Who the service is for

The client is your child or young person. The psychologist’s primary responsibility is to support their mental health, wellbeing and safety.

Parents and carers are considered associated parties. We value your involvement and work collaboratively with you, while keeping the young person’s best interests at the centre of care.

Parent and carer involvement

Parents and carers may be involved in sessions with or without the young person present. This can include parent-only sessions to:

• better understand your child’s needs, and
• discuss strategies to support them at home, school or in the community.

Even when parents attend sessions on their own:

• the child or young person remains the client, and
• parents and carers are not considered clients.

Notes from parent sessions are recorded in the child or young person’s file, as they form part of the service provided to support them.

Confidentiality and privacy

What your child shares with their psychologist is treated as private and confidential.

There are some limits to confidentiality, including where:

• information is required by law (for example, a court order or subpoena),
• there is a serious risk to the safety of your child or others, or
• consent is given to share information with another professional involved in your child’s care.

Where appropriate, we aim to work collaboratively with families and young people to decide what information can be shared to best support the child, while respecting their privacy and developmental capacity.

Mature minor

Some young people are able to provide their own informed consent to treatment. This is known as being a mature minor and is based on capacity rather than age alone.

If your young person is assessed as a mature minor:

• confidentiality applies in the same way as for adults, and
• information will not be shared with parents without the young person’s consent, unless required by law or to manage serious risk.

We will work with young people to encourage appropriate parental involvement wherever possible.

Separated parents

If parents are separated, we may need information about parental responsibility or court orders before commencing or continuing treatment.

Where appropriate, we aim to involve both parents in a way that supports the child’s wellbeing, while acting in accordance with legal requirements and the child’s best interests.

Fees and cancellations

• Fees are listed on our website and are payable at the time of the appointment.
• We ask families to store a credit card securely on our system to manage payments, telehealth sessions and late cancellations.
• If an appointment is cancelled or rescheduled with short notice and we are unable to fill the time, a cancellation fee may apply.
• If a young person arrives late, the session may be shorter but the full fee still applies.

Full details are provided in the main consent form.

Multiple relationships and community encounters

Because psychologists live and work in the community, you or your child may encounter the psychologist outside of appointments.

To protect privacy:

• the psychologist will not acknowledge you or your child as a client unless you initiate contact, and
• they will not discuss therapy outside of appointments.

In most cases, we avoid the same psychologist working with siblings or people with close personal relationships, as this can create ethical and confidentiality risks.

Telehealth appointments

We offer both in-person and telehealth sessions.

Telehealth can improve access and flexibility, but it may not feel the same as face-to-face sessions and technical issues can occur. While secure systems are used, there is a small risk with any online communication. Families are responsible for ensuring the environment is private during telehealth sessions.

Benefits and risks of counselling

Counselling can help young people better understand themselves, develop coping skills, improve emotional wellbeing and strengthen relationships.

It can also sometimes be uncomfortable, particularly when discussing difficult feelings or experiences. Progress can take time and outcomes cannot be guaranteed.

Parents and young people are encouraged to raise any concerns with the psychologist so they can be addressed together.

Limits of the service and emergencies

ConnectEd Counselling and Consultancy is not an emergency service and cannot respond to urgent matters outside of appointments.

Parents and carers remain responsible for seeking urgent assistance for their child when needed.

If immediate help is required, please contact:

• Emergency services: 000
• Lifeline: 13 11 14

Feedback and complaints

We welcome feedback from parents, carers and young people.

If you have a concern, you can raise it with your psychologist or contact the Clinic Director. Raising a concern will not negatively affect your child’s care.

If concerns cannot be resolved within the practice, you may contact Ahpra or the Psychology Board of Australia.

Important reminder

This summary is provided to support understanding only.
The full consent form contains the complete and binding terms of service and must be read and signed.