Terms Of Service
The purpose of these Terms of Service is to inform you, the client, about the process of online coaching and counselling services, and the potential risks and benefits of these services. The purpose is to also help safeguard you, the client, and give you information regarding alternatives to online services.
The words, “coaching”, “counselling”, “therapy”, and “psychotherapy” are used interchangeably throughout this document and webpage because this form of agreement is used to serve a diverse range of clients under the business of Serafin Upton. You may receive one or a combination of these services depending on your individual needs and circumstances.
The term “client” is used to mean all signatories to the agreement with Serafin Upton regardless of its use in singular or plural form.
My services are not the right solution for you if:
You have thoughts of hurting yourself or others
You are under 16 years of age
You are experiencing a mental health crisis/ mental breakdown
You have a severe mental illness
You are required to attend counselling either by a court order or by any other authority, including your employer
Residential or outpatient rehabilitation, or DHB mental health services, would better meet your needs.
I reserve the right to act ethically as per my duty of care, and the right to protect the limitations of my service. If I have any reason to believe you are any of the above, I reserve the discretion to refer you to an appropriate service in your local area.
It is not recommended using online coaching services if you do not have a device that can connect to the internet or you do not have a reliable internet connection.
About Serafin Upton
I provide coaching and psychotherapy with a unique focus: relationships. It’s a fact that the quality of a person’s relationships determines the quality of their lives. Mainstream and traditional forms of psychology focus too much on individual empowerment at the expense of relational empowerment. Becoming more connected with each other is the only way we will be able to do extraordinary things in these extraordinary times.
Informed Consent / Confidentiality
Coaching/counselling is a voluntary process, and you have the right to terminate the coaching process at any time.
Maintaining client confidentiality is extremely important. I take extraordinary care and consideration to prevent unnecessary disclosure. Information about the client will only be released with their permission with the following exceptions:
a/ If you disclose to me that you have thoughts about harming yourself;
b/ If you disclose to me that you have thoughts about harming someone else;
c/ If you disclose to me that you are going to commit an illegal act (eg: robbing a bank);
d/ If you disclose to me that an external threat to your safety and well-being is present in your life.
All of these exceptions would first be raised with a client before external disclosure provided that doing so will not compromise my safety or anyone else’s.
If for any reason a client feels that they have grounds for a complaint as a result of the coaching service received, the client may first raise the issue of concern with Serafin Upton, and if the issue is not resolved to the client’s satisfaction, the client may contact the Health & Disability Advocacy Service which is a nationwide free independent service for clients of allied health service delivery, for resolution assistance.
Continuous Quality Improvement & Feedback Informed Treatment [FIT]
FIT is like the Airbnb of therapy - but better.
With Airbnb, you provide feedback to your host after your stay. This enables the host to remedy things for the next guest for a better experience. It gives the accommodation some credibility for the next potential guest as they read your review of the accommodation.
FIT works the same - using a questionnaire, you’re able to tailor your own coaching/therapy experience.
At the start of the session, you complete a 30 second survey that indicates to your coach/therapist where you need support or advice.
At the end of the session, you review your coach/therapist using another 30 second survey, just like you would your Airbnb accommodation. The questionnaire lets your therapist know when, where, and how they could do better. This makes your next session even better. The sessions are designed by you and tailored to suit your needs and expectations.
Routine outcome measurements (FIT) mean we can see together whether the work we are doing is working and helping you, and if it’s not, it means we can pivot towards a different tactic or strategy. Put more simply, FIT ensures your coaching sessions are more nimble and more effective.
Why is FIT important?
Feedback-informed treatment can save you a lot of time, money, frustration, and disappointment. If we approach counselling/coaching this way, it means you’re more likely to experience wins earlier, faster, and you’re more likely to enjoy the experience.
FIT is a core feature of my practice approach. Progress results from the Session Rating Scale (SRS) and Outcome Rating Scale (ORS) may be used in my Practice Outcome Research, with all data tabulation aggregates and assessments preserving client confidentiality and anonymity.
I am proud to be part of the 3% of independent coaching and psychotherapy practices worldwide (that's about 1 in 10,000) who systematically track client outcomes of interventions with research-validated and reliable measures.
Are you under 16 years of age?
If you are under the age of 16 years, you need to be aware that, as your parents/caregivers still have ultimate responsibility for you, I am required by various laws and statutes to advise them of any issue which may potentially or undermine or compromise your safety and well-being. The exception to this requirement would be if your parents/caregivers were in some way responsible for undermining or compromising your safety and well-being, at which time I have an ethical and risk minimisation option to disclose this situation to Oranga Tamariki, or the Police, particularly if you disclose to me any form of abuse or neglect. If you are 16-17, then some exceptions to disclosure apply. Broadly speaking, these exceptions include harm to yourself; harm to others; disclosure of illegal intent; and/or the identification of an external threat to your health, safety, or well-being.
Under the guidelines of the Health & Disability Commissioner Code of Health & Disability Services Consumer Rights Regulation (1996), your rights are:
The Right to be treated with Respect
Freedom from Discrimination / Coercion / Harassment / Exploitation
The Right to Dignity and Independence
The Right to Services of an Appropriate Standard
The Right to Effective Communication
The Right to be Fully Informed
The Right to Make an Informed Choice and Give Informed Consent
The Right to Support
The Rights in Respect of Teaching or Research
The Right to Complain
Who am I accountable to for my professional practice?
You. For every client session, both ongoing client outcome progress (the Outcome Rating Scale), and ongoing client / coach engagement (the Session Rating Scale), is independently assessed by every client, which makes me one of the most real-world supervised practitioners in Australasia. In terms of practitioners receiving independent supervision, there is no correlational data in the outcome research showing any impact that independent supervision has on any other variable within therapeutic client service delivery. Said another way, independent supervision does not contribute to improved therapist competence or improved client outcomes. The various agencies, professional associations, and funding bodies that make independent supervision mandatory for agency staff may wish to reflect on this evidential truth.
The email address and communication via the contact form on the website do not provide encryption and may be vulnerable to viruses or human error. For this reason, it is advisable to consider what you might include in an email to me and perhaps use it for non-confidential communications.
Running late?
No worries. Please simply email me to let me know at short notice that you are running late or need to reschedule your session.
Need to reschedule or cancel?
If you need to reschedule, please do so using the email link in your confirmation email, and your fee will simply be carried over to your rescheduled session.
Refunds
If you no longer require the session and have given at least 24 hours’ notice, you will be refunded in full. Please be advised that if you do not use your session within 30 days, that is, if you choose not to reschedule your session within 30 days, no refunds will be given.
Couples Intensives (workshops) are non-refundable.
Money-back guarantee
I'm confident you'll be happy with my services. However, if you are not 100% satisfied with your first hour of coaching/psychotherapy, simply email me within ten days. I'll provide you a full refund for your first hour of any service.
Use of online services for coaching/counselling sessions
I use an encrypted online platform Doxy.me to conduct video, audio, and instant messenger coaching sessions and this involves you clicking on a link in an email.
Using technology
As we are using technology, it is not always reliable. Be ready in advance. Please be patient. It is best to be on your computer or laptop 10 minutes in advance to resolve any of your technical difficulties and to log into the portal. You will need to do a “PRE-CALL TEST” on Doxy.me well in advance of our meeting to ensure your software and hardware is working well. If all else fails, or you have problems, please contact me via email. As you are my client, I am unable to resolve your computerised technical problems. Please ensure you resolve as many technical problems as you can for yourself. If our technology fails, we will swap to another mode of communication or reschedule to suit you. Please note, the above only applies to booked appointments, not free consultations.
Jurisdiction
This agreement is enacted and can only be enforced under the relevant laws governing New Zealand.
Notes from our work together
I occasionally take notes during the session. These notes are kept securely online but have no identifiable information on them and are simply used later as prompts and reminders for me. I keep all of your private information and documentation in SECURESAFE.COM. SecureSafe is an award-winning online storage solution. The cloud safe simplifies online file sharing and protects documents and passwords, offering a level of security comparable to a Swiss bank. SecureSafe is a unique solution thanks to the use of double encryption, triple data redundancy for each file and zero-knowledge architecture, thus offering the highest level of privacy protection.
Copywriting
If you have purchased the Dating Coaching + Profile Writing Package, Serafin Upton acts as a broker between the client and the brand strategy and copywriting team. To ensure your privacy and confidentiality are assured, and your anonymity guaranteed, none of your personal information is shared with the copywriting agency.
Recordings of our sessions
I do not record any sessions with you to protect your privacy and confidentiality. I expect that you will not record the session. Permissions must be sought by either Serafin Upton or the client to record all, or any part, of the session – and a signed permission form must be completed to record a session.
Website complaints
If you have any issues with the website, please email me directly.
Your privacy online
By signing this contract, you acknowledge and agree that there are technical risks to the otherwise assumed confidentiality of coaching and psychotherapy when delivered online.
Potential risks to confidentiality include but are not limited to:
Limitations associated with the security of the technology (e.g. system breakdowns)
Authorised access by someone other than the client (e.g. an Internet Service Provider system administrator, a computer repair technician, or other family members who may be sharing a phone or computer with the client)
Unauthorised access to the client’s computer/ phone and messages (e.g. if the client’s computer or phone is hacked or stolen).
Declaration
I understand that I have the right to complain about services without penalty as outlined in the Health and Disability Commissioner Act. The Code of Rights establishes the rights of consumers, and the obligations and duties of providers to comply with the Code.
I understand that I can withdraw my consent to services at any time.
I understand Serafin’s online services and I understand I can ask questions at any time.
I agree to provide feedback to improve service delivery.
I understand that Serafin will occasionally email me regarding service changes or updates. I understand I can choose to opt-out of these email updates at any time.
I understand that my information is kept securely to protect my privacy and no information is shared with any third party without my permission which means that my information is private and confidential.
I understand that Serafin Upton must adhere to the Code of Rights and all relevant New Zealand legislation.
I agree to contact by Serafin’s electronic appointment reminder system by text and email regarding appointment reminders and administration-related matters.
I agree to be given the opportunity to provide a small testimonial/review of Serafin Upton’s services for marketing and quality assurance purposes [this review will be made anonymous by using a pseudonym] on completion of our work together.
