COVID-19 and Communicable Illness Policy
Please note that in the event that you or your Counsellor contract COVID-19 or any other communicable illness, and you have booked a face-to-face appointment that occurs while either of you are still symptomatic, your appointment will be required to be rescheduled OR, if appropriate, moved to an online Zoom appointment. In the event that you have not completed an Online Video Counselling Agreement as part of a previous booking, you will be required to agree to and return this prior to participating in an online Zoom session. Unless otherwise instructed by you, the Online Video Counselling Agreement, if required, will be emailed to the address provided at the time of booking your appointment.
Payments are required to be made in full at the time of booking and are subject to the cancellation/reschedule/’no show’ conditions outlined below. If the online payment methods available are not an option for you, please call to discuss payment arrangements before attempting to book an appointment.
Lateness Policy
Where the booked time differs from your arrival time to the appointment and other arrangements were not made and agreed to in advance by both yourself and Atlas Counselling, the session start time will begin at the booked time, conclude at after the length of the duration of the appointment booked, and you will be charged the fee for the full session (i.e. if you are 15min late, your appointment will be 15mins short).
You can expect that Atlas Counselling will be ready to start your session at the time allocated to your appointment. If it is clear, in advance, that there is likely to be a conflict, Atlas Counselling will contact you at the earliest convenience to discuss alternative, mutually reasonable arrangements.
Client safety is paramount for Atlas Counselling and our duty of care is taken seriously. There may be the unavoidable occasion where a session before yours requires more attention and runs over time. In this event, Atlas Counselling will work with you toward a mutually acceptable arrangement.
Cancellation, Reschedule and ‘No Show’ Policy
When you book an appointment, the appointment is obviously reserved for you and cannot be booked by anybody else. This means that Atlas Counselling is not likely to rebook that appointment if you cancel at short notice. As a result, in an effort to mitigate financial loss, the following cancellation penalties apply:
Notice of 1 week or more: 100% refund (less a 2.2% card processing fee)
Notice of less than 1 week but more than 24hrs: 50% refund (less a 2.2% card processing fee)
Notice of less than 24hrs Fee forfeited
Eligible refunds will be made using the same method through which payment was initially made.
Atlas Counselling understands that things come up from time to time that mean you may need to reschedule your appointment. Atlas Counselling will endeavour to accommodate reschedules on the rare occasion that they are required. You understand that it may not always be possible for your appointment to be rescheduled and you accept that a reschedule is not guaranteed. Furthermore, cancellation of rescheduled appointments are not eligible for refund regardless of the notice provided.
Important to note: Failing to show up for an appointment will be considered a cancellation and not eligible to be rescheduled. Your fee will not be refundable or transferrable, and you will need to rebook and repay to re-engage with Atlas Counselling.
Furthermore, Atlas Counselling does NOT provide email, text of telephone reminders for appointments. You understand and accept responsibility for managing your appointments with Atlas Counselling.
Emergency Contact List
Kids Help Line: 1800 55 1800
Lifeline: 13 11 14
Domestic Violence Crisis Line: 1800 65 64 63
Australian Emergency Services: 000
(Police, Fire, Ambulance)
For other options, please visit https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/mental-health-helplines