandemic Policies:
The World Health Organization (WHO) declared the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) a worldwide pandemic on 11 March 2020. The COVID-19 pandemic declaration is still active.
Our practice has remained open during the COVID-19 pandemic offering face-to-face sessions, as well as continuing with Telephone and Zoom (a video link using the internet) options. Please consider the following information when deciding how you would prefer to attend your booking for the online session.
Book Online Face-to-face:
If you wish to attend a session in the office, please comply with the following policies :
- You must adhere to social distancing principles in the office. This means: waiting outside or in your vehicle if you arrive early to your appointment; attending appointments alone, and remaining 1.5 m from others in the office.
- You need to be aware that your personal information may be shared with relevant authorities in the event of a COVID-19 outbreak involving our premises.
If you cannot meet these conditions, then we recommend that you attend via Zoom or Telephone.
Book Online Video/Zoom:
If you are unable to attend the office for any reason during the COVID-19 pandemic then you can elect a session via this option. We recommend Zoom if you have a computer and reliable internet at home. You may like to give some thought to your privacy and the likelihood of distractions while you are in session. You may prefer to use a headset/ headphones to minimize the likelihood that others hear the full conversation.
Full fee must be paid in advance and The Client Form must be completed before the intial Zoom/Phone/Discord appointment.
Book Online Telephone:
If you are unable to attend the office for any reason during the COVID-19 pandemic, and you cannot utilize a video link, then you can elect a session via Telephone.
