Client Guidelines
The following guidelines are provided for your safety. If you have any concerns with any of these guidelines, please feel free to discuss them with your MRC consultant or to contact the office on 1300 88 45 22.
Psychological/Counselling Service
As part of providing a psychological service, your consultant will need to collect and record personal information relevant to your current situation. This information is a necessary part of both the assessment and treatment processes. If you request it, you are entitled to view or have a copy of the information recorded in your file.
Confidentiality
All counselling services provided by Men & Relationships Counselling practitioners will remain confidential, with the following exceptions:
- Any agreed disclosure as documented on the “Authority to Release and Obtain Information” form.
- If in the practitioner’s opinion, not disclosing information results in a clear risk to yourself or others, the practitioner will disclose whatever information is necessary to avert the risk.
- If subpoenaed by due process the practitioner is obliged by law to comply.
Unless you request otherwise, your practitioner would normally liaise with any health care professional that referred you.
Online and Telephone Counselling
Online and Telephone Counselling is available with an MRC Consultant. They will provide you with clear guidelines.
Our choice of online platform is easy to use and provides a secure and stable data connection.
Confidentiality in these sessions is very important which is why our preferred online meeting platform has been chosen.
Your MRC Consultant will have provided you with an online MRC Client Information Form. You will be asked to sign and return the completed form to your MRC Consultant before your first session.
Plan for online or phone session
Doing counselling online or on the phone in the comfort of your own space requires a bit of planning, especially if you live with others.
- Pick a room where you will not be disturbed. It needs to be a safe and private space.
- Give yourself plenty of time for the length of session
- Online or phone counselling cannot take place in a public area such as a café, or park. Audio on a windy day can be a problem.
How does the online technology work?
Your MRC Consultant will have provided you with a comprehensive guide as to what technology you will need whether that’s a computer, laptop or device with a webcam or a phone.
You will be instructed how to use online technology plus any back up plans in case the technology is interrupted or fails.
Payments
The cost of a consultation will have been negotiated with you prior to your first appointment. A payment method will have been agreed upon prior to your first fact to face, online or phone appointment.
It is requested that payments are made at the time of consultation unless specifically negotiated with the practitioner prior to the appointment.
Payments can be made by credit card, EFT, cheque or cash. The practitioner will issue a receipt at the time of payment, unless you request otherwise.
Cancellation Policy
If you are unable to attend an appointment, 24 hours notice is required otherwise the full fee will be charged.
Policy for Management of Personal Information
This document describes the policy of Men & Relationships Counselling for the management of client information. The counselling services provided are bound by the legal requirements of the National Privacy Principles from the Privacy Amendment (Private Sector) Act 2000.
Client Information
Client files are held either in a secure electronic environment or in a secure filing cabinet. This information is accessible only to your practitioner. (Contact information is also accessible to practice administration.) The information held includes personal information such as name, contact details and other information that is relevant to the counselling service being provided.
The information is collected as part of the assessment, diagnosis and treatment and is seen only by your practitioner. The information is retained in order to document what occurs during sessions and to assist in providing a relevant and informed service.
Access to Client Information
At any stage you may request to see the information about you that is kept on file. Your practitioner may discuss the content with you and / or give you a copy for your own records. Any request by a client for access to information held about them should be lodged directly with your practitioner. These requests will he responded to within seven days and if necessary an appointment will be made for clarification purposes.
Concerns
If you have a concern about the management of your personal information, please inform your practitioner or contact the office on 1300 88 45 22. On request, you can obtain a copy of the National Privacy Principles, which describe your rights and how your information should be handled. Ultimately, if you wish to lodge a formal complaint about the use of, or access to, your personal information, you can do so with the Office of the Federal Privacy Commissioner on 1300 363 992 or GPO Box 5218 Sydney NSW 1042.
Social Media Policy
As new technology develops and the Internet changes, there may be times when this policy needs updating. You will be notified in writing of any policy changes.
MRC has a Facebook Page to allow people to share blog posts written by the Director, and share practice updates with other Facebook users. You are welcome to view the Facebook business page and read or share articles posted there.
However, please note that past or present clients will NOT be accepted as followers of this page. Having clients as Facebook friends creates a greater likelihood of compromised client confidentiality. It is best practice to be explicit to all who may view the list of followers to know that they will not find client names on that list.
Note that you should be able to subscribe to the page via RSS without becoming a Fan and without creating a visible, public link to the Page. You are more than welcome to do this.
Following
A blog on the Men and Relationships Counselling website is currently published by the Director with posts relating to psychological health for men, women, relationships and a variety of subjects about counselling and psychotherapy.
There is no expectation that as a client of MRC you will want to follow the blog. However, you are welcome to use your own discretion in choosing to do so.
The blog content may generate significant meaning, curiosity or resonance with your own life experience. It is not an opportunity to make contact with your MRC practitioner or Director. Please take any relevant knowledge or questions and share it in your own therapy hour. If you choose to provide comment on the blog, as a client of MRC please take your own privacy seriously.
Interacting
Please do not use messaging on Social Networking sites such as Twitter, Facebook, or LinkedIn to contact the Director or your MRC practitioner. These sites are not secure and messages may not be read in a timely fashion. Please do not use Wall postings, @replies, or other means of engaging with your MRC practitioner in public online.
Engaging this way could compromise your confidentiality. It may also create the possibility that these exchanges become a part of your legal medical record and will need to be documented and archived in your notes.
If you need to contact the Director or your MRC practitioner between sessions, please discuss the best way to do so with them in your therapy hour.
Business Review Sites
You may find MRC on sites such as Google Local, Bing, or other directories, which list businesses. Some of these sites include forums in which users rate their providers and add reviews. Many of these sites comb search engines for business listings and automatically add listings regardless of whether the business has added itself to the site.
If you should find the MRC listing on any of these sites, please know that this listing is NOT a request for a testimonial, rating, or endorsement from you as a client.
Of course, you have a right to express yourself on any site you wish. But due to confidentiality, responding to any review on any of these sites whether it is positive or negative is not possible.
Please take your own privacy as seriously as MRC practitioners take their commitment of confidentiality to you.
Be aware that if you are using these sites to communicate indirectly with your practitioner about your feelings about your work together, there is a good possibility that they may never see it.
Please bring your feelings and reactions to your work directly into the therapy process. This can be an important part of therapy.
None of this is meant to keep you from sharing that you are in therapy with wherever and with whomever you like.
You are more than welcome to tell anyone you wish that you are working with an MRC therapist or how you feel about the treatment provided to you, in any forum of your choosing.
However, if you do choose to write something on a business review site, please keep in mind that you may be sharing personally revealing information in a public forum. You may want to consider creating a pseudonym that is not linked to your regular email address or friend networks for your own privacy and protection.
Conclusion
Thank you for taking the time to review the MRC Client Guidelines.
If you have questions or concerns about any of these policies and procedures or regarding potential interactions on the Internet, do bring them to the attention of the MRC director or your therapist in order to discuss them.
Howard Todd-CollinsDirector
Men and Relationships Counselling
April 2020
