Initial Consultation
The consultation will take approximately 50 minutes and it is important that you arrive 10 minutes prior to your appointment in order to complete relevant administrative forms.
As part of providing a psychological service to you, Thinkahead will need to collect and record personal information from you that is relevant to your current situation. This information will be a necessary part of the psychological assessment and treatment that is conducted.
You do not have to give all your personal information, but if you don’t, this may mean the psychological service may not be able to be provided to you.
Purpose of collecting and holding information
The information is gathered as part of the assessment, diagnosis and treatment of the client’s presenting concerns and is seen only by the psychologist. The information is retained in order to document what happens during sessions, and enables the psychologist to provide a relevant and informed psychological service
Access to client information
The records and their contents remains the property of Thinkahead. However at any stage you as a client are entitled to access the information kept on you on file, unless the relevant legislation provides otherwise. The psychologist may discuss with you appropriate forms of access.
Confidentiality
All personal information gathered by the psychologist during the provision of the psychological service will remain confidential and secure except where:
- It is subpoenaed by a court, or
- Failure to disclose the information would place you or another person at serious and imminent risk; or
- Your prior approval has been obtained to
- provide a written report to another professional or agency, e.g. a GP or a lawyer;
- discuss the material with another person, e.g. a parent or employer; or if disclosure is otherwise required or authorised by law.
Signed Consent to Give Feedback
In some instances Thinkahead may consult with other psychologists about aspects of treatment in order to provide the best possible clinical care. However, in any such consultations, you will not be personally identified.
If you are accessing the service through a Mental Health Care Plan and received a referral from your GP we will require you sign a feedback consent form. This will allow the psychologist to provide verbal/written feedback to your GP following initial consultation and at the end of the treatment process.
Qualifications and Expertise
All of Thinkahead’s Psychologists are professionally qualified with a minimum of 22 years experience in the assessment, diagnoses and treatment of mental health conditions. Thinkahead psychologists are members of the Australian Psychological Society (APS), which is a professional body with their own code of ethics. Hence, Thinkahead psychologists are subject to a wide range of professional and ethical requirements, imposed both by a statutory body and their own professional association.
The applicable code of ethics can be found on APS Code of Ethics
Clients seeking counselling through an Employee Assistance Program
Thinkahead is a provider of Employee Assistance Program which is a free confidential counselling service that is funded by corporate organisations. Thinkahead has a contractual agreement with many local organisations to provide short term solutions focused counselling. The service can be accessed by employees and their family members. Depending on the contractual agreement between Thinkahead and the organisation, session entitlement can vary between 3-6 counselling sessions.
To find out more about Employee Assistance Programs and whether you can access the service through your organisation call 02 9981 3003.
