BASIC TERMS AND CONDITIONS

The present therapeutic agreement is between you (the Patient) and the therapist assigned to you by MS Megha Mawandia under Triyoke Therapy Clinic.

By commencing a course of treatment, each time the Patient arrives to an in-person and/or online/remote therapy session s/he consents to have the session in the agreed modality at the time of the booking.

All new Patients are required to read and confirm the acceptance of the terms and conditions of this therapeutic agreement. Confirmation can be provided in writing via email. If written confirmation is not provided for any reason, then by commencing therapy the Patient agrees to the term & conditions of this agreement. The Patient is required to respond in writing (via email) if s/he does not agree to the terms and conditions of this agreement.

Any insured or uninsured session (in-person and/or online) cancelled or rescheduled by the Patient with less than seven days’ notice will be charged in full to the Patient. Any sessions (insured or uninsured, in-person and/or online) that take place every other week (i.e., 2 days), that are cancelled or rescheduled by the Patient with less than 2 days’ notice will be charged in full to the Patient. Each appointment for uninsured Patients (private) must be paid before or at the time of booking the appointment. Failure to do so will result in the Patient forfeiting the session.

The therapist abides by the code of confidentiality such as any identifying information, such as Patient’s name, address, biographical details and other description of a Patient’s life and his/her circumstances, will be kept confidential and stored safely.

Contact outside sessions is encouraged mainly for re-scheduling appointments. If there is a crisis you (the Patient) can leave a message by email or text and your therpist will contact you as soon as they are available. Please be mindful that Triyoke is not a crisis service. If you require emergency support please contact your therapist or another support you have. 

PATIENT TERMS AND CONDITIONS

JURISDICTION
These terms and conditions are governed by and interpreted in accordance with Indian law. This applies to in-person and online/remote therapy sessions. In the event of any dispute arising in relation to these ‘terms and conditions’ or any dispute arising in relation to the therapist, whether in contract or otherwise, the English courts will have exclusive jurisdiction over such dispute.

1. FORMATION OF AGREEMENT

1.1 After booking a therapy appointment by either telephone, email or text, the Patient, in accepting the appointment, accepts the following conditions for the appointment: The Patient agrees to the Therapist contacting him/her via email or SMS/WhatsApp/Zoom. 

1.2. Booking: Therapy appointments can only be made through discussion between the Therapist and Patient, via email, videocall or telephone correspondence. When you are inquiring for appointment by emailing/texting/call, the Patient will receive a booking confirmation via email. The Patient may book ahead all his/her sessions (times/dates) at the Therapist’s office or online providing that these times/dates are not booked by other Patients, or s/he may book one session at a time.

1.3. The therapist requires the Patient to be truthful and work in the best interests of the agreement between the therapist and the Patient.
1.4. The Patient agrees to provide the therapist with all pre-session written work such as questionnaires (if applicable) as appropriate within the requested timeframe 24 hours prior to the booked session.

1.5. Lateness: The Patient is paying for the agreed time with the therapist and at the agreed location (physical or online/remote). It is the Patient’s responsibility to attend the session on time. The therapist will use best efforts to call and/or text the Patient within 10 minutes of the scheduled start time for any therapy session (in-person and or online/remote) if the Patient is late for the session. The Patient will be also kept updated if the therapist is likely to be delayed more than five minutes.

1.6. 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 2-day cancellation policy will still apply.

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

1.8. The therapist 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.

1.9. The therapist 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.

1.10. It is not the responsibility of the therapist 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 therapist. It would be unethical to provide a guarantee for a Patient’s treatment of therapy.

1.11. If the Patient is not satisfied with the therapy’s outcome, there is no refund. Triyoke does not accept any liability in relation to the therapy and modalities used in session.

2. PRICING, PAYMENT, AND METHODS OF PAYMENT

2.1. The fee for a 50-minutes is conveyed at the time of booking based on the therapist who the patient is booked to see.

2.2. Payment can be in the form of cash before the start of the session or, preferably, via a bank transfer 24 hours before the session. Bank details will be given at the booking of the appointment.

2.3. Credit and debit cards are also accepted. The Patient, however, is obliged to pay any related transfer fees per transaction. The therapist bears no responsibility for any transaction fees set by any third parties.

2.4. Failure to comply with payment requirements will result in the session being cancelled and the session will be made available to other Patients.

2.5. It is at the therapist’s discretion whether to accept late payment.

2.6. Patients must be current with payments before booking a new session.

2.7. Invoices for therapy sessions may be processed and emailed directly to the Patient, or may be submitted directly to the Patient’s insurance, by a third party (e.g., secretary/invoicing company). By commencing therapy, the Patient gives consent and agrees for the invoices and any of his/her personal information that is used for invoicing (e.g., name, home address, email, DOB, insurance membership number, authorisation code). The Patient is entitled to expect that the information above will not be used for any other purpose rather than invoicing, will be kept confidential and stored safely.

2.8. If the Patient would like the therapist to write any letters on their behalf, the time in preparing such letters will be charged as per the session charges. If the Patient require an extended report, the Patient must discuss this with the therapist. Please note that the therapist needs a minimum of one week’s notice, if the Patient requires any written documentation.

2.9. Letters to the Patient’s medical insurance for the purpose of requesting further sessions, or a referral to another medical professional will not incur any additional cost. A draft will be sent to the Patient to check for any errors or omissions, before agreeing the final version.

2.10. The Patient is required to inform the therapist in advance if they are seeking a professional letter of any kind or are seeking therapy as part of a legal claim.

3. CANCELLATION POLICY

3.1. Cancellations can be done via email by the Patient, with a minimum of 2 days before a session for a refund in full.

3.2. Any cancellations within the 2- day notification period will not be charged.

3.3. If a Patient would like to cancel a session before the 2-day cancellation period, the patient is expected to contact the therapist by email or text message.

3.4. If a Patient fails to give notice of cancellation she/he will have to pay for the booked session or not receive a refund for the booked session. This applies under any circumstances including emergencies, illness, or any situations that are out of the Patient’s control.

3.5. Rescheduling before the 2-day deadline will allow the session fees to be carried over to the new appointment but under the same terms and conditions for cancelling. When the Patient cancels more than one session (two or more) within a period of 4 weeks, the cancelled session/s will be charged fully even if sufficient notice has been provided, so that the slot is kept available for the Patient.

3.6. Short Notice or unplanned emergency sessions can be booked directly with the therapist in writing but under the same terms and conditions for bookings, payments, or cancellation period.

4. REFUNDS

4.1. ‘Booked Sessions’ by the Patient must be paid for in full before the session. No refund will be issued for any cancellations or missed appointments with notice less than seven days (and with less than 14 days if the session takes place every other week) in writing (email or text). This policy applies under all circumstances including emergencies, illness, or any situations out of the Patient’s control. All refunds will be issued under standard policy of the payment gateway and could take 5 days or longer. 

4.2. The Patient is not bound by the cancellation fee if she/he contacts the therapist in writing (by email or text) to cancel or rearrange prior the session within exactly 2 days.

4.3. The Patient is expected to pay in full any cancelled or missed appointment with less than 2 days’ notice.

4.4. If written cancellation is received within the two-day notice, the Patient has no claim to this session time and the therapist reserves the right to offer this slot to other Patients.

4.5. If the Patient wants to arrange or rebook an appointment within the two-day cancellation period, s/he is expected to request this change in writing. The therapist will try to offer an alternative appointment but cannot guarantee to accommodate the Patient’s request.

4.6. The therapist 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.

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

4.8. 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 therapist during an agreed therapy session.

4.9. The therapist reserves the right to terminate a session without a refund if it is considered that the Patient is a personal risk to him or anyone else in office or in the building. The appropriate services will also be alerted in all cases of violence or personal threats.

4.10. Personal threats, verbal or physical abuse and vandalism 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.

4.11. Even though the agreed session time might be 50 minutes or 75 minutes, the therapist reserves the right to terminate the session if the Therapy is not considered in the best interest of the Patient. The therapist reserves the right not to disclose the reason for the session’s termination. In these circumstances, no refund will be given.

4.12. When booking is made from outside India, the appointment time and further communication regarding the appointment will schedule in Indian time, the therapist’s current location. If the Patient has booked in the wrong time zone, the therapist cannot be responsible for the error. This will be counted as a missed session and payable by the Patient and not the Insurer if the Patient is insured.

5. PRIVACY/CONFIDENTIALITY, HEALTH, AND SAFETY

5.1. Confidentiality is agreed between the Patient and the therapist. The Patient is entitled to expect that the information they give to the therapist about themselves, and others will remail confidential. The therapist 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.

5.2. In line the therapist’s ethical codes, the therapist 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 his/her clinical opinion the Patient’s safety is a risk to herself/himself or to others or is at any risk from others. The therapist reserves the right to break confidentiality and disclose session information to child protection services if in his/her clinical opinion there is physical or sexual abuse or neglect of any person under 18 years of age. Similarly, the therapist reserves the right to break confidentiality and disclose session information, if he/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 therapist reserves the right to break confidentiality and disclose session information to authorities if the Patient discloses any involvement with terrorism and money laundering whether it is related to drug trafficking or any other serious crime.

5.4. If the therapist decides a confidentiality breach is necessary, s/he will endeavour 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 therapist may have to proceed with the breach of confidentiality without prior notice to the Patient.

5.5. In order to ensure that the therapeutic process can be maximised the Patient should not arrive under the influence of alcohol or non-prescribed drugs. If the therapist has any reason to believe that this may be the case, then the therapist will draw the session to a close/not commence a session.

5.6. The therapist recognizes that the process of therapy may, for some, generate strong emotions. In rare circumstances where the therapist has a concern that such emotions have escalated to the point where they are not, in the therapist’s opinion, containable in the room, the therapist will draw the session to a close early.

5.7. Triyoke Therapy Clinic does not offer emergency support and cannot guarantee availability to the Patient outside the planned sessions. If the Patient is in danger in any way, it is the responsibility of the Patient to contact emergency services and discuss this with the therapist in their next session.

5.8. The Patient’s personal information in any session material is confidential and kept securely. However, in line with the therapist’s professional accrediting bodies, the therapist is expected to be in regular clinical supervision to ensure high quality of psychological services. Therefore, some information will be shared with the therapist’s clinical supervisor and/or outside clinical sources who are also accredited with a professional body and abide by the ethical framework and guidelines of the profession. No personal identifiable information will be used to discuss the Patient with regards to the material that would be shared. However, discussion topics from the therapy sessions will be used in order to ensure that the therapist is getting and giving the best assistance possible. The person(s) with whom the therapist discuss Patients’ cases are legally bound to keep information confidential.
5.9. As part of the therapist’s aim in offering high quality service, the therapist has found it helpful to make audio and/or video recordings of sessions. Recordings are solely used for supervision purposes with the therapist’s clinical supervisor(s) and/or with other mental health professionals who are also accredited with a professional body and abide by the ethical framework and guidelines of the profession. Review of recordings in clinical supervision offers better insight and understanding of the presenting issues that might be helpful in the Patient’s circumstances. Recordings are kept and stored safely in an external drive (password protected).

5.10. By commencing therapy, the Patient consents to video/audio recordings being made of these sessions and to these recordings being used in clinical supervision to aid the work between the therapist and the Patient. The Patient has the right to refuse consent to video/audio recordings and must state this in writing before the commencement of therapy.

5.11. Any material produced in the session (e.g., video/audio recordings, session notes, written homework, and psychoeducational material) is the therapist’s intellectual property and copyright.

5.12. The therapist also always requires confidentiality of the Patient. It is not permissible for the Patient to disclose any written or distributed correspondence/material related to the session before the session or post-session.

5.13. The correspondence and all therapy material shared between the Patient and the therapist is to be used only by the Patient. All written and verbal communication is issued and intended according to the Patient’s individual treatment plan. If the Patient shares any material that was intended for his/her exclusive use, the therapist accepts no responsibility for the material’s effecting use on any third parties. Therefore, copying, reproducing or displaying this information publicly or electronically is not permitted and legal action may be taken against the Patient if that is found to be the case.

5.14. The Patient under no circumstances is permitted to record (video, audio) the session (on the phone or any other device) unless the therapist has issued consent in writing.

5.15. The Patient under no circumstances is permitted to make public an unauthorised recording (video, audio) of the session on any social platform and legal action may be taken against the Patient if that is found to be the case.

5.16. All relating correspondence (verbal or in writing) such as by phone, email or online software is strictly for use of the Patient and the therapist. Information can be disclosed only if it is required by law.

6. PRIVACY POLICY WITH RESPECT TO HANDLING, COLLECTION, STORAGE AND USAGE OF DATA

6.1. Upon starting therapy, the Patient’s basic personal information will be collected for contact, identification and invoicing purposes. These include the Patient’s full name, date of birth, full home address, next of kin. If any of these information change during therapy, the patient should inform the therapist in writing providing the new information accurately.

6.2. Session notes or personal details of the Patient are kept in electronic form and paper form. Any paper notes are kept in a secure, robust, locked filing cabinet and stored within a secure building. All digital information is stored on a domestic computer, which is password protected and stored within a secure building.

6.3. The Patient’s information is kept for a period of seven years following the end of therapy.

7. PATIENT’S RIGHTS

7.1. The Patient has the right to request a clinical summery. Beyond the summery, any notes held about the Patient are for the therapist’s own use and not shared.

7.2. The Patient has the right to request a copy of the clinical notes that the therapist 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 therapist.

8. REVIEWS AND ENDING THERAPY

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

8.2. The Patient is not tied into any long-term commitment, and s/he may end sessions by giving seven-days’ notice in writing although a number of ending sessions depending on the length of treatment is recommended.

8.3. If the therapist considers the Patient’s needs are beyond the limits of his/her competence, the therapist reserves the right to terminate the therapeutic contract. The therapist will discuss this with the Patient in the session and further recommendations, if possible, may be provided.

8.4. If the therapist decides to end the therapeutic agreement with the Patient due to unforeseen circumstances, he reserves the right not to disclose the reason for this decision. However, the therapist will endeavour to give a month’s notice.

DONATIONS

This organisation is not soliciting any donations through the services of counselling. All donations if interested need to be made to Triyoke Trust an independent entity to the Therapy Clinic. Please reach out directly to the founder Megha Mawandia if you have interest in participating in any volunteer activities and or supporting any that may be conducted in the future. 

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