COUNSELLING TERMS
and PAYMENT
with Leanne French of the Martinborough Art Department
The terms listed here include information about how we work together and what is expected of each of us.
I respond to all emails within 2 days, unless I advise you otherwise. The correspondence is confidential. I use reasonable precautions to ensure the privacy of electronic communications.
You are free to show the material to people you choose. Publication of my words, in any form will require my permission.
I have a professionally approved supervisor whom I confidentially share concerns with, without identifying clients. If the court requests records or if you are in danger of harming yourself or someone else then confidentiality will be broken.
I am a member of the New Zealand Association of Counsellors and am governed by their code of ethics.
Please be aware if you decide to do therapy online that there is no 100% safeguard with security and privacy. There can be technical errors or theft of computers. I do what I can in regards to safety. To safeguard your own privacy, practise care and attention especially if you share a computer. A password protected email address is a good idea. I keep a record of our communication as a word document on my computer.
I expect that you use your real name and identity with me when doing online counselling and phone counselling and that your correspondence is within acceptable moral guidelines. I do like to know how old you are and if in doubt that you are a minor I may ask for identification. I like to exchange photos via e-mail to make the work more personal but you do have a right to remain anonymous.
I cannot offer an emergency service, so if you are newly contacting me because you are in crisis or immediate danger you need to contact an emergency agency such as lifeline instead. You need to seek qualified local help if safety is an issue.
If you are currently working with another therapist it is not appropriate that you also work with me. I like to know if you are on medication.
For these online counselling services, I charge a fee for my work with you. I charge by the hour (in 5 minute intervals). This includes reading your material and writing my response. I have a standard rate of NZ$80 per hour. An hour may be made up of several two-way e-mails. You can respond and write about your feelings in your own time in lengthy or short emails. Your introductory email and my first response are free of charge so you get an idea of how I work and how I might help you.
Making payment and requesting therapy online with me indicates that you have read and agree to these terms set out in this agreement. During our work together you are free to decide at any time to end your work with me, just let me know.
Face-to-face counselling with me occurs separate to these terms and can be specifically arranged and contracted.
If you are a telephone counselling client the terms and conditions here also apply but I would like your email address in case of an emergency. We arrange via email, that you call me at a specific time (that suits us both within business hours) for sixty minutes duration and you pay for the call.
If deemed appropriate we can exchange cell phone numbers to use for text messages only, for emergency situations such as cancellations and or when computer access is impossible.
Payment.
If you have a NZ bank account you can make an Internet Bank payment to my account using your name as reference. I will give you my bank details via email.
You can organize to pay with Pay Pal. You can use your credit card with Pay Pal. It is easy to join and has a small one-time membership fee. Please read the Pay Pal user agreement for details. www.paypal.com
I can also do manual credit card transactions. Payment is to be made in advance unless otherwise contracted.
Leanne French