policies
Cancellation and attendance policy
Minds Matter values clients time and we do our best to offer a range of appointment times to suit client’s availability. It is important to note, however, that therapist preparation for sessions and assessments is time intensive. As such, the number of sessions available for clients are limited, to ensure quality service. Whilst the nature of some exceptional, unforeseen circumstances requiring clients to reschedule or cancel appointments is understandable, we kindly request to be notified in advance so that clinicians’ time can be effectively managed and so we can offer the appointment to another client that needs it. We acknowledge that unforeseen circumstances may arise, and as such, cancellations supported by a medical certificate may not incur a cancellation fee.
Cancellation policies vary depending on session type due to differing pre-session preparation time needed.
Cancellation Policy for Assessment Sessions
If you need to reschedule or cancel an appointment, please do so at least 72 hours in advance of your scheduled assessment time. Deposits required at the time of assessment bookings are non-refundable, however, when rescheduled with at least 72 hours notice, can be transferred to future bookings.
Late Reschedule or Cancellation of less than 72 hours in advance of your scheduled assessment time will incur a cancellation fee (non-transferrable) of 20% of the total fee (equivalent to your booking deposit).
Late Reschedule or Cancellation of less than 48 hours in advance of your scheduled assessment time will incur a cancellation fee (non-transferrable) of 30% of the total fee.
Late Reschedule or Cancellation of less than 24 hours in advance of your scheduled assessment time will incur a cancellation fee (non-transferrable) of 50% of the total fee.
Remaining paid session fees above that of the cancellation fee (where applicable) can be transferred for use on future session bookings, however, you may be placed back on a waitlist and a timely reschedule cannot be guaranteed.
Failure to attend your session without contact (no-show) will result in a forfeit of your full session fee.
Cancellation Policy for Standard Therapy Sessions, or Feedback sessions
Late Reschedule or Cancellation of less than 48 hours in advance of your scheduled session time will incur a cancellation fee (non-transferrable) of 50% of the total fee.
Late Reschedule or Cancellation of less than 24 hours in advance of your scheduled session time will incur a cancellation fee (non-transferrable) equivalent to the full session fee.
Failure to attend your session without contact (no-show) will result in a forfeit of your full session fee.
Note, no medicare rebates are possible in the case of cancellations/ rescheduling.
If you are running late to a session of any kind, please contact to provide an estimated time-frame. If you are more than 15 minutes late, the session will be cancelled and treated as a no-show, resulting in a forfeit of your full session fee.
Fees and Payment
You agree to pay for the psychological services provided as outlined in the practice’s fee schedule. Payment is due prior to the scheduled session unless otherwise agreed upon. The cost of the assessment is outlined in our fee schedule and can be accessed via www.mindsmatterpsychology.com.au/fees or by contacting contact@mindsmatterpsychology.com.au.
Payment is processed via the Halaxy Electronic Payments. Halaxy Electronic payments processing is provided by Braintree/Paypal, which is protected by bank-grade encryption. As a security measure, card details are stored through this partner and not stored through Halaxy directly, so payment data is not stored with patient records and Halaxy cannot retrieve card details. For more information, refer to our Halaxy articles on managing patient card details and our FAQ on card security.
The client is responsible for ensuring that they have sufficient funds in my account to cover the authorised charges, and for any fees or charges incurred by their financial institution as a result of these transactions. The client is responsible for any unauthorised charges that occur after this authorisation is given. The client agrees that they are an authorised user of the provided debit card and will not dispute the payment with their bank; so long as the transaction corresponds to the terms indicated in this form including assessment fees and fees associated with the cancellation and attendance policy.
Fees associated with administrative tasks
In addition to the clinical services and assessments mentioned, fees will also apply to other billable administrative, indirect, or non-client-facing work. This is charged at a rate of $280/hour (below the 2024-2025 AAPI recommended fee of $315/hour) and includes, but is not limited to:
Completing Applications and other Documents (e.g., Funding, Centrelink, NDIS, SEAS, university paperwork etc)
Non-direct Client Services, including Case Management and Case Coordination
Eligibility
You must be at least 18 years of age to enage in services with Minds Matter Clinical Psychology Services. If you are under the age of 18, you may only engage in services with the informed consent of a parent or legal guardian.
Assessments:
Assessments are only for individuals seeking to evaluate symptoms of autism spectrum disorder (ASD)/ Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). It is not intended for diagnosing other mental health conditions. Formal diagnoses cannot be guaranteed. Clinical decision making regarding diagnoses is made at the discretion of the assessing clinician, using their clinical judgement and expertise, formal screening and assessment measures, behavioural observations, informant reports and other relevant data.
Assessments are part of a comprehensive evaluation and may involve multiple components, including but not limited to, interviews, standardised questionnaires, informant reports, and behavioural observations. In complex cases, the assessment may take more than one session, and additional follow-up may be required depending on the results. This may incur additional fees and you will be notified of this ahead of time by your assessing clinician if relevant.
The autism assessment process is designed to provide an accurate evaluation. There may be times when the process causes discomfort or emotional distress as you reflect on past experiences or challenges.
An outcome of the assessment may be discussed with you at the conclusion of the assessment session in some cases, but this cannot be guaranteed. The outcome of the assessment will be shared with you in the diagnostic report of confirmation letter (depending on option booked), provided within 6-8 weeks of assessment session. You have the right to book a follow-up appointment to access verbal feedback from the assessing clinician. Such follow-up appointments will incur an additional cost and should be requested via emailing contact@mindsmatterpsycholog.com.au.
NDIS/NDIA and DSP
A comprehensive report from Minds Matter Clinical Psychology Services is suitable for applying for NDIS funding. The NDIS only accepts single clinician reports from Clinical Psychologists, Psychiatrists and Paediatricians. Please note, support with NDIS access request forms, DSP applications and involvement in NDIS or DSP tribunals are subject to capacity and will incur extra fees. Please note, It is important to manage your expectations when applying for NDIS funding. Whilst assessments and reports are completed to robust clinical, professional and ethical standards, Minds Matter has no decision-making power about NDIS Access Requests.
Telehealth Services
Appointments are conducted through a secure video conferencing platform. You agree to ensure that you have access to the necessary equipment (computer, internet, camera, microphone, etc.) to participate in the telehealth session. It is your responsibility to ensure that your device and internet connection are functioning before the scheduled assessment time. You are responsible for the costs associated with setting up the technology needed so you can access telehealth services. Our practice will be responsible for the cost of the call to you and the cost associated with the platform used to conduct telehealth services. To access telehealth consultations you will need access to a quiet, private space; and the appropriate device, i.e. smartphone, laptop, iPad, computer, with a camera, microphone and speakers; and a reliable internet connection. The privacy of any form of communication via the internet is potentially vulnerable and limited by the security of the technology used. To support the security of your personal information this practice uses Halaxy which is compliant with the Australian standards for online security and encryption. A telehealth consultation may be subject to limitations such as an unstable network connection which may affect the quality of the session provided. In addition, there may be some services for which telehealth is not appropriate or effective. Your practitioner will consider and discuss with you the appropriateness of ongoing telehealth sessions.
Use of Clinical AI Tools
As part of the assessment process, the provider may use clinical Artificial Intelligence (AI). AI-based transcription tools will be used to convert spoken language into written text during the session. The AI transcription tools are used to ensure that all verbal communication is accurately captured, transcribed, and stored in a secure manner. This transcription helps clinicians review the content of the session and make informed decisions during the assessment process. AI will not be used in aiding the professional judgment or decision making of the clinician conducting your assessment. Any data processed through AI tools will be treated with the same level of confidentiality and privacy as any other personal health information. The AI tool used is a health specific platform designed to comply with relevant Australian data protection laws. You can request more information by emailing contact@mindsmatterpsychology.com.au.
Confidentiality
Purpose of collecting and holding information
The personal information gathered is kept securely and, in the interests of privacy, used only by your psychologist and the authorised personnel of the practice. A more detailed description is provided in the practice’s “Privacy policy for management of personal information”, which can be obtained on the practice website: www.mindsmatterpsychology.com.au/policies or by contacting contact@mindsmatterpsycholog.com.au. The Privacy Policy contains information about how to access and seek correction of your personal information and how to lodge a complaint about our management of your personal information.
At any stage you are entitled to access your personal information, subject to exceptions in the relevant legislation. The psychologist may discuss different possible forms of access.
Disclosure of personal information
All personal information gathered by the psychologist during the provision of the psychological service will remain confidential except when: 1. it is subpoenaed by a court, or disclosure is otherwise required or authorised by law; or 2. failure to disclose the information would in the reasonable belief of the psychologist that the client or the person at serious risk to life, health or safety; or 3. your prior approval has been obtained to a) provide a written report to another professional or agency. e.g., a GP or a lawyer; or b) discuss the material with another person, e.g. a parent, employer, health provider or third party funder; or c) disclose the information in another way; or d) disclose to another professional or agency (e.g. your GP) and disclosure of your personal information to that third party is for a purpose which is directly related to the primary purpose for which your personal information was collected. Personal information is not disclosed to overseas recipients, unless you consent or such disclosure is otherwise required by law. Personal information will not be used, sold, rented or disclosed for any other purpose. In the event that unauthorised access, disclosure or loss of a client’s personal information occurs, Minds Matter Clinical Psychology Services will activate its data breach plan and use all reasonable endeavours to minimise any risk of consequential serious harm.
APS Charter for Clients of Psychologists
The Charter (can be viewed at APS-Charter-for-clients.pdf (psychology.org.au) explains your rights as a client of a psychologist. All information shared during the assessment will be kept confidential, in accordance with relevant privacy and data protection laws (e.g., HIPAA in the U.S., GDPR in the EU).
You understand that the assessment may involve recording your session for clinical and quality assurance purposes. Recordings, if made, will be securely stored and will not be shared without your consent.
In the case of a no-show or cancellation within the specified time frame, you may be charged a cancellation fee.
Privacy policy
Minds Matter Clinical Psychology Services is committed to best practice in relation to the management of information we collect. This practice has developed a policy to protect client privacy in compliance with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) (‘the Privacy Act’). Our policy is to inform you of:
The kinds of information that we collect and hold, which, as a psychological practice, is likely to be ‘health information’ for the purposes of the Privacy Act;
How we collect and hold personal information;
The purposes for which we collect, hold, use and disclose personal information;
How you may access your personal information and seek the correction of that information;
How you may complain about a breach of the Australian Privacy Principles and how we will deal with such a complaint;
Whether we are likely to disclose personal information to overseas recipients
What kinds of personal information do we collect?
The type of information we may collect and hold includes:
Your name, address, date of birth, email and contact details
Medicare number, DVA number and other government identifiers, although we will not use these for the purposes of identifying you in our practice
Other health information about you, including: Notes of your symptoms or diagnosis and the treatment given to you; your reports and assessment results; your appointment and billing details; your medical history; your healthcare identifier; any other information about your race, sexuality or religion, when collected by a health service provider
How do we collect and hold personal information?
We will generally collect personal information:
From you directly when you provide your details to us. This might be via a face to face discussion, telephone conversation, registration form or online form
From a person responsible for you
From third parties where the Privacy Act or other law allows it – this may include, but is not limited to: other members of your treating team, diagnostic centres, specialists, hospitals, Medicare, your health insurer
Why do we collect, hold, use and disclose personal information?
In general, we collect, hold, use and disclose your personal information for the following purposes:
To provide psychological services to you;
To communicate with you in relation to the psychological service being provided to you;
To comply with our legal obligations, including, but not limited to, mandatory reporting under applicable child protection legislation;
To help us manage our accounts and administrative services, including billing, arrangements with health funds, pursuing unpaid accounts, management of our ITC systems;
For consultations with other allied health professional involved in your healthcare;
To obtain, analyse and discuss information that informs our provision of psychological services;
For identification and insurance claiming;
To liaise with your health fund, government and regulatory bodies such as Medicare, the Department of Veteran’s Affairs and the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) (if you make a privacy complaint to the OAIC), as necessary.
How can you access and correct your personal information?
You have a right to seek access to, and correction of the personal information which we hold about you. For details on how to access and correct your health record, please use the Minds Matter contact page. We will normally respond to your request within 30 days.
How do we hold your personal information?
Psychologists are trained and required to respect and protect your privacy. We take reasonable steps to protect information held from misuse and loss and from unauthorised access, modification or disclosure. This includes:
Holding your information in the “Halaxy” practice management platform. Halaxy is an encrypted database, and your information will be accessible only by staff of Minds Matter Clinical Psychology Services. Psychological ethics require that only people with a legitimate need to access your information for the provision of psychological services will do so. The Halaxy.com privacy policy can be found at https://www.halaxy.com/article/privacy.
This practice has document retention and destruction policies that conform to state and national requirements.
Privacy related questions and complaints
If you have any questions about privacy-related issues or wish to complain about a breach of the Australian Privacy Principles or the handling of your personal information by us, you may lodge your complaint in writing to via the contact page. We will normally respond to your request within 30 days.
If you are dissatisfied with our response, you may refer the matter to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC):
Phone: 1300 363 992
Email: enquiries@oaic.gov.au
Fax: +61 2 9284 9666
Anonymity and pseudonyms
The Privacy Act provides that individuals must have the option of not identifying themselves, or of using a pseudonym, when dealing with our practice, except in certain circumstances, such as where it is impracticable for us to deal with you if you have not identified yourself. Minds Matter Clinical Psychology Services does not recommend this, as it may impede access to your related information that may inform your treatment.
Overseas disclosure
We may disclose your personal information to the following overseas recipients:
Any practice or individual who assists us in providing services (such as where you have come from overseas and had your health record transferred from overseas or have treatment continuing from an overseas provider; only with your consent)
Overseas transcription services (if required and only with your consent)
Anyone else to whom you authorise us to disclose it
Privacy and websites
Minds Matter Clinical Psychology Services does not actively collect online or browsing data through our website. Minds Matter Clinical Psychology Services will collect personal data, provided by you through our website, email and social media pages, only for the purposes of liaising with you or others (with your consent) to arrange or provide psychological services. Minds Matter Clinical Psychology Services utilises web hosting provided by Squarespace.com, whose privacy policy can be found at https://www.squarespace.com/privacy.
Clients may make bookings online through our website, which will link through to the Halaxy practice management platform. The Halaxy.com privacy policy can be found at https://www.halaxy.com/article/privacy.
Modification of Terms
The provider reserves the right to modify these terms and conditions at any time. This Policy will be reviewed from time to time to take account of new laws and technology, changes to our operations and other necessary developments. Updates will be publicised on the practice’s website.