Healthy North Coast Terms and Conditions

Welcome to PsychHelp.  PsychHelp is an online psychology practice.  Please read the Terms and Conditions carefully as they apply to people residing in the Healthy North Coast Ltd (HNCL) region, who have been affected by bushfires, and are eligible to be provided with access to free telephone and / or videoconference-based psychology services. If you agree to the Terms and Conditions you can use the services offered through the PsychHelp website.  If you do not wish to be bound by the Terms and Conditions, you cannot use the psychology services of this website.  By using the services offered through the PsychHelp website, you are agreeing to the Terms and Conditions set forth below.

  1. Acceptance and Changes to Terms

PsychHelp retains the right to modify or amend these Terms and Conditions at any time and without notice.  PsychHelp can amend these Terms and Conditions at any time by posting amended Terms and Conditions to this page on the PsychHelp website.  Unless otherwise stated, all amendments shall be effective immediately upon posting on the PsychHelp website.  You are responsible for regularly viewing the Terms and Conditions and checking for any updates.  Continued use of the PsychHelp website after any changes to the Terms and Conditions constitutes your consent to such changes.  If at any time you choose not to accept these Terms and Conditions, you may not use the PsychHelp website.

  1. Definitions

In the Terms and Conditions for the PsychHelp website you are sometimes referred to as “you”, “the client”, or “the user”.  PsychHelp means PsychHelp1 Pty Ltd ACN 631 533 732 and its psychologists and is referred to as “PsychHelp”, “PsychHelp Services”, “we” and “our”.

  1. Terms of Use

PsychHelp and PsychHelp services are not appropriate for you if any of the following apply:

  • If you are in an emergency situation and need urgent and immediate assistance. Please see our emergency contacts page for the appropriate phone numbers; or
  • If you are currently intoxicated from the use of alcohol or drugs.

PsychHelp will consider on a case by case basis working with you if you are suicidal or at risk of harming yourself or others as long as you have local mental health support to manage times of crisis. We are not a crisis service and do not have the ability to manage crises.  Please see our emergency resources page for services to help you in a crisis or emergency situation https://psychhelp.com.au/help-now/

You are certifying that you are over the age of 18 years or if you are under the age of 18 years that you have consent from a parent or guardian.  If you are under the age of 18 years you need to obtain consent from your parent or guardian to use PsychHelp. Consent will include providing your guardians name and contact details.  We also require an email from your guardian to confirm consent before your first appointment.  Only adults who can form legally binding contracts under the applicable law, so consent is required for you to be able to actively participate in the activities conducted through PsychHelp. By using PsychHelp services you certify that you have consent from a parent or guardian who is 18 years of age or older, competent to assume legally-binding obligations, and has the resources available to fully honour those obligations that you undertake.  If you are the legal guardian of another person who is accessing the PsychHelp website, you hereby accept full liability for any harm caused by their wrongful use of the PsychHelp services.

PsychHelp reserves the right to refuse, limit, and/or restrict our services to anyone, for any reason, at any time, and at our sole discretion.

  1. The PsychHelp Service

The information provided to you through PsychHelp is solely for your personal use. The use of this information or services may not be made available to third parties.

Psychologists at PsychHelp agree to practice in accordance with the Ethics Codes and Codes of Conduct as provided by the Australian Psychological Society (APS) and the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA)/Psychology Board of Australia.

  1. User Responsibilities

You, or anyone using this service on your behalf, agree to not use the PsychHelp service to:

  • Send or receive any content that is unlawful, offensive, malicious, abusive, harmful, threatening, tortious, defamatory, obscene, libellous, or objectionable;
  • Be in breach of confidence, intellectual property, copyright, privacy or any other rights;
  • Pretend to be any person or entity other than your true identity, or falsely state or otherwise misrepresent your affiliation with a person or entity;
  • Intentionally or unintentionally violate any applicable local, state, national or international law, or any regulations having the force of law; or
  • Non-conform with any acceptable use policies of any connected networks and general internet standards and protocols.

When using this online psychology service, you are responsible for:

  • Providing the psychologist with all relevant information in order for him or her to assist you.
  • Behaving in a respectful manner while online. PsychHelp does not tolerate any abusive behaviour and we reserve the right to terminate the session if this is the case.
  • Making your own decisions. The goal of PsychHelp is to assist you to the best of our abilities to understand the options available to you but ultimately you will need to make the decision as to what you do.  We do not take responsibility for those decisions or the result of those decisions.
  1. PsychHelp Privacy and Confidentiality Policy

PsychHelp psychologists use private rooms and are not observed by anyone else while in session with you. Our psychologists may print and keep a copy of your transcripts from emails or chat conversations.  These notes will be kept in accordance with the PsychHelp Privacy Policy and the provisions within the Australian Psychological Society Code of Ethics.

There are limits to confidentiality which are outlined in the Australian Psychological Society Code of Ethics.  As a result, PsychHelp reserves the right to report to the appropriate authorities, such as the police or child protection authorities, situations where a client or associate of the client is judged to be at risk of self-harm, or of harming others, especially if a child under the age of 18 years is at risk.  Psychologists are also obliged to report to police information received about the commission of a criminal act.

It is your responsibility for keeping the confidentiality of any content you download onto your computer.  It is your responsibility to delete or keep safe emails and transcripts of online conversations.  You need to be aware that even deleted files can at times be accessed.

For further information please refer to our Privacy Policy.

  1. Intellectual Property

The content and materials (including website designs, software, logos and information) available and displayed on the PsychHelp website are the sole property of PsychHelp and are protected by copyright, trademark and other intellectual property laws.  Content from PsychHelp may not be used, reproduced, sold or retransmitted without prior written consent. You are permitted to view the content online and print a copy for your personal use or record.    You indemnify PsychHelp from and against any and all liability, claims, damages and/or costs brought by third parties concerning any alleged infringement of intellectual property rights by you.

  1. Appointments, Confirmations and Cancellations

Up to ten, maximum 60-minute telehealth psychology sessions per calendar year are available to individuals who are impacted by the bushfires and residing within the Healthy North Coast Ltd (HNCL) region.

Only confirmed bookings are considered.  PsychHelp does not offer tentative appointments.

Both the client and PsychHelp have the right to terminate any services agreement for any reason, including the ending of the services that are already underway.  However, no refunds shall be offered where an appointment is deemed to have begun and is, for all intents and purposes, underway.

If you have booked an appointment and want to reschedule you must inform PsychHelp at least 48 hours before the appointment.

Please let us know if you need to reschedule your appointment.

If technical difficulties occur, please discuss these with your Psychologist to develop a plan to complete the session.

If for any reason your Psychologist is unable to attend the appointment, we will notify you by email and your Psychologist will contact, you to reschedule the appointment.

  1. Payments

Up to ten, maximum 60-minute telehealth psychology sessions per calendar year are free of charge to service users referred to PsychHelp by Connect To Wellbeing and Healthy North Coast Ltd (HNCL).

PsychHelp will send an appointment confirmation and an invoice to the email address provided by service users.

  1. Record Keeping

The PsychHelp psychologists will make adequate records and keep these records for a minimum of seven years after last client contact in accordance with the Australian Psychological Society (APS) Ethics Code.  Your records will be kept in Private Practice software which complies with the relevant Australian Privacy Acts or in a locked physical cabinet for this period.  At the end of this period they will be disposed of by either electronic deletion and/or shredding.

  1. Security

PsychHelp shall have no liability for the interception or hacking of data through the website or related platforms by unauthorised third parties.

  1. Disclaimer

When you access PsychHelp it is entirely at your own risk.  Except as expressly provided by law, PsychHelp will in no event be liable for any claims, losses or damages of any kind (including special, indirect and consequential loss) arising out of or in relation to the use or performance of the PsychHelp website.  We retain all of our rights at law as to how we may discharge our obligations with regards to any liability that cannot be lawfully excluded under these Terms and Conditions of Use.

  1. Website Content and Access

This website is provided to you on an ‘as is’ and ‘as available’ basis.  While PsychHelp endeavours to take reasonable care in preparing and maintaining the information on this website, PsychHelp does not give any warranties or representations of any kind as to the security, accuracy, adequacy or completeness of any of the website content.  You acknowledge and accept that the website content may include technical inaccuracies and typographical errors.

PsychHelp is not liable for and does not warrant that access to the PsychHelp website will be uninterrupted or that the website is free from viruses, or anything else which may damage any computer which accesses the PsychHelp website, or any data on such computer.

  1. Third Party Websites

The PsychHelp website may contain links to third party websites.  The inclusion of a link to other websites does not imply endorsement by PsychHelp.  Unless otherwise stated, PsychHelp does not control, endorse or approve any such third party websites or their content, nor does PsychHelp provide any warranty or accept any liability, or responsibility for, any content of those websites.

  1. Jurisdiction

These Terms and Conditions and any agreement including these Terms and Conditions shall be governed and construed in accordance with the laws in the State of Queensland, Australia, and the parties irrevocable submit to the jurisdiction of the Courts of Queensland.

  1. APS Charter for Clients of Psychologists 

Please visit the APS Charter for Clients of Psychologist which explains your rights as a client of a psychologist.