AGREEMENT/INFORMED CONSENT

Rev. March, 2026

Online Therapy Terms & Conditions

We want to welcome you and let you know that we look forward to beginning therapeutic work together. We are a team of mental health practitioners working internationally. These forms contain information about our business policies and our professional clinical services. It’s crucial you first review the following information before we start. You, the client, are to read the following information. The purpose of this document is to inform you about many aspects of online counselling services: the process, the potential risks and benefits of services, safeguards against those risks, and alternatives to online services.

Please feel free to ask us any questions that you may have about these policies. We are happy to discuss them with you.

Please read this entire document. By selecting the yes button on the booking form, you agree to abide by its content, and we accept that you agree to these terms and conditions of our practice and business.

Baseline

You are seeking services from Online Therapy. The type and extent of services you receive will be determined following an initial session with a member of our team. We will work with you to develop a plan designed to assist you in attaining your goals. You understand that this is a collaborative effort between you and us. You understand that there are risks to online counselling, such as failure in technology or breaches of confidentiality.

Clients must provide offline contact information in case of a technology breakdown. Online therapy is meant for clients who are not in a major crisis nor have been diagnosed with major mental health issues.

There may be both benefits and risks while participating in therapy, distance or otherwise. Therapy may improve your ability to relate with others and provide a clearer understanding of yourself, your values, and your goals. Since therapy may also involve discussing unpleasant aspects of your life, you may experience uncomfortable feelings. Therapy often leads to better relationships, solutions to specific problems, and significant improvement in feelings of distress.

However, please understand there are no guarantees of what you will experience and that you enter this agreement and our services at your own risk. You agree that you understand online therapy’s possible advantages and disadvantages and shall not hold us legally liable for any information or insight distributed here.

At any time, you may initiate a discussion of possible positive or negative effects of entering, not entering, continuing, or discontinuing online counselling. Although we expect you to benefit from online counselling, we cannot guarantee any specific results. Online counselling is a personal exploration and may significantly change your life perspectives and decisions. These changes may affect significant relationships, your job, and/or your self-understanding. You may feel distressed, usually only temporarily, by some of the things you learn about yourself or some of the changes you make. In particular, one risk of couples online counselling is the possibility of exercising the divorce option. Although the exact nature of changes resulting from online counselling cannot be predicted, we intend to work with you to achieve the best possible results for you.

Possible misinterpretations

You should be aware that misunderstandings are possible with online sessions because nonverbal cues are relatively lacking. Also, the connection may cause problems with image delays or less-than-optimal image quality. Mental Health Practitioners observe human behaviour and gather much information from body language, vocal inflexion, eye contact, and other non-verbal cues. If you have never engaged in online counselling before, please be patient with the process and clarify if you think we have not understood you well. Also, please be patient if we ask for periodic clarification.

We may not immediately receive an online communication, or we could experience a local backup affecting internet connectivity. If you are in a state of crisis or emergency, we recommend contacting emergency services or an agency local to you (we have some international services listed below). If there is ever a disruption of internet services, then you will need to email us at info @ onlinetherapy.co.nz or discuss other contact options.

Advantages

The potential benefits of receiving mental health services online include the following: convenience for clients to potentially receive mental health services from anywhere in the world once an internet signal and necessary hardware are secured.

Online therapy services are most suitable for clients over the age of 18 years old who have either previously engaged in formal therapy services and are seeking short-term support for issues that are unrelated to a major crisis, severe mental health issues, suicidal, homicidal or violent behaviour (past and present).

Online therapy services are intended for clients who have limited access, availability, or financial means to receive direct, face-to-face professional therapy services. Although online therapy services may be helpful, direct, face-to-face services are recommended for clients looking for long-term treatment, in crisis, or diagnosed with major mental health issues.

Risks

There are various risks related to the electronic medium, the distance between the Mental Health Practitioner and client, and issues related to timeliness. For example, the potential risks may include

(1) messages not being received and (2) confidentiality breached through unencrypted email, lack of password protection or when clients leave information on a public access computer, such as a library or internet café. Messages could fail to be received if they are sent to the wrong address (which might also breach confidentiality) or are overlooked by the Mental Health Practitioner. Confidentiality could be breached in transit by hackers or Internet service providers or, at either end, by others accessing the client’s account or computer.

Clients accessing the internet from public locations such as libraries, computer labs, mobile phones, or cafés should consider the visibility of their screens to the people around them. Position yourself to avoid others’ ability to read your screen. Cell phones can also be risky because signals are scrambled but rarely encrypted.

We have selected an account with Zoom for video communications to allow for the highest possible security and confidentiality of the content of your sessions. Your personal information is encrypted and stored on a secure server in compliance with international regulations. You are responsible for creating and using additional safeguards when the computer used to access services may be accessed by others, such as creating passwords to use the computer, keeping your email and chat IDs and passwords secret, and maintaining the security of your wireless internet access points. Please discuss any additional concerns with us early in your first session to develop strategies to limit risk.

When online counselling is not suited:

We generally accept clients 18 years and older. Our focus is on behavioural change and strategies to work with specific difficulties. However, with permission from parents or guardians, teenagers can also benefit from online therapy. Privacy and confidentiality, and the limitations thereof, for adolescents remain the same as those for adults.

Online counselling may not be appropriate for people seeking assistance with the following:

• those who have numerous concerns over the risks of Internet therapy,
• clients who are experiencing active manic/psychotic symptoms and want treatment for that.
• have a history of major psychiatric episodes, hospitalisations, or drug/alcohol dependence.
• have been diagnosed as any of the following and seek treatment for – Borderline Personality Disorder, Bipolar Disorder, Chemically Addicted (MICA), and/or Schizophrenia.
• Clients with a history of suicidal, homicidal or violent behaviour or present as suicidal, homicidal or violent.

If you are considering suicide or believe yourself to be a potential safety threat to others, you must immediately call/or notify the police and/or seek emergency care at your local hospital. Most importantly, YOU MUST disclose this information before being considered for online therapy services.

Failure to do so, knowingly misleading or withholding the above-said information, excludes us, Online Therapy therapists, from any legal obligation or liability related to said client’s diagnosis, prognosis, outcome and actions.

The confirmation that online therapy is suitable for you will only happen after assessment in initial sessions, and this can change throughout therapy due to changes in your circumstances, mental health status or risk of harm.

An alternative to receiving mental health services online would be receiving them in person. We can and will assist clients who would like to explore face-to-face options in their area, and we also have therapists available for this purpose. Please feel free to request a referral at any time you think a different therapy relationship would be more practical or beneficial for you.

Privacy and security

Although the internet provides the appearance of anonymity and privacy in online counselling, privacy is more of an issue online than in person. According to mental health licensing statutes, the law protects the privacy of all communications between a client and practitioner. Our practice complies with the requirements of HIPAA. Confidentiality is taken seriously, and discussing or releasing your information to any individual, agency, or corporation except if a signed authorisation form requests such release or if a client indicates an intent to harm her/himself or others.

We have chosen to use the videoconference platform Zoom as the software provider for live video therapy for best practice with security, privacy and HIPAA requirements. Regardless, you are also responsible for securing your own computer hardware, internet access points, and password security. The information you provide here is held to the same standards of confidentiality as our therapy. It is your responsibility to ensure that you are in a soundproof area.

We sometimes consult other therapists (personal supervisors) about clients; this helps us provide high-quality treatment. These persons are also required to keep your information private, and they will be told only as much as they need to know to understand your situation (if and when required).

Our therapists have a right to privacy and may wish to restrict the use of any copies or recordings of our communications. You must seek our written permission before recording any portion of the session and/or posting any portion of said session on internet websites such as Facebook or YouTube. Additionally, we can’t become friends with clients and cannot connect with you on social media, such as Facebook, Twitter, etc.

Confidentiality

Maintaining client confidentiality is extremely important to the therapists, and we will take ordinary care and consideration to prevent unnecessary disclosure. Information about the client will only be released with his or her express and written permission, with the exceptions of the following cases:

1) if the therapist believes that someone is seriously considering and likely to attempt suicide;

2) if the therapist believes that someone intends to assault another person;

3) if the therapist believes someone is engaging or intends to engage in behaviour which will expose another person to a potentially life-threatening communicable disease;

4) if a therapist suspects abuse, neglect, or exploitation of a minor or of an incapacitated adult;

5) if a therapist believes that someone’s mental condition leaves the person gravely disabled.

Records

Our therapists will maintain records of online counselling services. These records can include reference notes and session summaries. These records are confidential and will be maintained as required by applicable legal and ethical international standards. In the event that you fail to provide the information requested in the intake form (such as location, contact details and emergency contacts if needed), you shall not hold us legally liable for any claim, dispute, information or consequences during your therapeutic process.

Use of AI Software for Session Notes

At times, our mental health professionals may use the Heidi Health AI software to maintain session notes on client interactions. According to Heidi Health, it is an advanced AI medical scribe designed to transcribe patient visits, generate clinical notes, fill out documents, and dictate letters. This tool allows us to focus more on you, the patient, rather than on typing and administrative tasks. Heidi complies with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) requirements, ensuring protected health information (PHI) confidentiality and security.

Payments

• Fees are between $180 and $220 for 50-minute individual sessions and $270 and $ 310 for couples (80 minutes), depending on your counsellor. Some of our mental health practitioners are willing to offer discounted rates depending on your circumstances (please discuss this with them at the onset of your therapy); however, this does not change the rest of our terms of service.

These are the standard rates and may vary with practitioners.

It is our policy to pay for each service before receiving treatment. However, some mental health workers charge straight after the session using Stripe or PayPal, and payment is required upon receiving the invoice. Please note that if you do not make a payment, you are giving the mental health practitioner permission to charge your credit card saved to Stripe or PayPal by accepting an appointment with one of our professionals.

You understand that you are responsible for accepting all charges incurred in retrieving unpaid invoices. This includes costs to small claims courts or collection charges (including lawyers). You must notify your therapist or Online Therapy at least 24 hours in advance if you are unable to keep a live video appointment. Live video sessions that are cancelled with less than a 24-hour notice will incur a standard fee that could also be charged to your card on the system. At times, mental health practitioners will waive this fee due to unforeseen circumstances (at their discretion).

We are an international service provider, even though Online Therapy is registered in New Zealand (RePrac Ltd TA Online Therapy). All Mental Health Practitioners are independent and only use the website to generate clients. Online Therapy (RePrac) does not take responsibility for any mental health professionals.

Any claims or disputes regarding services will be resolved through the respective registration bodies of the relevant online therapists. Therefore, all national or international clients will be subject to the jurisdiction of the registration of the Mental Health Practitioner they work with if claims, disputes, or other legal problems arise.

IN CASE OF EMERGENCY

New Zealand:

Call 111

Lifeline: 0800 543 354 or (09) 522 2999 within Auckland

Suicide Prevention Helpline: 0508 828 865