Therapy Agreement

Basic Terms and Conditions

The present therapeutic agreement is between you (the Patient) and Psychology Experts PTE. LTD, collaborators or representatives, including our senior psychotherapist Dr. Elefant-Yanni.

The present therapeutic agreement abides by the GDPR legislation 2018. By commencing therapy, the Patient (you) agrees to the following terms and conditions:

Any session (insured or uninsured/private) canceled or rescheduled by the patient with less than 24 hours notice, will be charged in full to the patient. An invoice will be sent and must be paid within three business days.

All appointments for uninsured patients/private paying patients must be paid for at the time of booking for the appointment. Payment can be made on the scheduling system safely online, “Acuity” with “Stripe” for payments. Failure to do so will result in you losing the session.

If you are a new patient, you are required to complete the patient form no later than 24hrs prior to the booked session. Failure to do so will result in the Patient losing the booked session. The patient form’s link will be emailed to the Patient via their booking confirmation email, and is filled online on a “Google form.”

Dr. Elefant-Yanni, and collaborators, abide by a code of confidentiality between the Psychologist and the Patient. Identifying information, such information includes name, address, biographical details, and other descriptions of a Patient’s life and the circumstances, which might result in the identification of the Patient will be kept private. Any agreement between the said psychologist and the Patient about disclosure may be changed by joint negotiation.

Contact outside sessions is encouraged mainly for rescheduling appointments. If there is a crisis you can leave a message by email or text and your psychologist will contact you as soon as they are available. Please be mindful that Psychology Experts PTE. LTD. is not a crisis service.

For detailed Terms and Conditions, please see below:

Therapy Agreement

A. Jurisdiction

These terms and conditions are governed by and are to be interpreted in accordance with Singaporean law. In the event of any dispute arising in relation to these ‘terms and conditions’ or any dispute arising in relation to Dr. Elefant-Yanni whether in contract or otherwise, the Singaporean courts will have exclusive jurisdiction over such dispute.

B. Definitions

The ‘Therapist’ or the ‘Psychologist’: Dr. Elefant-Yanni, Psychology Experts PTE. LTD.

The ‘Patient’: You

The ‘Insurer’ or the Healthcare Provider:  the Patient’s insurance company

‘Therapy’ is the time spent with the Psychologist who will apply their chosen method of therapy application and modality.

‘Modality’ is a model of study for therapeutic application. Psychodynamic Therapy, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Eye Movement Desensitisation, and Reprocessing are examples of psychological modalities.

The ‘Session’ is the booked time slot (online) and arranged time working with the ‘Psychologist’.

The ‘Presenting Issue(s) or ‘Problem’ is what the Patient wants to work on with the Psychologist.

The ‘goal’ is the therapeutic goal created collaboratively with input from both the Patient and the Psychologist and is what the patient would like to achieve, as the desired outcome in therapy.

The ‘Desired Outcome’ is the desired result of the work that the Psychologist and the Patient work towards achieving.

C. Formation of agreement

After booking an appointment by either telephone or email, the Patient, in accepting the appointment, accepts the following conditions for the appointment: The Patient agrees to the Psychologist contacting him/her via email, Skype, or text message.

Booking: Appointments are made via the online scheduling service “Acuity” directly by the patient. Sessions can also be arranged by email with Dr. Elefant-Yanni or the administrative team, but still need to be paid at least 24hrs. before the appointment time. Dr. Elefant-Yanni can also schedule the next session in agreement with the patient during their session. When making an appointment via the booking system or email or oral agreement, the Psychologist and the Patient will receive a booking confirmation via email. The Patient may book ahead all his/her sessions (times/dates) online providing that these times/dates are not booked by other Patients, or s/he may book one session at a time.

All sessions on www.PsychologyExperts.online are done via video conference. Skype is the preferred service, but other options are available upon request from the patient.

Insured patients can ask the Psychologist for a supporting letter (detailing the treatment and its need) to submit to their insurance company. For this letter, the Patient is required to email the Psychologist their name, birthdate, full current address, insurance membership number and any other information required by their insurance. It is the responsibility of the Patient to discuss reimbursement with their insurance. Psychology Experts PTE. LTD. and the Therapist will not exchange information directly with the insurance on behalf of the Patient. Reimbursement of sessions is not guaranteed and is not the responsibility of Psychology Experts PTE. LTD. and the Therapist.

The Psychologist requires the Patient to be truthful and work in the best interests of the agreement between the Psychologist and the Patient.

The Patient agrees to provide the Psychologist with all pre-session written work such as questionnaires (if applicable) as appropriate within the requested timeframe 24 hours prior to the booked session.

Lateness: The Patient is paying for the agreed time with the Psychologist and at the agreed location (online). It is the Patient’s responsibility to attend the session on time. The session will be terminated if the Patient arrives over 15 minutes late to an appointment.

No refund will be given for any late arrival at the session under any circumstances. This includes emergency or unforeseen circumstances out of the Patient’s immediate control, as the 24-hour cancellation policy will still apply.

If the Patient arrives late, an extension of the agreed time or rescheduling of the session will not be offered.

The Psychologist is not required under any circumstances to go beyond the arranged session finishing time. The session will be terminated at the end of the arranged time even if the Patient has not reached his/her desired outcome.

The Psychologist will use reasonable care and skill in providing the service that the Patient chooses. Patients are different and so is every therapy session. There are no guarantees of successful outcomes.

It is not the responsibility of the Psychologist to achieve the desired outcome for the Patient. The desired outcome as an achievement of the goal(s) cannot be guaranteed or promised to the patient by the Psychologist. It would be unethical to provide a guarantee for a Patient’s treatment of therapy.

If the Patient is not satisfied with the therapy’s outcome, there is no refund. Psychology Experts PTE. LTD. and Dr. Elefant-Yanni do not accept any liability in relation to the therapy and modalities used in the session and on this website. The Psychologist does not accept any liability in relation to any of the sessions or correspondence and it is up to the discretion of the user to determine if they are appropriate.

D. Booking/scheduling system, availability, payment

The online booking schedule is for new and current patients to use and book their sessions with. If there are technical system issues encountered during the booking process, your appointment may be arranged/canceled via an email to admin@psychologyexperts.online and your booking/cancellation will be rectified as soon as is able. The same cancellation policy still applies.

When making an appointment via the booking system, you will receive a booking confirmation and a reminder the day before your appointment, as long as you have left your contact details on the booking system.

You may book ahead all your sessions at your chosen time, or you may book one session at a time.

All sessions are to be paid online at the time of booking your appointment. For payments, we use Stripe which is a secure mobile and online payment service accepting all major debit and credit cards from customers worldwide. It is also possible to pay via bank transfer or Cryptocurrencies. For first-time patients, contact us to book a session and arrange for a bank transfer or crypto payment. For cryptocurrencies, we accept BTC and ETH at that day’s exchange rate to SGD.  For current Patients in Singapore, we also offer PayNow via the QR code in your confirmation email.

E. Rescheduling, refund, and cancellation

‘Booked Sessions’ on the system by the Patient or by Dr. Elefant-Yanni as requested by the Patient must be paid for in full before any time spent with the Psychologist can commence.

Booked Sessions can be rescheduled or canceled directly by the Patient on the booking platform or in writing at least 24hrs before the session.

No refund will be issued for any cancellations or missed appointments with notice less than 24hrs in writing or directly via the scheduling platform. This policy applies under all circumstances including emergencies, illness, or any situations out of the Patient’s control.

Rescheduling before the 24-hour deadline will allow fees to be carried over to the new appointment but under the same terms and conditions for canceling.

Rescheduled sessions booked and paid for, are held for a period of six months from the last session date and are not valid to use beyond that time frame.

Non-Payment: If you fail to make the payment 24hrs prior to the session, we will assume you do not wish to commit to the appointment. Therefore, it is considered a late cancellation and the according policy will be applied. Late cancellations will be invoiced and must be paid within three business days.

The Psychologist will not terminate the session before its agreed time. However, if the Patient desires to finish a session earlier than the agreed time, a refund for the remaining time of the session will not be given.

The Psychologist can only offer an estimate of the duration of therapy based on her clinical experience. This, however, is only an estimate, and therapy can be extended or terminated based on the Patient’s needs and treatment progress.

Sometimes a Patient requires more time or less time than expected and this can only become known after therapy has started. If the Patient is in any doubt at any point or has any questions relating to the agreed duration of therapy, the Patient must raise the appropriate questions with the Psychologist during an agreed therapy session.

Personal threats or verbal abuse will not be tolerated and the session will be immediately terminated. Subsequently, no refund or any monies will be given for the remaining time of the booked session.

The Psychologist reserves the right to terminate the session if the Therapy is not considered in the best interest of the Patient or if the Patient is not actively participating in the session. The Psychologist reserves the right not to disclose the reason for the session’s termination. In these circumstances, no refund will be given.

The Booking system has the option to show times in the Patient’s current time zone. If the Patient has booked in the wrong time zone, the Psychologist cannot be responsible for the error. This will be counted as a missed session and payable by the Patient.

F. Short notice emergency sessions

For current patients, emergency sessions that are less than 24hrs ahead can be booked directly with Dr. Elefant-Yanni at admin@psychologyexperts.online, depending on her availability. It is at the Psychologist’s discretion whether to accept payment at the time of the session or after the session.

G. Confidentiality, health, and safety

Confidentiality is agreed between the Patient and the Psychologist. The Patient is entitled to expect that the information they give to the Psychologist about themselves and others will remain confidential. The Psychologist reserves the right not to disclose to any third party any information related to therapy sessions. This applies to all circumstances even at the request of the Patient. Information can be disclosed only if it is required by law.

The Psychologist reserves the right to break confidentiality and disclose session information (notes, video or audio recordings) to any relevant third parties (e.g., GP, police, social services, legal services, emergency services) if, in her clinical opinion, the Patient’s safety is a risk to her/himself or to others or is at risk from others. The Psychologist reserves the right to break confidentiality and disclose session information to child protection services if, in her clinical opinion, there is physical or sexual abuse or neglect of any person under 18 years of age. Similarly, the Psychologist reserves the right to break confidentiality and disclose session information, if she believes that an elderly person or disabled person is being abused or neglected, to the appropriate state agency that handles abuse to elderly or disabled persons. Finally, the Psychologist reserves the right to break confidentiality and disclose session information to authorities if the Patient discloses any involvement with terrorism and aggravated crime whether it is related to drug trafficking or any other serious crime.

If the Psychologist decides a confidentiality breach is necessary, she will endeavor to discuss this matter with the Patient and any recommendations will be documented. If this discussion is not possible due to any limitations or unforeseen circumstances (e.g., time limitations, urgency of the matter, availability, illness), the Psychologist may have to proceed with the breach of confidentiality without prior notice to the Patient.

You are not permitted to record the session on the phone or otherwise, unless you have written consent by the Psychologist. The Psychologist also requires confidentiality of the Patient and in no circumstances is the Patient permitted to disclose written, recorded, or distributed correspondence of the session, pre-session or post-session. The correspondence and all therapy and coaching advice and application is only permitted to be used by the Patient for which it was issued and intended. All written and verbal communication is in context with the session and must not be used out of context.

Any material shared is the intellectual property and copyright of Dr. Elefant-Yanni. The Psychologist owns the rights to any recorded material created for the Patient and requires written permission for any recorded or written material to be used. The Patient is not permitted to copy, reproduce or display publicly or electronically any recording or correspondence between the Psychologist and the Patient or issued by the Psychologist to the Patient. The Patient agrees to use the material as directed and Dr. Elefant-Yanni accepts no liability for the use of any written or recorded material.

H. Handling, collection, storage, and usage of data

The lawful basis for the Psychologist holding and using the Patient’s information is in relation to the delivery of a contract to the Patient as a health care professional.

Upon starting therapy, the Patient’s basic personal information will be collected for contact and identification reasons. These include the Patient’s full name, date of birth, next of kin, and address.

Information is kept securely and confidentially in line with the data retention policy as stated above. Patient forms are stored on a private Google Drive, as they are filled via Google Forms.

Session notes or personal details of the Patient are kept in electronic form and paper form. Any paper notes are kept in a secure location. All digital information is stored on a domestic computer, which is password protected.

The Patient’s information is kept for a period of seven years following the end of therapy to comply with any obligations.

I. Patient’s rights

The Patient has the right to access the clinical notes. Beyond the clinical notes, any details held about the Patient are for the Psychologist’s own use and are not shared.

The Patient has the right to request a copy of the clinical notes that the Psychologist holds about her/him. If the Patient would like a copy of some or all of his/hers clinical notes, then the Patient must email or write to the Psychologist via the contact details stated on the contact form admin@psychologyexperts.online. Information will be provided to the Patient within 30 days.

J. Reviews and ending therapy

The Patient and the Psychologist will review sessions regularly depending on the Patient’s demand or as the Psychologist finds this appropriate.

The Patient is not tied into any long-term commitment and s/he may end or restart treatment.

If the Psychologist considers the Patient’s needs beyond the limits of her competence or if the Patient is not actively involved in her/his treatment, the Psychologist reserves the right to terminate the therapeutic contract. The Psychologist will discuss this with the Patient in the session and further recommendations, if possible, may be provided.

If the Psychologist decides to end the therapeutic agreement with the Patient due to unforeseen circumstances, she reserves the right not to disclose the reason for this decision. However, the Psychologist will endeavor to give sufficient notice.

INFORMED CONSENT

By commencing therapy (online), I (the Patient) acknowledge that I have read the information above and I agree with the terms and conditions of this agreement.

Other documents: Privacy Policy – Terms Of Service