COUNSELLING APPROACH
Karen is a transpersonal therapist which acknowledges the interactions of mind, body, soul, spirit.
Person centred, holistic, soul work for inner healing.
Supportive for you to gently gain insight and resolve issues, or find your own solutions.
This business does not receive any government support and requires payment on the day of the session. Direct deposit, Visa, Mastercard available.
SESSION START TIMES
Session start time must be adhered to. Clients must respect the time of each appointment, and not be under the influence of alcohol or any mind affecting substances. Soul work is dependent on a clear head and the client being willing to look inwardly. The full fee for the session is required if the session is stopped or for non-attendance. Studio sessions may be changed at short notice to an ONLINE session for same time when there is illness concern of any kind re infection or contagion.
CANCELLATION FEES & RE-SCHEDULING
You are required to advise any re-scheduling within 24 hours prior or the full session fee is payable, or forfeit prepaid. The exception is emergency or illness including Covid-19, and must be re-scheduled.
SESSION TIMELINE
Sessions may begin weekly or bi-weekly for a time, and then move to monthly or maintenance. The time line depends on each client. Each person is considered an individual and the Therapist and Client must be a good fit in order to get the best results, and therapy can be stopped if either feels it is not in the best interests of the Client. Sometimes the therapist will feel the client would be better suited to working with someone else and will advise the client.
CONTACT BETWEEN SESSIONS
Email or telephone contact will be limited to practical arrangements only.
Karen will not enter into telephone or email counselling except by prior booked appointment. Short online/phone check-ins must be booked and are billable.
BOUNDARIES & SOCIAL MEDIA
Boundaries are in place to protect both Therapist and Clients with mutual care and respect.
There will never be any sexual contact.
Karen cannot accept invitations from clients, nor accept invitations for social media. This is to respect both your privacy and mine. Thank you for your understanding.
RISKS
Through therapy clients learn more about themselves that they do not realise. Often, these are things that they do not like. These are the things that they need to first, accept that they are or what they have or do. Growth cannot happen until these issues are accepted and confronted. There may be a chance that during or after a session, the client may feel emotionally or physically distressed or uncomfortable. This is normal and should be part of one's healing process. A therapy's success shall depend on how much the client wishes to work with the processes in an open and honest manner.
CONFIDENTIALITY and DUTY OF CARE
Everything you share with me in the course of our work together will be treated as highly confidential. However, there are a few circumstances in which I may be required to break confidentiality in the case of DUTY OF CARE:
If I believe that you or anyone else is at risk of harm I may need to inform a third party.
If you become involved in a court case, the court has the power to ask me to hand over my file/s.
Counsellors are required to have/partake in clinical supervision and peer support, and it may be that I may discuss some of the facts relating to you, but without revealing your identity. This is to ensure that you are getting the best support.
Any other disclosure - such as to another practitioner or anyone else - requires your written consent.
RECORDS
Karen will take brief notes and photos of work during or after each session to help keep track of your progress.
These notes and photos are stored in a private and secure location digitally and may only be accessed or passed on to another practitioner if at your specific request. Otherwise they are kept safe. The intention is that your counselling records will be kept securely for a period of seven (7) years from the date of your last contact with The Heart of Us dependent on as long at the business is operated by Karen. Notes are not passed on to anyone else, except in the unlikely case of being required by law, as in Duty of Care. In the event of the business closing in the future, no records are passed on to anyone else. No paper copies are kept at all.
ENDING ~ Moving on
Normally, the end of counselling/therapy would be by mutual prior agreement.
However, you have the right - and I encourage you - to let me know if you are uncertain counselling is working for you, or if you have any reservations about the process or direction of counselling, and I will do the same - so that we are on the same page with no judgement.
We will then work out together what is best to adapt or change for you going forward, or alternatively ending counselling/therapy, or referring you to other services. Whatever is best for you in moving on, I would appreciate you letting me know by giving at least 48 hours notice.
EMERGENCIES
This business does not provide Emergency Support. If you are in physical danger please call 000 Police/Ambulance or Fire, or for emergency support, please contact the following:
1800 RESPECT - 1800 737 732 - www.whiteribbon.org.au
LIFELINE 13 11 14 www.lifeline.org.au
More contact numbers on the EMERGENCY RESOURCES page.
INFORMED CONSENT
I understand, have read, and completed this form truthfully.
I hereby give my informed consent for myself and my child.