Amity Trauma-Informed Practice
T: 89570788 | E: amity.tip@gmail.com | W: amitypractice.com.sg | UEN: 53397421J
Counselling Contract
Welcome to our practice! This document contains important information about our professional services and business policies. It is our goal to make your experience here an informed and positive one.
Counselling allows you, the client, to discuss your problems and any difficult feelings you experience in a safe, confidential environment provided by us. It is a process by which you seek to change something in your life, or simply explore your thoughts and feelings in more depth. We will work with you on strategies and to create a plan of action to either help you reconcile your issues or help you find ways of coping.
The counselling relationship between us has clearly defined rights and responsibilities held by each of us. These rights and responsibilities are described in the following sections:
1. Risks and Benefits
There is a possibility of risks and benefits which may occur in counselling. Counselling may involve the risk of remembering unpleasant events and may arouse strong emotional feelings. Counselling can impact relationships with significant others. The benefits from counselling may be an improved ability to relate with others; a clearer understanding of self, values, goals; increased productivity; and an ability to deal with everyday stress. Taking personal responsibility for working with these issues may lead to greater growth.
2. Confidentiality
All sessions will be conducted, and records kept, in a safe and confidential manner, with the following exceptions:
- If you might be a probable threat to someone else or their property; or there is evidence of child or vulnerable adult abuse; or there is any criminal involvement; we will need to inform the appropriate authorities, and to ensure the safety of the other person or their property.
- A court has made a legal order or subpoena.
- “No Secrets” – if you and your partner / family member(s) have some individual sessions as part of couple / family therapy, what you say in those individual sessions will be considered to be a part of the couple / family therapy, and may be discussed in our joint sessions to support the couple / family work. Do not tell us anything you wish to keep secret from your partner / family member(s).
3. Our Sessions
All sessions are scheduled in advance. Please be responsible for coming to your session on time and at the time we have scheduled. If you are late, we will have to end on time and not run over into the next session. Our counselling sessions will be sixty (60) minutes long for individual sessions, with extensions of time, if required, and when available. Please provide up to seventy-five (75) minutes long for couple / family sessions, if needed.
4. Records Keeping
We keep very brief records or process notes, noting only that you have been here, what interventions happened in session, and the topics we have discussed, for counsellors' reference only. These records are maintained in a secure location that cannot be accessed by anyone else, and they will be destroyed within three years of termination of sessions or as permitted by applicable laws, if any, whichever is later.
5. Fees
Fees will be indicated in the company website at amitypractice.com.sg/fees and/or in other written communication to the Client and are applicable for the following session types and durations (starting from scheduled time), pro-rated for time beyond this, unless otherwise stated.
- Therapy sessions: Individual – 60 minutes – S$200.00.
- Therapy sessions: Couple / Family – 75 minutes – S$250.00.
- Supervision / Consultation (Individual) – 60 minutes – S$200.00.
- Supervision / Consultation (Group, maximum 4 pax) – 60 minutes – S$220.00.
- Training – fees upon quotation.
- An additional 15% fee applies for sessions scheduled after 6:00 PM or on weekends.
- Fees are payable at the end of each session via one of the following modes of payment: PayNow or Cash only.
All fees and modes of payment are subject to change.
6. Cancellations
You are responsible for keeping appointments scheduled. If you need to cancel or reschedule our appointment, please give us 48 hours' notice so that it can be made available for someone else. If notice given is less than forty-eight (48) hours but at least twenty-four (24) hours in advance, a cancellation fee of S$100.00 will be applied. If the notice given is less than twenty-four (24) hours, the full session fee will be applied, unless a valid medical certificate is produced. Cancellation fees are also subject to change with thirty (30) days' notice.
7. Legal Proceedings
Should there be any legal or administrative proceedings during or after the counselling process, you agree:
- Not to subpoena us to testify or to be a witness.
- Not to subpoena or demand the submission of any counselling notes or audio/video recordings to be admitted as evidence.
and waive any rights you may have in this respect.
8. Ethical Standards
We are members of the Singapore Association for Counselling and our professional work is guided by their Code of Ethics, a copy of which can be found on their website.
9. Recording of Sessions
As part of our belief in ensuring quality service standards to our clients, the counselling sessions may be recorded selectively for supervision and training purposes. Recording involves audio and video recording of counselling sessions.
- All recordings may be used only for professional purposes of assessment, analysis, supervision and training in the interest of improving practice standards to our clients.
- The recordings will be viewed only by your counsellor, supervisors and counselling professionals in the supervision sessions. We will be responsible to ensure confidentiality and safe keeping of the recordings at all times.
- The recordings are to be erased within three (3) months after the working contract with you has ended.
10. Telehealth Services
Where appropriate, our services can be delivered via electronic means and rely on a number of electronic, often internet-based, technology tools. Please refer to additional terms and conditions under Telehealth Services as stated in Appendix A which outline how such services will be provided. Actual participation in telehealth services will be taken as consent to these additional terms and conditions. We shall not be liable for any loss or damage suffered by you or any user as a result of the use of telehealth services which you have consented to us.
11. Privacy Notice
Please refer to the Privacy Notice stated in Appendix B which outlines how we will manage your personal data. You may make your request to withdraw your consent, access or correct your personal data by writing to us at the address below. Alternatively, you may email us at amity.tip@gmail.com. We shall not be liable for any loss or damage suffered by you or any user as a result of any disclosure of any personal data which you have consented to us.
12. Contact
If you need to reach us on the telephone, please first leave us a WhatsApp message at 89570788. Our telephone will only be attended to during operating hours on work days, when we are not in session, and your call will be returned soonest or latest by the next working day. If you experience a crisis or an emergency, and it is outside our operating hours or we cannot be reached, please call 995 or SOS at 1800 221 4444 or go to the nearest hospital emergency room.
Appendix A – Telehealth Services
Telehealth services refer to services that we provide delivered via electronic means and rely on a number of electronic, often internet-based, technology tools. These tools can include Zoom, videoconferencing software, email, text messaging, virtual environments, specialised mobile applications, and others. Your understanding is important to us, and we would like to outline the terms and conditions with which we provide these services:
1. Benefits and Risks of Telehealth Services
Available telehealth services allow you to receive counselling services at times or in places where the service may not otherwise be available. These services may be received in a fashion that may be more convenient and/or when you are unable to travel to our premises for in-person services. Counselling via telehealth means can also help some clients make improved progress on their counselling goals.
Notwithstanding our commitment to Confidentiality, telehealth services can be impacted by technical failures which may introduce risks to your privacy, and may reduce our ability to directly intervene in crisis or emergencies, including but not limited to:
- Unstable Internet or network connections and cloud services, which may affect the quality of the session or cease working.
- Cloud-based services may have the ability to access your private information that is transmitted or stored in the process of telehealth service delivery.
- Computers, laptops, telephones, smartphones, iPads, tablets, microphones, speakers and other hardware and devices can have sudden failures or can run out of power.
- Local power outages.
Whilst we will take reasonable steps to ensure information privacy, protection of software against viruses and other malware, selection of videoconferencing platforms and other media with a good level of security, there are still variations and ongoing developments which will not guarantee total protection. You will also ensure that the software and hardware you use will also have a good level of protection and that reasonable security protocols to protect the privacy of your own information are maintained.
2. Telehealth Environment
You will be responsible at your end for:
- Creating a safe and confidential space during sessions, and should use a space that has adequate privacy, both visual and auditory.
- Ensuring anticipated distractions are managed so the sessions will not have disruptions.
- Ensuring your hardware and devices are adequately charged as a backup plan if connection breaks.
- Finding a comfortable place to sit with good lighting, and ensure appropriate amenities are available on hand.
3. Communication Plan
In the event there are connection problems at your end, we will attempt to open the session for five minutes, and will ask that you attempt to re-join the session. If you still cannot connect again, we will call you on your given contact number to discuss.
4. Recordings
You will not record video or audio sessions. However, we will record our sessions selectively for the professional purposes of assessment, analysis, supervision and training as stated in the Counselling Contract, and the recordings will be erased accordingly.
5. Mental Health Crisis and Medical Emergencies
Telehealth services may not be appropriate for clients with active suicidal or homicidal thoughts or clients who are experiencing acute mental health conditions. It is your responsibility to inform us if you are at risk of harm to self or others.
We will contact the emergency contact you have provided us in the event that there is a crisis or emergency, so that we can communicate with the person regarding your care.
Should there be other emergencies following our telehealth session, and if it is outside operating hours or we cannot be reached, please call 995 or SOS at 1800 221 4444 or go to the nearest hospital emergency room, for assistance.
6. Termination
You have a right to stop receiving telehealth services at any time, without prejudice, and will not be prevented from accessing in-person services, if available. We will also continuously assess if working via telehealth services is appropriate for you. If it is not appropriate, you will have access to in-person services, if available.
Your use, and continued use, of our services via telehealth constitutes your acknowledgement and acceptance of the above terms and conditions.
Appendix B – Privacy Notice
Your privacy is important to us. We would like to share our privacy policy in compliance with the Personal Data Protection Act 2012 (“PDPA”), governing our collection, use, disclosure of your information. This Privacy Notice outlines how Amity Trauma-Informed Counselling (“Amity”) will manage your personal data accordingly:
1. Collection of Information
Your personal information provided through completion of Client Profile forms, online registration forms (where web technology like cookies may be deployed), newsletter subscription (if any), email, telephone, feedback forms or any other communication channel will be kept strictly confidential. Depending on the nature of your interaction with us, some examples of personal data which we may collect from you include name, residential address, email address, telephone number, nationality, gender, date of birth and marital status.
If you provide personal data related to a third party (e.g. information on your dependent, spouse, children and/or parents), you represent and warrant that the consent of that third party has been obtained for the collection, use and disclosure of the personal data for the purposes listed above.
2. Disclosure of Information
We respect the privacy of your personal data. Please be assured that we do not share or sell personal data for advertising or marketing purposes as required per local governance. Your personal data will be used for the following purposes:
- to build, conduct and maintain our relationship with you;
- to respond to an emergency that threatens the life, health or safety of any individual;
- to support our internal processes including but not limited to appointments, invoicing and payments, which include information shared with our service providers whom we engage to perform services on our behalf;
- to reply to your enquiries with us and to respond to any communications you may have with us;
- to enrol in third party programmes or tools, with your permission;
- to publicise and communicate programmes and events, including workshops and talks;
- to maintain and update our records;
- for any other purposes which you have given permission or permitted or required by law.
3. Protection of Information
We value all personal data shared and take measures to protect and keep the personal data secure through reasonable security arrangements to prevent unauthorised access, collection, and use. However, as information technology continues to evolve rapidly, no transmission of data over the Internet can be guaranteed to be completely secure.
4. Accuracy & Completeness of Information
We rely on personal data provided by you to deliver the service you requested or contacted us for, so please ensure the personal data you provide is true, accurate and complete. You shall update us of changes in a timely manner.
5. Retention of Information
Your personal data will be retained for as long as it is necessary to fulfil the purpose for which it was collected, or as required or permitted by applicable laws. We will cease to retain personal data once the purpose for which the personal data collected is no longer being served, and there are no legal or business reasons necessitating such retention.
6. Withdrawal of Consent
You may withdraw your consent given for any or all purposes set out in this Notice in writing to us. Alternatively, you may email us at amity.tip@gmail.com with the subject header “PDPA – Consent withdrawal”. If you withdraw your consent for any or all purposes, depending on the nature of your request, we may not be in a position to continue to provide our services to you.
7. How to Contact Us
If you have any enquiries regarding our privacy policy, or the collection, use and disclosure of your personal data, please write in or email us at amity.tip@gmail.com. We may revise this Notice from time to time without any prior notice. Your continued use of our services constitutes your acknowledgement and acceptance of such changes. We encourage you to periodically review this Notice to be informed of how we are protecting your information.
For more information on the PDPA, please visit the PDPA website.