Privacy Policy
Sonar Psychology & Wellbeing Privacy Policy
At Sonar Psychology & wellbeing we value your privacy. This policy outlines the way personal information is collected and used by Sonar Psychology.
How and why your information is collected
We access your information in a range of ways, such as:
Forms – You will be asked to fill out an intake form and other forms or questionnaires as needed.
Third parties – Some of your information might be sent to us by third parties, such as Medicare, your GP, previous mental health providers, NDIS or insurance providers.
Directly from you – during appointments, phone calls, emails, and other communication.
Cookies – Our website may use cookies. Cookies are small files stored on your computer that optimize your website experience and help us understand how the website is being used so we can improve it. You can modify your browser settings to block cookies, but this may limit your browsing experience.
How your information is protected
Your information is securely stored in an electronic format that is password-protected and meets the high-security standards required of allied health records. We de-identify information where possible and delete information that is no longer required.
We strive to keep your information as accurate and up to date as possible. If you believe any of your information is incorrect or outdated, please let us know, and we will correct it. Please also help us by notifying us of any changes.
All personal information gathered by the psychologist during the provision of psychological service will remain confidential and secure except when:
A court subpoena or other disclosure is required or authorised by law
Your consent cannot be gained due to a requirement to get you emergency services during a medical crisis
If there is unauthorised access to data held by the clinic some limited information may need to be shared with the Office of the Information Ombudsman
Failure to disclose the information would place you or another person at risk of harm
Given your prior approval or consent of a parent or guardian who is legally authorised to act on your behalf to provide a written report to another professional or agency or discuss information with another person, e.g., parent
You have provided your consent to share your information for a specific reason and purpose
You would reasonably expect your personal information to be disclosed to another professional or agency, and disclosure is directly related to the primary purpose for which it was collected, such as to inform your GP of treatment and progress, to claim Medicare rebates on your behalf etc.
Clinical consultation with another professional is required to provide better services. If this occurs, identifying details will remain confidential.
Psychologists are required to keep your file for a minimum of 7 years or, if clients are under the age of 18 at the time of treatment, until they are 25 years of age.
Files of clients are held on the clinic’s practice management software.
You may access the information in your file on request, subject to the exceptions in the Privacy Act 1988
https://www.legislation.gov.au/C2004A03712/latest/text
Consultation services and fees
The fee for a standard consultation session, typically lasting around fifty (50) minutes, from February 2026 is two hundred and thirty dollars ($230). Payment is due on the day of your appointment unless there is a specific agreement with your psychologist. This fee may be adjusted periodically in line with prevailing industry standards.
All clients are responsible for payment at the time of booking, regardless of their funding arrangement or eligibility for third-party reimbursement. This includes those using Medicare, NDIS, or private health insurance.
In some cases, Sonar Psychology & Wellbeing may agree to send invoices directly to Plan Management Agencies for plan-managed participants. Please note that NDIS participants are always legally responsible for their session fees. After the NDIS contribution is processed, any remaining gap fee should be covered by the client on the day of the appointment.
Other Professional Services
In addition to scheduled appointments, this practice charges for professional services on a pro-rata basis at the $200 standard hourly rate. These services may include (but are not limited to):
Report writing, including letters
Review of written material provided by the client (e.g., medical records, educational reports, personal documents)
Telephone consultations
Attendance at meetings or consultations at your request
Court attendance or legal proceedings
Clinical file review (e.g., in response to client request, subpoena, or other lawful requirement)*
Any other psychological services requested outside of standard sessions
For assessment services, fees include both live appointments and required asynchronous work (such as scoring and report writing). Total assessment costs vary by complexity see link bellow for specific costs:
https://www.sonar-psychology.com/assessment
Reports are released once payment is complete.
*Clinical file review fees: In line with industry recommendations, a standard fee of $167 applies for file review, plus $0.36 per page for files over 50 pages.
Full payment for services provided is to be made on the day of the appointment and no later than seven (7) calendar days following the date of service.
Medicare rebate claims will been submitted after payment is completed.
Late Payment Fee
Should payment remain outstanding beyond the seven-day period, the account will be deemed overdue. An administrative fee of thirty dollars ($30) will be levied, in addition to the amount of the overdue payment.
Restriction on Future Bookings:
The Client acknowledges that any future sessions will not be scheduled, nor will existing bookings be honoured, until all outstanding fees are paid in full.
Debt Recovery Process
Engagement of Debt Collection Services:
Should the Client's account become delinquent due to non-payment, the Service Provider maintains the right to contract the services of a debt collection agency to facilitate the recovery of the outstanding balance.
Consent to Disclosure of Personal Information:
The Client hereby provides their explicit consent for the Service Provider to disclose necessary personal information to a debt collection agency, strictly for the purpose of recovering the debt, should such measures be required.
By signing this agreement, the Client affirms their understanding and acceptance of the above-stated fee structure, payment terms and conditions, and debt recovery process.
Medicare Rebates:
Medicare rebates are available under the Better Access initiative for clients with an assessed mental health condition. To access rebates, you must obtain a Mental Health Treatment Plan (MHTP) and referral from a GP, psychiatrist, or paediatrician prior to your first session. The Medicare rebate covers up to 10 sessions per calendar year. Referrals are issued in blocks of up to 6 sessions; a review and re-referral are required after the sixth and tenth sessions to continue claiming.
Private Health Insurance:
Some private health policies offer rebates for psychological services, depending on the level of cover. Please contact your insurer directly to confirm your eligibility and rebate amounts.
NDIS
This practice accepts NDIS self-managed and some plan-managed participants. We cannot accept agency managed NDIS participants.
Please note that there may be a gap payment associated with NDIS service delivery.
Cancellation and No-Show Policy
We ask that you provide at least 24 hours’ notice if you need to cancel or reschedule your appointment, for Monday appointments notice should be given on Friday Morning before 11 am. For assessments we require at least 5 days notice. This allows us to offer the time to another client in need and helps us manage clinical time fairly and effectively. (Email us for exceptional circumstances consideration)
Cancellation fees:
0–24 hours notice or no-show (see note for appointments on Monday above): Full fee
Late assessment cancellations: 200 fee
Cancellation fees must be paid before your next appointment.
Late arrivals:
If you arrive late, your session may be shortened but the full fee will still apply. Arriving more than 20 minutes late without notice will be treated as a no-show.
Appointment reminders:
You will receive 2 reminders of the scheduled appointment via email and SMS (if details have been provided) 3 days prior the appointment. Please respond accordingly or contact the practice to reschedule timely at: info@sonar-psychology.com
We suggest you to set your personal reminders.
NDIS participants:
Please note that under NDIS rules, a Short Notice Cancellation is defined as less than two clear business days’ notice. In these circumstances, the full fee may be charged in line with NDIS Pricing Arrangements.
Limitation to Services
Sonar Psychology & Wellbeing s a private provider of psychology services. Treatment is provided via prearranged, scheduled appointments. Practitioners have limited availability for contact outside of scheduled appointments. Practitioners may not have an opportunity to respond to between session contact prior to your next appointment so this should not be relied upon for emergency matters. For emergency matters please contact the appropriate agencies using the details below.
Emergency & Crisis Support
Sonar Psychology & Wellbeing is not an emergency service. We are not able to respond to urgent or emergency matters and our communication channels are not monitored outside of our standard clinic hours.
In case of emergency, please go to the emergency department of the nearest hospital or call000. For further information refer to the website for your local health district. For out of hours phone support, you may find the following numbers helpful:
Lifeline 13 11 14 – (24/7 crisis support)
Beyond Blue 1300 224 636 – (24/7 support for anxiety and depression)
13YARN 13 92 76 – (Crisis support for Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander people)
Kids Helpline 1800 55 1800
Telehealth
You are responsible for the costs associated with setting up the technology needed so you can access Telehealth services. Our practice will be responsible for the cost of the call to you and the cost associated with the platform used to conduct Telehealth services.
For general Telehealth sessions, clients will need access to:
a private, quiet location
reliable internet connection
a computer/laptop/phone screen
camera (in-built or separate webcam)
speakers/microphone as a minimum
headphones are highly recommended as they help to improve audio clarity and privacy of sessions
For assessment Telehealth sessions, clients will need the above PLUS access to:
a computer/laptop screen measuring at least 25 cm (9.7 inches) diagonal
Recording Policy:
The audio and/or video content of Telehealth sessions must not be recorded unless agreed upon through mutual written consent.
Limitations of Telehealth
The privacy of any form of communication via the internet is potentially vulnerable and limited by the security of the technology used. This practice uses Zoom appointments are set individually are password protected.
A Telehealth consultation may be subject to limitations such as an unstable network connection which may affect the quality of the session provided. In addition, there may be some services for which Telehealth is not appropriate or effective. Your practitioner will consider and discuss with you the appropriateness of ongoing Telehealth sessions.
Email Communication
This practice offers email communication for non-urgent matters. Please be aware that:
Email is not suitable for emergencies.
Any emails will be stored as part of your client record.
This practice uses a secure email provider that provides end-to-end encryption; however,
The practice is not liable for any breaches of confidentiality resulting from your actions or third-party access to your email.
Consent
By engaging with the services provided at Sonar Psychology & Wellbeing, your consent to this privacy policy is implied.
Your information – Your rights
You can request a copy of the information we have about you at any time. We also encourage you to let us know if any of our information is incorrect or out of date.
Changes to this policy
We may change all or part of this policy as required. Any changes will be updated on our website. Where practical, we will try to contact you about any major changes to this policy. Continued engagement with the service will be considered tacit agreement with the updated policy.
Contact us
If you have any complaints or questions about how your information is handled at Sonar Psychology & Wellbeing, or to request a copy of your recorded information, please get in touch with us through the contact details below:
This policy is current as of 12/01/2026