Your Rights
Access to your records
You may request access to your records.
If required by law (e.g., a valid subpoena, court order, or other lawful requirement)
If there is a serious and imminent risk to your safety or the safety of another person
If disclosure is necessary to prevent or lessen a serious threat to life, health, or safety
If there is a legal obligation relating to child safety or other mandatory reporting requirements
Requests should be made in writing to hello@silzcounselling.com.au.
In some circumstances, access may be limited or managed carefully (for example, if releasing information is reasonably assessed as likely to cause serious harm). Where appropriate, SILZ may suggest that access occur with support (e.g., in session).
Feedback is welcome
If something isn’t working for you, you are welcome to raise it.
This can include feedback about communication, boundaries, session structure, fees/administration, or any aspect of your experience.
Where appropriate, SILZ may invite feedback during sessions because it can support clarity, repair, and better outcomes.
Confidentiality and record keeping
SILZ may keep a brief record of feedback or a complaint and the steps taken to respond. This is part of ethical practice and quality improvement.
Your privacy is important. Information will not be shared outside SILZ without your consent, except where required or permitted by law.
Raising a concern directly with SILZ
In most cases, the simplest first step is to raise your concern directly with SILZ.
You can do this:
In session, or
By email: hello@silzcounselling.com.au
If you email, you can include:
What happened (briefly)
What you would like to be different
Any outcome you are seeking (if you know)
SILZ will aim to acknowledge your message within a reasonable timeframe and will work with you to understand the concern and discuss options.
What you can expect from SILZ
SILZ aims to ensure that complaints are handled:
Respectfully (without judgement or defensiveness)
Fairly (listening carefully to your experience)
Promptly (within a reasonable timeframe)
Confidentially (as far as possible)
Depending on the concern, possible outcomes may include:
Clarifying expectations or boundaries
Adjusting communication or session structure
Offering a review session to reflect on what happened
Referral options if you prefer to work with another practitioner
Practice improvements to prevent the issue recurring
If you prefer to make a complaint externally
You have the right to seek external advice or make a complaint to a relevant professional body.
Counselling is not a regulated profession.
If a counsellor is not a member of PACFA, ACA or ARCAP, a client can seek advice or lodge concerns through their state/territory health complaints commission, consumer protection agency, or a legal service, because counselling has no government regulator.
If you need support to raise a complaint
If you feel uncomfortable raising a concern alone, you may choose to:
Bring a support person to a session (by agreement)
Ask SILZ for a written summary of the complaint process
Seek advice from a trusted health professional
Changes to this document
This document may be updated from time to time. The version published on the SILZ website is the most current.
Phone: 0494 827 470
Email: hello@silzcounselling.com.au