The following information is given to provide a clear mutual understanding of the professional and business aspects of our relationship. Please read this information carefully, and feel free to ask questions or express any concerns you may have.

1. General Information

A. Psychotherapy Services

Psychotherapy varies on a number of dimensions including the personalities of the therapist and client, the issues being addressed, the length of treatment, and the strategies/modalities used. There are both risks and benefits to psychotherapy. You may experience uncomfortable feelings or confront unpleasant life events. Psychotherapy often leads to a significant reduction of distress, better relationships, and the resolution of specific problems. Success in therapy does require hard work on your part, both during and between sessions.

B. Intake and Assessment

While I am becoming familiar with your nervous system presentation and patterns, the first few sessions will emphasise:

1. Learning about your life circumstances.

2. Clarifying the issues you want help with.

3. Getting to know about one another and our individual styles.

4. Practising co-regulation together.

5. Undertaking a skills-building assessment and process, during which you will:

a. learn and practise observing your body sensations

b. refine your capacity to differentiate between thoughts, feelings and sensations

c. hone your ability to notice differences in your sensate experience.

C. Confidentiality

What you disclose to me on your intake form, and what we discuss in therapy, are confidential matters. This means that what you say will not be talked about with anyone else. In general, the confidentiality of communications between a client and a psychotherapist is protected by law, and I can only release information to others with your written permission. There are a few exceptions, however:

1) if you are in danger to yourself (i.e., suicidal)

2) if you are a danger to others

3) if you disclose the identity of a minor who has ever been abused physically, sexually, or mentally

4) if you are involved in a legal matter and I am required to comply with the demands of the court

5) when I consult with colleagues to ensure you receive the best possible treatment and care

Fortunately, the first four situations are extremely rare in my practice. The fifth is more common, but I make every effort to avoid revealing clients’ identities, and the colleagues with whom I consult are also legally bound to keep information confidential.

D. Professional Records

I maintain records regarding treatment strategies and progress, and sometimes take notes in the course of a session. All client notes are stored securely in a password protected folder on my computer that only I can access.

E. Client Rights

1. You have the right to ask questions about my philosophy of therapy, my experience with the problem at hand, your treatment plan, and the procedures used. I will explain my usual methods with you.

2. You may choose to end therapy with me at any time. Should you decide to withdraw from therapy before your package is complete, I request that you attend at least one additional session to discuss your reasons with me.

3. I commit to not discriminating against you on the basis of your age, race, ethnicity, sex, religion, national origin, language, education, marital status, sexual identity, gender identity, HIV status, or disability.

F. Other Conditions of Therapy

1. If a problem of any type (e.g., financial, scheduling, therapy approach) arises during the course of our work, please bring it up for discussion.

2. It may be useful or necessary to invite a partner, family member, or friend to attend a session. This is only done if you consent.

3. As a condition of undertaking nervous system sessions with me, please do not commence any other therapy without first bringing it up for discussion. I have a professional responsibility for your overall psychological treatment, and I need to know what other treatments are potentially impacting your nervous system.

4. Another condition of having sessions with me is that you make no unplanned major disclosures and/or confrontations with family members or other significant individuals. Such actions should not be undertaken impulsively. Rather, they should be discussed, decided upon, and prepared for in sessions to minimise adverse outcomes.

5. Certain specialised trauma treatment techniques in which I am trained, such as Somatic Experiencing (www.traumahealing.com ), and Brainspotting (www.brainspottingaustraliapacific.com.au) can provide substantial benefits, but they may also be considered ‘experimental’ because they are body-focused psychotherapeutic techniques and not traditional ‘talk’ therapy. More information about my treatment methods is provided in my informed consent form.

2. Electronic Communication and Social Media

A. Email

I cannot control the privacy or confidentiality of email communication. Therefore, emails related to your treatment is not completely secure or confidential. If you choose to communicate with me by email, be aware that all emails are retained in the logs of yours and my Internet service providers.

I often do not respond to email on days that I would be typically out of the office (Tuesday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, public holidays, annual leave). If urgent, use voicemail, text or Facebook Messenger.

Please be aware that any communication that exceeds 10 minutes reading and/or writing will be billed at my standard hourly rate unless alternative arrangements are made in advance.

B. Social Networking Sites

Depending on the type of work we will be undertaking, I may suggest it is best for us not to be Facebook friends while we are working together. You are free to stay in touch with updates on my business page, and share my Facebook posts with other people.

You are free to mention you are working/have worked with me wherever, and to whomever you wish. ‘Client confidentiality’ means that I cannot tell anyone that you are my client, but you are welcome to tell anyone you want that I’m your therapist or say how you feel about the treatment you receive, in any forum of your choosing.

Unless you have purchased a package that includes messaging minutes. please do not use social networking sites such as Facebook or LinkedIn to private message me personal stories or to update me about your progress. If you wish to continue discussing a subject you raised in your session, you will need to wait until your next session. Celebrations are always best shared in the context of a session where a more relational response is possible.

C. Texting

Please do not use SMS (mobile phone text messaging) to discuss your therapy or share personal stories/photographs without asking my permission first.

D. Urgent Communication

If you need to speak to me urgently, leave a voicemail message on my mobile phone number, 0444 533 802, and I will respond as soon as I can.  If you need to schedule or change an appointment, you can use my online booking system. [Your personal booking link will have been emailed to you – search for the email subject, Forms and Information for your Session or Information for Booking your Session.]

If you can’t find an appointment to fit your schedule and you want to know about alternatives, email is the best way to check with me about this. If the 48-hour cancellation notice period is drawing near and you need me to reply, use Facebook Messenger or SMS.

E. Location-Based Services

If you use location-based services on your mobile phone, you may wish to be aware of the privacy issues related to using these services. If you have GPS tracking enabled on your device, it is possible that others may surmise that you are a therapy client due to regular check-ins at my clinic. Please be aware you may be inadvertently compromising your safety as well as your confidentiality if you are intentionally “checking in,” from my clinic location, or if you have a passive LBS app enabled on your phone.

3. Fees and Scheduling (as of 1st January, 2021)

A. Individual Therapy:

o  $347.00AUD 60-minute session. Available in 6 or 10 session packs.

o  Touchwork Sessions attract a subsidised rate: $265.00-$297.00AUD per session for regular attendance and long-term commitment – i.e., fortnightly , 6 months minimum).

B. Withdrawal from Therapy:

When you book a package with me, you are asking me to hold you accountable to stay with the process even when it becomes uncomfortable. As a result, there are no refunds if you change your mind about working with me. The decision to terminate therapy can sometimes be the result of misinterpretation, miscommunication, or the painfulness of the material being examined. I encourage open communication before a final decision is made. Should you decide to terminate therapy with me but wish to continue with someone else, I will provide you with names of other qualified therapists if you want a recommendation.

C. Reduced Fees

I can provide referrals to other therapists and/or clinics providing low-cost, sliding-scale, no-gap and free services. Whilst I will always endeavour to suggest professionals whose therapeutic approach and training is in line with my own, because it is only cognitive therapeutic approaches (CBT, DBT, etc.) that are rebated by Medicare, a referral is not necessarily a recommendation for the treatment method offered.

D. Other Professional Services

Other professional services, including attendance at legal proceedings on your behalf, may incur additional costs. These will be disclosed to you in advance. Please ask me if you would like more information about this.

E. Fee Structure

Because I am continually attending trainings and revising my skills, my fee structure is re-assessed following completion of those trainings or qualifications. Fees for regular (fortnightly or monthly) clients are held for up to twelve months, with a review on January 1st every year.

F. Payment.

1. All fees are due before your session unless I have agreed to an alternative arrangement.

2. In the rare event of an unpaid bill, you agree to pay all costs, including debt collection agency fees and solicitor’s costs, that I may incur in taking steps to recover any money that you owe under this agreement, whether or not legal proceedings are issued in relation to the debt.

G. Cancellations and Missed Sessions

Scheduling presents a unique problem in private therapy because once a specific hour is blocked out, it cannot be filled on short notice. Further, because the nature of therapy requires a regular commitment (usually fortnightly or monthly), I am only able to maintain a finite caseload. Consequently, fees will be charged for all missed sessions, regardless of the reason for the absence, except in the following situations:

i. If you give 48-hours’ notice. Text or leave a message on my voicemail (tel: 0444 533 802) if you are unable to contact me directly.

ii. Motor vehicle accidents (not traffic congestion, I expect you to plan ahead and allow sufficient time).

iii. Other emergencies beyond your control (e.g., extreme weather, natural disasters.) Note that changes in your childcare arrangements requires 48 hours’ notice to cancel without charge.

4. Outside of Session Contact

A. Telephone

1. Occasionally telephone contact or voice messaging is needed when issues come up between sessions. I am not always immediately available, but I monitor my voice mail on weekdays during business hours (10am to 7pm).

2. I will make every effort to return your call on the same day you make it, excepting late nights, weekends, and holidays. If you are going to be difficult to reach, leave some times when you will be available.

B. Emergencies

If you cannot reach me and you feel unable to wait for a return call, you should call 000, a local helpline, or go to the emergency department at the nearest hospital and ask for the psychologist or psychiatrist on call.

C. Holidays and Professional Absences

My schedule includes approximately ten weeks of professional development (training) and holiday time each year, during which I am out of the office. 

Occasionally I will need to reschedule a session due to professional commitments or for personal reasons. I make every effort to give you advance notice of any changes whenever possible.

I may not read emails every day of my working week (Mondays to Thursdays), though it’s rare. Although I read all emails, I do not respond to all messages.

D. Complaints

Psychotherapy can be triggering, and you may not always leave a session feeling good, or as you would like to feel. You may not like something I said, or you may feel I was insensitive. Nevertheless, I encourage you to bring your reactions to the work we do, directly into the therapy process. Bringing your dissatisfaction can be an important part of therapy, even if you ultimately decide we are not a good fit. It can be a very healing experience to bring your emotional reactions to the session and be supported to express them in a safe therapeutic environment. This can be transformative if you are used to having your hurt dismissed or minimised, or accustomed to relationships falling apart when there is conflict or disagreement.

E. Dispute Resolution

1. If you experience any discomfort or distress:

a. Let me know in a session so that I can facilitate an appropriate repair for you in real time when we are ‘together’. Because we are sitting together in awareness, any interpersonal conflict that arises is an opportunity to return to our internal felt sense of safety, or to find one if you have been unable to connect to one in the past.

Through bringing up your concerns in a session, you may discover that being supported by me can be a powerful experience that ‘corrects’ for the somatic memories held in your nervous system when you were let down, betrayed and not supported by others.

b. If you feel unable to bring your concerns to a session to be witnessed and supported by me, please send an email to: raquel@embodiedpresencetraining.com and request a telephone conversation with me as soon as possible.

2. Whichever course of action you decide to take, I will work with you so that you have a different outcome than the one your nervous system has been programmed to expect from persons in 'authority'/power figure roles. If you are triggered by anything I have said or done, I commit to helping you stay in therapy, but you are free to cancel your participation at any time.

3. You may feel that your grievance is a separate matter from your personal process/nervous system response – e.g., there may be things you wish to discuss that have arisen out of this Agreement. If either of us determines that a discussion on this basis is necessary, we agree that we shall communicate with the intention of making a genuine effort to seek a win/win solution and resolve any dispute by negotiation and discussion.

4. All information exchanged during this meeting or any subsequent dispute resolution process, shall be regarded as “without prejudice” communications for the purpose of settlement negotiations and shall be treated as confidential by the Parties and their representatives, unless otherwise required by law. However, evidence that is independently admissible or discoverable shall not be rendered inadmissible or non-discoverable by virtue of its use during the dispute resolution process.

F. Mediation

1. If we are unable to resolve a dispute by negotiation and discussion within 14 days, we agree to proceed to mediation with the assistance of an independent accredited mediator, seeking online dispute resolution or mediation by telephone if we are not both in Queensland, Australia.

2. The mediator is to be appointed by agreement between us or, failing agreement within 21 days of the negotiation period ending, the person initiating the dispute will seek the appointment of a dispute resolution professional by the President of the Law Society of Queensland, Australia, or similar neutral authority.

3. We agree to share all the costs of mediation equally between us.

4. We agree that neither of us will commence legal action until, in the opinion of the independent mediator, the potential for negotiation and mediation have been exhausted.