Our Policies
Thank you for visiting our website.
Please take some time to read carefully through the information provided for you in this section.
Our aim is that this section will inform you about our services and set your expectations about the nature and conditions of the services we provide to you. This is so that you can make a clear decision about your care. In this section, you can read about our policies regarding Privacy and Confidentiality, our Waitlist, as well as Supervision. If you have any questions about these policies, please get in touch with us and we'll endeavour to answer your questions. Information about our fees and cancellations can be found on our separate Fees and Cancellations page. The following is an overall statement relevant to both this website and our services.
OVERALL PRIVACY STATEMENT:
At Phoenix Psychology Canberra, we highly value your privacy and confidentiality. We will always strive to maintain our legal and ethical obligations in terms of how we collect, manage and store the personal information we ask of you. In Australia, privacy is legally regulated by The Privacy Act 1988 (Commonwealth). Ethically, our services are also bound by the Australian Psychological Society Code of Ethics (27 September 2007). These regulations and guidelines ensure that personal information, including information collected by registered Health Professionals, is protected and used appropriately in the context of legal and ethical professional conduct.
Here is a quick summary of our commitment to your privacy.
Information you provide online.
Your digital privacy is ensured. Collection of personal information online through this website is strictly kept to the minimum required to handle routine enquiries only and/or to connect you to other services or individuals who may be able to assist you. In addition, there have been recent changes (including the introduction of the General Data Protection Regulation - GDPR) to protect your personal information online, that we also comply with. We do not store this information online for any other purpose other than to directly assist your enquiry and our website is secured with a Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) certificate. This information is not stored in a database. No third parties have access to this data. As such, if you would like to send us an enquiry, we welcome this, and will only ask you for your name, email address and message. You will be prompted to acknowledge your consent specifically, if you choose to send us an email enquiry.
Cookies
This is a website built on the Squarespace platform, and uses the bare minimum amount of cookies allowed. Click here to learn more about the cookies Squarespace websites use. We do not use any analytics cookies, and use the minimum functional cookies that Squarespace allows.
We use cookies to help improve your experience of http://www.phoenixpsych.com.au. This cookie policy is part of Phoenix Psychology's privacy policy, and covers the use of cookies between your device and our site.
If you don’t wish to accept cookies from us, you should instruct your browser to refuse cookies from http://www.phoenixpsych.com.au with the understanding that we may be unable to provide you with some of your desired content and services.
Third-party access to information
We will only share your data with law enforcement if absolutely necessary. We do not otherwise share or supply personal information to third parties. We do not sell or rent your personal information to marketers or third parties.
Information you provide as a client.
For those of you who are interested and/or booked in for an appointment with one of our specialist psychologists, we will provide you with both verbal and written forms of information regarding your privacy and confidentiality. You will be given a clear understanding of how we collect, distribute (where applicable) and store this information, as well as an opportunity to ask questions prior to commencement of services about the collection and use of your personal information. For more detailed information regarding our service policy, please read below.
Finally, don’t hesitate to phone us or send us an enquiry if you have any questions or concerns. For your convenience, information regarding the legal, ethical and regulatory documents are provided at the links below:
POLICIES:
The next three separate policies are also important for you to read carefully as they can directly impact upon your experience with us. We will ask you to specifically acknowledge the privacy and confidentiality policy, as well as our fees, and get you to sign a consent form in your first session, when you become a client of our service. A Supervisee (undertaking Psychology Supervision) will sign a specific supervision contract.
1. PRIVACY AND CONFIDENTIALITY
Collection of Personal Information
As part of providing clinical and/or health psychology sessions, we need to collect and record personal information relevant to your situation, such as demographics, medical history and case notes. The collection of this information is necessary when undertaking assessments and providing therapy. All information collected is kept securely in a file that is stored in a locked filing cabinet. In the interests of your privacy, it is used only by your psychologist as necessary. Demographics (e.g. name, address, phone number, email, medicare card no), your GP details, invoices and letters/reports are stored electronically. Your information is required by law to be securely kept for 7 years after your last appointment time at which point it will then be securely destroyed.
If you do not wish for your personal information to be collected, we may not be able to provide a service to you. You may request to be anonymous or to use a pseudonym, however, in most cases, this wont be possible. If we agree to you remaining anonymous or using a pseudonym, you must pay the session fee at the beginning of your appointment.
Access and Disclosure of Personal Information
You are entitled to access your personal information kept on file, subject to exceptions in the relevant legislation (Privacy ACT, 1988). If you believe your personal information is inaccurate, out of date or incomplete, reasonable steps should be taken to ensure this information is corrected. All requests to access or correct information need to be lodged in writing to your treating psychologist. Requests will be responded to in writing within 30 days and an appointment will be made (if necessary) for clarification purposes.
Your information will not be disclosed except when the following occurs:
It is subpoenaed by a court; or
Failure to disclose information would in the reasonable belief of your treating therapist place yourself or another person at serious risk to life, health and safety or
The client's prior approval has been obtained to:
a) provide a written report to another professional or agency, (e.g. GP, lawyer, parent, employer, Insurance agency, another health practitioner - Psychiatrist) or
b) discuss your information with another person (e.g. GP, lawyer, parent, employer, Insurance agency, another health practitioner - Psychiatrist) or
c) disclose information in another wayYou would reasonably expect your personal information to be disclosed to another professional or agency (e.g. your GP) and disclosure of your personal information to that third party is for a purpose which is directly related to the primary purpose for which your personal information was collected or
Disclosure is required or authorised by law.
Please note that part of maintaining registration is that Psychologists are required to undertake supervision with either their peers or a senior. There is therefore a chance that you will be discussed anonymously in supervision. To ensure your confidentiality, your details (such as your name) are not disclosed, neither is any other identifiable information (e.g your job title). The purposes of supervision is to obtain guidance and support in relation to therapy.
Your personal information is not disclosed to overseas recipients, unless you have provided written consent to do so. Your personal information is not used, sold, rented or disclosed for any other purpose. If you have any concerns about the management of your personal information, please discuss such with your treating psychologist. Upon request, you can be provided with a copy of the Australian Privacy Principles, which describes your rights and how personal information should be handled.
If you wish to lodge a formal complaint about the use, access or disclosure of your personal information, you can do so by contacting the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner by phone on 1300 363 992 or online at http://www.oaic.gov.au/privacy/making-a-privacy-complaint or by post to: Office of the Australian Information Commissioner. GPO Box 5218, Sydney, NSW. 2001.
Please note that you will be provided with written documentation in relation to these fees and policies at our first appointment time and will be provided with an opportunity to ask any questions or seek clarification.
2. Health & wellbeing
In accordance with the Work Health Safety (WHS) ACT (2011) we are also committed to keeping each other safe while providing and receiving services through Phoenix Psychology Canberra. Here are some summary WHS points for you to remember when accessing services:
Access
Please ensure that you can access Telehealth appointments safely and remember to find a place where you are safe and not exposed to extreme temperatures, prolonged poor posture and that you can exit your location safely (e.g., in case of fire). Continue to follow the advice of any emergency services personnel that may attend your location. Please also let your psychologist know if you have any injuries or conditions that may affect your ability to complete a Telehealth appointment.
Behaviour
Please be ‘socially conscious’ and understand that the practice is very busy at times.
At all times, be courteous and respectful to others and treat others like you would like to be treated (apply the ‘Golden Rule’).
Under no circumstances will inappropriate behaviour be accepted. If your behaviour is physically, verbally or emotionally inappropriate, you will be asked to leave immediately.
Our zero tolerance of inappropriate behaviour extends to the use of our telehealth services, both online and by telephone, email, as well as via our website.
Thank you for reading this policy; it’s designed to keep everyone healthy and safe. Please contact us or speak to us directly if you have any questions or feedback.
3. WAITLIST
Currently, there are limited spaces for appointments. We do not offer immediate/urgent appointments and cannot respond to crisis situations. As of 8 July 2024, you will be required to complete and return a Waitlist Form to be eligible to see one of our psychologists for an appointment. A referral via your GP is preferred. Please enquire via reception or email to be provided with a form and/or to ask any questions. Once a form is completed and submitted, your will be confirmed and answered usually with a few days. Appointments will be filled on a 'First-come, First-choice' service policy. The following are points to note regarding how we will manage our waitlist:
We will ask for your basic details, including full name, date of birth, contact details (phone number and email), referral type (e.g., GPMHCP).
You can withdraw your place on the waitlist at anytime by simply calling us and all information, initially collected for the purposes of the waitlist, will be deleted.
Information you provide on the Form in order to be placed on the waitlist is not used for any other purpose than to confirm your request and to be contacted once an appointment becomes available. Once you are booked in for your first session, information will be deleted from the waitlist and transferred to our client database.
Where necessary, basic information regarding the reasons for your referral may be requested, so that we can better understand your needs and provide you with any immediate resources, if applicable. However, you are under no obligation to discuss this. One of our psychologists may contact you directly to discuss your presenting problem in a confidential manner, when an appointment becomes available for you.
You can remain on the waitlist for as long as you want. By agreeing to be placed on the waitlist, you agree to be contacted by us in the future about appointment availability. We will endeavour to stay in touch with you to give you an indication of when you are likely to get an appointment.
As a courtesy to us and others seeking mental health support, please let us know if you no longer need to be on the list, such as when/if you’ve been offered/attended an appointment with another psychologist/service. Thank you.
4. Payment of services provided
Payment of services provided is due and expected upon the same day of an appointment.
As a small family business, we cannot continue to provide our specialised services where invoices are not paid within a reasonable time frame following the provision of services. As would be reasonably expected in Australia, payment of services is typically made on commencement or completion of the provision of services to a client/customer. We acknowledge the current burden impacting individuals and families as a result of rapidly increasing costs of living.
Our policy regarding payment of invoices is that all invoices are paid no later than 48 hours after services are provided. Invoices not paid after this time are considered overdue. Overdue invoices cause unnecessary strain on our business and Phoenix Psychology Canberra reserves the right to refuse services to those who do not pay their invoices/account on time. If you have any questions about this or concerns about future payments, please contact your psychologist directly to discuss these issues.
5. PSYCHOLOGY SUPERVISION
Supervision for psychologists is strictly confidential and aims to be supportive, affirming and focused. Your goals and requirements for supervision will initially be formalised and prioritised through the completion of a Supervisee Questionnaire, prior to a supervision interview. This interview is typically designed to be a session where both parties gauge the viability of an ongoing supervisory relationship, including supervision values, aims, expectations, desired outcomes and the potential for a supervisory alliance. In addition, a Supervision Contract will be drafted during the first session, completed by the supervisor and signed by all parties involved in the supervision arrangement. Where an interview concludes with no ongoing agreement, no fee to the prospective supervisee will be charged. For more information about supervision with Dr Jonathan Carr, please refer to information in his profile, as well as the Psychology Supervision and Fees sections respectively.
All supervision with both provisional and fully registered psychologists is conducted in accordance with the following guidelines and standards:
APS Code of Ethics (2007);
APS Ethical guidelines on supervision (2020); and
AHPRA guidelines and registration standards including (but not limited to):
Guidelines for supervisors and supervisor training (2013);
Guidelines for continuing professional development (2015);
Guidelines for the 4+2 internship program (2017);
Guidelines for the National Psychology Examination (2018); and
Guidelines for the 5+1 internship program.