Clinic Policies

On this page, you will discover a range of our clinic policies. We highly recommend taking the time to read through them to become well-acquainted with our processes.

Non-Emergency Service Policy

Cancellation and Appointment Policy

Payment & Billing Policies

Shared Parental Responsibility/ Parental Court Orders

At Althea Collective, we are a private therapy practice and, as such, we are unable to provide crisis support or phone assistance between scheduled appointments. Because of the way we work, our services are best suited to those who can engage with regular scheduled sessions, rather than in-between session support. For those navigating high-risk or intensive needs, we offer the option of more frequent appointments to ensure you feel supported throughout your journey.

We are not able to offer emergency appointments or operate as a crisis centre. If you do need additional support between sessions, we encourage you to book an extra appointment where possible. If our calendar is full, you are welcome to join our cancellation list for an earlier session if one becomes available.

If you are in crisis or need immediate help, please contact emergency services by calling 000 or present to your nearest hospital emergency department.

For additional support, you can also contact:

• Lifeline – 13 11 14

• Suicide Call Back Service – 1300 659 467

• Mental Health Line (NSW) – 1800 011 511

Please remember: you are never alone, and there are people ready to help at any time.

At Althea Collective, we deeply value the therapeutic relationship and the time and energy it takes to support your growth and healing.

If you need to reschedule or cancel your appointment, we kindly ask that you let us know as early as possible. You can contact us by phone (you’re welcome to leave a voicemail), or by email. Early notice helps us offer the appointment time to someone else who may be waiting for support.

We respectfully ask for at least 48 hours’ notice if you need to cancel.
Late cancellations and missed appointments impact more than just your journey — they also affect others who are seeking support and the clinicians who have prepared thoughtfully for your session.

Late cancellations and missed appointments impact not only your progress but also other clients seeking care and the clinician who prepares thoughtfully for each session.

To help you stay on track, you’ll receive an email reminder 48 hours before. Please note that it remains your responsibility to keep track of your appointment dates and times.

Please note that cancellation fees are not claimable through Medicare or private health insurance.

If multiple appointments are missed or cancelled without communication, we may need to cancel any future bookings to ensure fairness to all clients on our waitlist.

We understand that life can sometimes be unpredictable, and we’re always here to support you if you're facing challenges attending your appointments.

At Althea Collective, we are committed to providing you with the highest level of care and support. To ensure that we can offer this, we have a few payment and billing policies in place.

New clients: All initial appointments must be paid in full at the time of booking. This non-refundable payment secures your spot, and failure to pay will result in automatic cancellation, with the appointment offered to other clients.

Ongoing clients: Full payment is required at the time of the appointment, and we are unable to schedule future appointments until the account is settled. If payment is not received, appointments may be removed or cancelled. Please note that we do not offer Bulk Billing, but we do accept EFTPOS and Medicare payments.

Late payment fees: We understand that life happens, but if a payment is overdue, a 5% late fee will be applied to the service fee for each week the payment remains unpaid. If multiple attempts to contact you for payment are unsuccessful, we reserve the right to refer the balance to a debt collection service, which may result in termination of services.

Requests for reports or assessments: If you request a report or assessment, full payment is required before we proceed with the work, and we will not begin the process until the report is fully paid for.

For clients using Medicare, it is your responsibility to ensure your referral is valid if you wish to receive a Medicare rebate. Please keep track of how many sessions you’ve used or check with Medicare directly. If you are late to an appointment, you may not be eligible for the rebate, as per Medicare’s Item Number policies. All time spent with a clinician, whether during appointments or in preparation for your session, is chargeable. This includes case preparation, report writing, and any follow-up communication that has been pre-arranged.

These policies are in place to ensure we can continue providing the care and attention that each client deserves.

We warmly encourage the involvement of both parents in therapy sessions where children are concerned. In the absence of court orders, both parents have the right to attend appointments. However, please note that our clinic does not provide court reports or serve as a mediator in legal matters or disputes between parents.

If a court order specifies shared parental responsibility, we require consent from both parents before commencing therapy sessions. This ensures we comply with legal requirements and prioritise the child’s best interests throughout the therapeutic process.

At Althea Collective, we deeply value the privacy of our clients. We are guided by privacy laws and will not release any information without the informed consent of our clients, unless required by a subpoena from a court of law.

If a third party contacts our clinic requesting information, we will clearly communicate our privacy policy and the necessity of consent.

In the case of separated families, we encourage both parents to be involved in the therapeutic process when possible, unless a court order states otherwise. However, it is important to note that we do not share details of appointments or act as mediators between parents.

We believe children have the right to a safe and supportive space to express their thoughts and feelings freely, without fear of judgment.

At Althea Collective, we are committed to maintaining the highest standards of professionalism and integrity in our work. We ensure that our clinicians remain free from any conflicts of interest that may impact the care and support we provide to our clients.

If a potential conflict of interest arises, we will transparently address the situation and take the necessary steps to ensure that the best interests of our clients are always upheld. This may involve referral to another clinician or seeking supervision, depending on the nature of the situation.

Our goal is to create a trusting and ethical environment where all clients can feel confident that their treatment is solely focused on their well-being.

At Althea Collective, we understand the comfort and support that animals can bring during the therapeutic process. Our therapy cat, Charlie, is a valued member of our team, offering a calming and reassuring presence for those who may benefit from animal-assisted support.

While we welcome clients to interact with Charlie as part of their therapeutic experience, we ask that clients do not bring their own animals to appointments.

If you require the presence of an assistance animal due to a medical need, please inform us in advance so we can make the necessary accommodations in line with our practice policies and any applicable regulations.

We aim to ensure that all clients feel safe and supported, and we appreciate your understanding and cooperation in adhering to this policy.