Terms and Conditions

Dr Jason Coates

ABN: 48938019574

Last updated: 15 June 2025

These Terms and Conditions (Terms) regulate the relationship between you, as a user of our services or our website, and Dr Jason Coates (ABN: 48938019574) (Dr Jason Coates, we, us, our). Our aim is to provide a safe, effective, and collaborative psychological service to our clients.

By using our services, the website, or engaging with our practice, you agree to be bound by these Terms and Conditions. These Terms should be read in conjunction with our Privacy Policy and any specific consent forms provided for services.

1. Emergency Crisis and Support

Dr Jason Coates is not an emergency or crisis response service may not be contactable outside of schedule appointment times. In the event of immediate danger, please contact emergency services at 000. If you require crisis support or immediate counselling, please refer to dedicated 24/7 crisis support services. Alternatively, you should present to your nearest hospital emergency department or consult your General Practitioner (GP).

2. Psychological Services and Informed Consent

We provide psychological services, which involve the collection and recording of personal information relevant to your situation, such as your name, contact information, medical history, and other details necessary for assessment and treatment. This collection of information is a necessary part of the psychological assessment and treatment conducted.

• Necessity of Information: Your personal information is gathered and used for the purpose of providing psychological services, including assessing, diagnosing, and treating your presenting concerns. It is retained to document sessions and enable your psychologist to provide relevant and informed psychological care.

• Consequence of Not Providing Information: If you do not wish for your personal information to be collected in a way anticipated by these Terms or our Privacy Policy, Dr Jason Coates may not be in a position to provide you with psychological services. While clients may request to be anonymous or use a pseudonym, this is often impracticable for psychological services or when required by law.

• Informed Consent Process: Before providing a service, or involving you in teaching or research, we obtain your informed consent. This means we will:

  • Provide information in a way you can understand before asking for your consent.

  • Check to confirm you understand the information communicated.

  • Give you enough time to ask questions and make informed decisions.

  • Consider your capacity for decision-making, especially for children and young people, and the need for consent from a parent, carer, guardian, or other substitute decision-maker or legal representative.

  • Inform you of the period for which consent will be relied on and revisit consent if there are significant changes.

  • Inform you that you may withdraw your consent at any time and discuss any potential implications of withdrawal.

  • Document consent appropriately, including obtaining written consent for assessments and/or procedures that involve physical contact.

• Limits to Confidentiality: You will be adequately informed about the limits of confidentiality and likely uses of the information generated during service provision. For full details on how your personal and health information is collected, stored, used, and disclosed, please refer to our Privacy Policy.

3. Fees and Payment

The cost of a consultation is payable at the time of the session. If you believe other arrangements have been made with a third party to pay the fees, please discuss this with your psychologist and bring all necessary paperwork and claim numbers. We will seek your financial consent by discussing fees in an open and transparent manner and addressing the costs of all required services, preferably before the service starts.

4. Cancellation Policy

Notice Requirements and Fees

When your appointment is booked, this time is reserved just for you. When appointments are cancelled with short notice, it is often too late to book in another client.

Two full business days’ notice is requested if you need to cancel or reschedule.

• Cancellations with less than 2 business days’ notice: 50% of the session fee will be charged.

• Cancellations within 1 business day or non-attendance: 100% of the session fee will be charged.

Please note: Late cancellations and missed appointments are not eligible for Medicare or private health rebates, and clients are responsible for the full fee. 

If You Can’t Attend in Person

Sometimes cancellations are unavoidable. If something comes up alternatives may be offered during your scheduled time, such as:

• A phone or video appointment.

• Development of therapy resources

• Liaison with relevant stakeholders (e.g. GPs, schools, allied health)

• Writing of reports or letters

• A brief check-in phone call

5. Telehealth Sessions

Teletherapy is a form of psychological service provided via internet technology, which can include consultation, treatment, and communication using interactive audio and/or video. It has the same purpose as in-person treatment sessions but may be experienced differently due to the technology used.

• Risks and Consequences: While we make best efforts to ensure high encryption and secure technology, risks may include the possibility that:

  • Transmission of your information could be disrupted or distorted by technical failures.

  • Transmission of your information could be interrupted by unauthorized persons.

  • Electronic storage of your medical information could be accessed by unauthorized persons.

• Rebates: If you wish to claim rebates for telehealth sessions, please confirm with Dr Jason Coates or the administration team before booking, as rebates for telehealth sessions may change.

6. Privacy and Confidentiality

We are committed to protecting your privacy and complying with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs). Psychologists have ethical and legal obligations to protect the privacy of clients and should hold information about them securely and in confidence.

• Collection, Use, and Storage: For detailed information on the types of personal information collected, how it is collected, why it is collected, and how it is stored and secured, please refer to our Privacy Policy.

• Disclosure: Your personal information will remain confidential except when:

  • You have consented to the disclosure.

  • We reasonably believe that disclosure is necessary to lessen or prevent a serious threat to the life, health, or safety of any individual, or to public health or safety.

  • Disclosure is for a purpose directly related to the primary purpose of collection and you would reasonably expect it (e.g., to ambulance service, government agencies for subsidies like Medicare, or to external service providers for business management like IT support, payment systems operators, insurers, and professional advisors).

  • It is required or authorised by or under Australian law or a court/tribunal order (e.g., subpoena).

  • We will not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to third parties.

• Record Retention: Client records are legally required to be held for a minimum of 7 years from the date of last entry for adult clients, or until a minor attains or would have attained 25 years of age.

7. Website Usage

Our website may use cookies and third-party analytics (e.g., Google Analytics) to understand how visitors use the site and to improve user experience. Information collected may include server address, domain name, date and time of visit, pages accessed, and type of browser/device used. You can disable cookies in your browser settings, though this may affect website functionality. For full details on website data collection, please refer to our Privacy Policy.

Our website may contain links to third-party websites. We are not responsible for the content or privacy practices of these external sites. Please review their policies before providing personal information.

8. Accessing and Correcting Your Information

You have the right to access and request correction of the personal information we hold about you. Requests should be made in writing. We aim to respond within 30 days. We may ask you to verify your identity. Access may be declined in accordance with privacy laws, for example, if it would put you or another person at risk of harm. We do not provide copies of information records without a court subpoena if they contain sensitive information that may be harmful if read without a psychologist present to explain it appropriately. If we make a correction and have disclosed incorrect information, you can ask us to tell others about the correction. For full details on accessing and correcting your information, please refer to our Privacy Policy.

9. Concerns and Complaints

We treat privacy complaints very seriously and aim to resolve them quickly and fairly. If you have a complaint about how we have handled your personal information, please contact Dr Jason Coates in writing. We will investigate and respond to the complaint within 30 days. If you become aware of an actual or suspected data or privacy breach, please tell us immediately. In the event of a notifiable data breach, we will investigate and notify you and the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner where required, in accordance with the Privacy Act.

If you are not satisfied with our response regarding a privacy complaint, you may lodge a complaint with the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC). Information about making a complaint to the OAIC can be found on their website. You may also complain to AHPRA or the National Health Practitioner Privacy Commissioner.

10. General Disclaimer

Any information provided on our website is for general information purposes only and is not meant for the diagnosis or treatment of mental health issues. It is not a substitute for proper diagnosis, treatment, or the provision of advice by an appropriate health professional. You should consult a qualified mental health professional or physician for these purposes. We do not guarantee and accept no legal liability whatsoever arising from or connected to the accuracy, reliability, currency, or completeness of any information contained on our website or any linked website, or any actions or omissions undertaken by the user based on this information.

11. Contact Us

For any questions about these Terms and Conditions, our Privacy Policy, or to make a complaint, please contact:

Email: contact@drjasoncoates.com.au