Policies and Procedures
This page details the policies and procedures we adhere to across all the therapists and disciplines at the Family Tree Therapy Center. As a client, at the first face-to-face meeting, your therapist will provide you with the client information sheet, the consent form and explain the documentation you have received prior to entering into a therapy or assessment session. Once these documents have been signed, it will become an agreement between you and the therapist and the therapy or assessment will commence.
Services
Options
During your first interaction with your therapist, you will jointly make a decision on whether working together would be beneficial for you. If the therapist decides that your needs would be best served by another health professional, they will put you in direct contact with the relevant health professional.
Your therapist will discuss the risks and benefits of various options available to you. They will likely discuss and revise plans from time-to-time during your therapy or assessments in order to assist you in attaining the desired goal together. You have the right to ask questions or express any concerns you may have about options available to you. All therapists work toawrds finding the most suitable options for you. To achieve this we will need to work honestly, openly and collaboratively
Terminating of Services
Client Confidentiality
You have the right to terminate services at any time. We hope that you and your therapist can work together to ensure that termination is a beneficial process for you.We recommend a termination session, in which we will discuss whether you would like to have check-in sessions in future.
Should the therapist feel that your work together is no longer beneficial for you (for whatever reason) they will discuss this with you, possibly terminating your sessions together and provide you with referrals (if appropriate). Should you feel that your work together is no longer beneficial for you (for whatever reason), we recommend that you and your therapist discuss your concerns. Your therapist will endeavour to assist you with finding an alternative service provider, by providing you with the necessary referrals.
The Family Tree Therapy Center places a high value on client confidentiality and therefore takes great care to ensure that your privacy is ensured. Anything you discuss with your therapist, any assessment documents or results and any records and content of our sessions together are privileged information. This means that the therapist may not communicate it or allow access to it, without your written permission. The Health Professions Act (Act 56 of 1974) allows the therapists to communicate privileged information without your written consent only in circumstances where they judge there is a potential of harm to you or others should they withhold the information. In such circumstances the burden of showing that the benefit of disclosure outweighs the risks is upon the therapist. The therapist will document the circumstances carefully and discuss it with you at the first possible opportunity.
In your sessions together you will discuss when, where, to whom and under which circumstances you would like the therapist to disclose privileged information, e.g. it might be beneficial in the course of providing learning support to discuss specific issues with learning and possible ways of assisting the child in class with the teacher at school. The therapist will ask you to sign a form to authorise any such disclosure.
Dual Relationships
Informed Consent
In working together with the therapist, they will discuss the risks and benefits of different options available to you. They will seek your informed consent when deciding which course of action will be the most advantageous for you. When rendering services to children under the age of 12, the therapist will seek informed consent from both parents or legal representatives.The therapist will also will seek informed assent from the child.
The process of receiving private assistance with physical, mental or emotional problems that is designed to help the client to deal with emotional, physical and psychological difficulties.
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What was discussed with the client, remains confidential. In this way optimal therapy can be conducted and a safe setting is created in-line with HPCSA standards.
Payment and Fees
Lateness
If you are late for your sessions, your session will still end at the scheduled time. Therapists schedule sessions with a 10-15 minute break between sessions, to allow sufficient opportunity for preparation for the next client.
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If you fail to inform your therapist of your late arrival and do not show up to a session without a valid reason, the session will be charged at 50% of the session rate.
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Documentary evidence will need to be provided in the event of a no show or less than 12 hour cancellation.
We charge standard rates within disciplines for therapy and assessments. All fees are payable at the start of each session, unless otherwise agreed. We offer a fee reduction in exceptional cases. Please discuss this with your therapist if you wish to apply for a fee reduction.
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All payments are made first and then claimed back from Medial Aids.
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Failure to pay outstanding invoices for a period of 30 days, with no valid or exceptional cause will result in legal action taken at the Small Claims Court.
Social Media
Communication
All therapists may have a social media account. Therapists do not provide any advice over social media and is used merely as a communication and scheduling tool. Please use your discretion when reading, accessing and sharing content - none of the therapists views are the views of The Family Tree Therapy Center, all therapists accept responsibility for their own social media actions, words and associations.
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The Family Tree Therapy Center does use WhatsApp, Facebook and LinkedIn in order to schedule appointments with clients. Please be aware of fake or imposer sites and only follow the social media links on this website.
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We deem the risk of blurring the therapists personal and professional life risky although it is very closely monitored. Therapists might not accept any previous or current clients on Facebook as they deem it unprofessional and for that domain to remain private.
Even though LinkedIn is considered a social site for professional contact, therapists might not accept contact requests from former or current clients. As health professionals, we wish to protect your confidentiality.
Therapists may also want to ensure objectivity in their work with clients so that it is not clouded by having multiple relationships with you.
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Therapists may share their opinions and views or publish educational and psychological news on Twitter. These views are not views of the Center and remain the views of the Therapist. Therapists do not expect clients to follow them on Twitter. Should you wish to follow a therapist on Twitter, you should note that it poses a risk to your confidentiality. You may wish to use a RSS feed or locked Twitter list to avoid having a public link to the therapists Twitter account. Therapists might not follow any former or current clients on Twitter. All therapists do not provide clinical advice on Twitter, and may just be sharing interesting reads or informative content, as opposed to advice.
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Interactions
Please only contact the therapists via text messages, WhatsApp or email for administrative matters. They will respond to text messages and emails within 24 hours, during normal business hours. Please see the Centers business hours.
Should you need to contact a therapists between sessions please do so telephonically. If you cannot reach the therapist, leave a voice, text or WhatsApp message briefly stating the nature of your query, a contact number and convenient time to phone you back. They will get back to you within 24 hours.
If you are experiencing a life threatening situation, please contact the emergency services on 10111 or go to your nearest emergency room.
Please refrain from sending the therapist any confidential messages via SMS, Skype, WhatsApp or any other instant messenger or text services containing confidential information.
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These platforms are not confidential since there is a risk of access by internet service providers. Any messages (via text or email) will be considered part of your medical record and be documented as such.
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Search engines
Therapists do not search client information via Google or other search engines. We respect the online privacy of my clients. In life threatening emergencies, the therapist might resort to the use of a search engine to locate a family member or someone close to you. They will only do so as a last resort and in an effort to prevent any harm coming to you. The therapist will document it carefully and discuss it with you in our next session.
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Business review sites
The therapists do not intentionally list their practices on any business review sites. Should their practice appear on any of these sites, please note it is not a request for a testimonial. You may wish to review their services, or discuss therapy with anyone of your choosing. It is your right to do so. However, please note by posting information online you might compromise your own confidentiality and the therapist may never see the message.
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Please use the correct confidential, secure and private channels when interacting with our Therapists.
Please discuss the most convenient medium of communication with the therapist. All therapists may use WhatsApp or text messages to reply if they are in a session, if they are unable to attend to a telephonic call.
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All therapists have a 24 hour turn around time on returning missed calls or responding to emails.
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Please respect the therapists working hours, and if there is an emergency, please use this at your discretion when contacting the therapist.
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if this is an emergency and the therapist is not answering their phone - please see emergency contact details below.
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In a life threatening emergency, please call 10111 or visit your nearest emergency room. The following other emergency services might also be helpful to you:
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Life Line 0861 322 322
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Aids helpline 0800 012 322
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Gender and home violence helpline 0800 150 150
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Suicide Crisis Line 0800 567 567 (SMS 31393)
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Substance Abuse Line 0800 121314 (SMS 32312)
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Counselling Line 0800 21 2223 / 0800 12 13 14 (SMS 31393)
Complaints
We hope we can discuss any complaints you may have about our therapists services.
Please email therapy@myfamilytree.co with the title Urgent Complaint and your situation. We will attend and remedy the situation within 48 hours, once we investigate the issue and provide possible solutions to the client.
Should you wish to lodge a formal complaint against the therapist, you can do so by contacting the relevant Board at the Health Professions Council of South Africa.
Legal Rights and Responsibilities
5.
International Psychological bodies and Certifying Authorities
British Psychological Society
ANYONE ENTERING THESE PREMISES, DO SO ENTIRELY AT THEIR OWN RISK. THE LESSOR OR LESSEE AND ITS STAFF SHALL HAVE NO LIABILITY WHATSOEVER FOR ANY INJURY TO OR DEATH OF ANY PERSON, OR LOSS OF OR DAMAGE TO ANY PROPERTY HOWSOEVER CAUSED.
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STRICTLY NO UNACCOMPANIED OR UNSUPERVISED PERSONS UNDER 18 ALLOWED ON THE PROPERTY. ANY UNSUPERVISED PERSONS WILL BE ASKED TO LEAVE OR BE ESCORTED FROM THE PREMISES IMMEDIATELY.
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NO PERSONS ALLOWED IN THE OFFICE OR PREMISES WITHOUT CONSENT OF A STAFF REPRESENTATIVE.
RIGHT OF ADMISSION RESERVED.