Cancellation and Non-Attendance Policy

 To help us provide high-quality care to all clients, we appreciate your support in scheduling your appointment.

To help you, we will send a reminder SMS approximately four days before your appointment to give you plenty of time to make any changes if needed.

To help us, if you are unable to make your appointment, we respectfully ask you to contact us with more than 48-hours notice via email admin@ThePsychEdit.com or SMS 0405 983 109, as this ensures your request is received and provides a clear time record. This also provides us with enough time to offer the appointment to our waitlist clients who may be waiting for support. 

Appointments cancelled 48-24 hours before your appointment will incur a cancellation fee of $125 (50% of session fee).

Appointments cancelled with less than 24 hours’ notice or non-attendance will incur a late cancellation fee of $250 (full session fee).

Please note that any outstanding late or non-attendance fees are required to be paid prior to booking or confirming further appointments.

If late cancellations or non-attendance occur on three or more occasions, future appointments may not be offered. This reflects the need to use appointment times with consideration to the care of all clients. Consistent attendance is an important part of effective therapy. Where attendance is ongoingly impacted, it may indicate that the current timing or arrangement is not the right fit, and pausing or reconsidering appointments may be more appropriate.

 Medicare and private health rebates are only available for attended sessions. Unfortunately, cancellation or non-attendance fees are not eligible for rebate and will need to be covered by the client.

 If you arrive after your appointment start time, the session will still finish at the scheduled end time, and the full session fee will still apply.

If you’re unable to attend and we haven’t heard from you, we may try to contact you within the first 15 minutes. If we’re unable to reach you, the session will be marked as a non-attendance and the applicable fee will be processed. 

 If something unexpected comes up, we may be able to switch your session to telehealth (video). Please contact our admin team before your appointment via phone, email, or SMS, and we’ll do our best to assist (clinician approval may be required and telehealth consent form will need to be signed by you).

It is important to understand that Telehealth sessions will still need you to be in a safe, private, and focused space to ensure your care and wellbeing during therapy. This means that Telehealth cannot be provided if your location does not provide this space for you, for example not while driving or in transit.

We really appreciate your understanding, this helps us continue providing consistent, high-quality care for you and all of our clients.

Please note that respectful behaviour is required from clients and visitors to the practice. Where clients or visitors deviate from this and are abusive and disrespectful towards practitioners and staff, they will be asked to leave the premises. Abuse includes pejorative comments about or to the staff, expressions of prejudice towards others, hate speech, aggressive verbal or physical abuse and unwarranted criticism of the psychological service and process. A charge will  be levied for the session even if terminated due to abusive behaviour.  

The Psych Edit is committed to protecting your privacy in accordance with the Australian Privacy Principles set out in the Privacy Act (1988) and the Psychology Board of Australia’s Code of Ethics (2007). This policy outlines how we manage clients’ personal information.

• Storage: Client records are stored securely in an Australian cloud-based system and/or a secure filing cabinet, accessible only to authorised employees.
• Types of Information: We may hold contact details, payment information, Medicare numbers, referral letters, session notes, assessment results, reports, correspondence, and other personal information. Some data may be stored on secure facilities outside Australia.
• Access: Reception staff have limited access to your records.

Your personal information is collected through:

1. Appointment bookings.
2. Secure intake questionnaires.
3. Direct interactions with your psychologist or our staff.
4. Information provided by other professionals or stakeholders (e.g., GP, lawyer).

Your information is used to provide and document psychology services. It may also be used for service updates and appointment reminders. You can update your contact details or opt-out of services at any time.

Your information will only be disclosed when:

• Subpoenaed by a court.
• Necessary to prevent serious risk to life, health, or safety.
• You have given prior approval.
• Required by law.
• For purposes directly related to your psychology service.

We do not sell, rent, or use your information for other purposes.

Your psychologist may consult with a supervisor or another health practitioner for guidance, using de-identified information unless consulting with The Psych Edit’s Founder.

If you choose not to provide personal information, we may be unable to offer our services. You may request anonymity or use a pseudonym, subject to practicality and legal requirements.

• Access: You can request to view your records by writing to your psychologist. They will respond within 28 days. An appointment may be required, with standard fees applying.
• Correction: You can request corrections to inaccurate or incomplete information. Reasonable steps will be taken to correct it promptly.

• Submission: Requests must be in writing at least 28 days in advance.
• Response: Your psychologist will respond within 14 days, considering legal and ethical exceptions.
• Costs: If approved, you will be invoiced $250 for the preparation and release of information.  The process will be completed within 14 days of payment. 
• Consent: An appointment may be required for you to review and consent to the release of information. Standard fees apply.

Client records are retained for 7 years for adults and until a child turns 25. Records are securely stored and disposed of by deletion or shredding when no longer needed.

We will notify you of any privacy breaches. Concerns can be raised with your psychologist or the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC).

This policy may change in response to new laws or operational changes. Clients will be notified of substantive changes.

By using The Psych Edit’s services, you agree to this privacy policy. For questions or feedback, please contact your psychologist or our Customer Liaison Officer.

Thank you for trusting The Psych Edit with your personal information.