Terms of
Service

Welcome

Innate Play Therapy uses a child-centred, integrative approach, drawing on the therapeutic powers of play and the therapeutic relationship to support the emotional, social and behavioural wellbeing of children aged 3-12 years.

Play therapy sessions are primarily non-directive. This means children are supported to lead their play while a trained play therapist establishes a therapeutic relationship, provides a safe and accepting therapeutic space and responds to the child using therapeutic skills that support their therapeutic process.

This document outlines important information about how Innate Play Therapy operates and what families can expect when working with Innate Play Therapy. It explains practical arrangements and the responsibilities of Innate Play Therapy and families in supporting a safe, respectful and therapeutic experience for children. These Terms of Service apply to all clients, unless otherwise specified in service-specific agreement or documentation.

Parents/carers are encouraged to read these Terms of Service before the initial intake meeting and raise any questions or concerns during the intake process. Consent to proceed with play therapy, including agreement to adhere to these Terms of Service, will be obtained separately before services commence.

1. Services

Innate Play Therapy provides services that may include:

• Individual child-centred play therapy

• Parent/carer consultations

• Therapeutic summaries and other written documentation

• Liaising with relevant professionals involved in supporting your child (where appropriate consent has been provided)

• Alternative services such as psychoeducation and resources relevant to your child’s goals/needs

• Group play therapy

Individual Play Therapy Sessions

Individual play therapy sessions are generally scheduled weekly. This consistency and predictability support children to develop a sense of safety and familiarity within the environment and therapeutic relationship. 

Appointments are 60 minutes in total. This is inclusive of:

• 45-minute play therapy session with your child

• 15-minutes for transitions, room preparation and clinical documentation

A parent/carer must remain at the clinic for the full duration of the child's appointment.

Parent/Carer Consultations

Parent meetings are an important part of the therapeutic process.

An initial parent/carer intake meeting is held before your child commences individual play therapy sessions. This meeting involves the therapist collecting relevant child/family background information, providing information about play therapy, providing parents/carers with an opportunity to ask questions, confirming the service is a good fit and gaining written consent.

Regular parent/carer consultations are then generally held every 6-8 weeks. These meetings provide an opportunity to discuss your child's progress and ways to support your child outside of sessions.

Group Play Therapy

Group play therapy is an optional service that may be offered from time to time and is not a standard component of individual play therapy services. Where offered by Innate Play Therapy independently, group play therapy will involve two children participating with one play therapist. Groups may be suitable for siblings or children who are already known to and receiving services from Innate Play Therapy, subject to assessment of individual suitability and group fit.

Where appropriate, group play therapy may also be offered collaboratively with another qualified play therapist. Collaborative groups may involve up to four children and two play therapists. Group programs may be held at Innate Play Therapy’s usual practice location or at another suitable location.

If/when applicable, the parent/carer will be provided with written information about the specific group play therapy program on offer prior to participation, including the applicable fee and any program-specific arrangements or requirements. Separate consent will also be sought prior to a child participating in group play therapy.

2. Fees & Payment

The standard fee for an individual play therapy session is $170.

Parent/carer consultations are charged at the standard consultation fee of $170.

Written documentation, including therapeutic summaries and other requested documentation is charged at $170 per hour.

Invoices are generally issued on the date the service is provided. Payment is due within 7 days of the invoice date and must be received before the next scheduled session. Where an account remains unpaid, future services may be paused until the account is brought up to date.

NDIS Clients

Innate Play Therapy currently works with self-managed and plan-managed NDIS participants.

For NDIS participants, the $170 fee applies where permitted under the applicable NDIS pricing arrangements. If the applicable NDIS price limit is lower than $170, the lower price limit will apply. Where an NDIS Service Agreement applies, the agreed fees and funding arrangements will be outlined in that agreement.

For NDIS participants, documentation or other non-face-to-face supports will only be charged or claimed where permitted under the applicable NDIS pricing arrangements and relevant Service Agreement.

Families are responsible for understanding their own NDIS funding arrangements and whether the services provided are an appropriate and fundable use of their child's plan. Innate Play Therapy does not guarantee that services, appointments or fees will be covered by a participant’s NDIS funding. Families remain responsible for any amount not covered by their funding arrangements.

Families are also responsible for providing accurate and up-to-date information relevant to NDIS-funded services, including plan dates, relevant NDIS goals, funding management type and where applicable, plan manager details. This information is required to support appropriate service planning, invoicing and claiming.

3. Cancellations & Missed Appointments

At least 2 clear business days' notice is required to cancel an appointment without a cancellation fee.

Where an appointment is cancelled with less than 2 clear business days' notice, or a child does not attend, the full session fee applies.

Where clinically appropriate and where consistent with applicable funding arrangements, an alternative service may be offered following a late cancellation or missed appointment. This may include a parent/carer consultation or another agreed non-face-to-face support.

For NDIS participants, cancellation fees will only be charged or claimed where permitted under the applicable NDIS pricing arrangements and the participant's Service Agreement.

If Innate Play Therapy needs to cancel an appointment, reasonable notice will be provided wherever possible.

4. Reviewing, Pausing or Ending Therapy

Therapy is reviewed regularly to consider the child's progress, current needs and whether play therapy remains appropriate.

Parents/carers may request that therapy be paused or ended at any time. Where a parent/carer wishes to end their child’s therapy, 4 weeks’ notice is requested, with a minimum of 2 weeks’ notice so that the therapeutic relationship can be concluded in a considered and supportive way.

Innate Play Therapy may also review, pause or end services for the following reasons:

• The child's therapeutic goals have been sufficiently addressed

• The parent/carer and therapist agree that therapy is no longer required

• The child's needs change

• The therapist determines that another service or level of support would be more appropriate

• The service is no longer within the therapist's scope or is no longer clinically appropriate

• The therapeutic relationship cannot continue safely or appropriately

• There are ongoing concerns regarding attendance or engagement

• Fees remain unpaid

• Appropriate professional boundaries cannot be maintained

• Significant family conflict is affecting the provision of therapy

Where possible, pausing or ending services will be discussed with parents/carers and an appropriate transition and referral will be considered.

5. Scope & Nature of Play Therapy

Play therapy is a developmentally appropriate therapeutic service for children. The therapist uses the therapeutic relationship, environment and play to support the child's emotional, social, behavioural and developmental wellbeing.

Progress varies between children and families and play therapy does not guarantee a particular outcome, immediate solution to a particular concern or provide diagnosis.

Play therapy is also not an emergency or crisis service. Where a child requires a level of support outside the scope of play therapy, referral to an appropriate service may be recommended.

Parents/carers provide informed consent for therapy on behalf of their child. Children will also be supported to understand, in developmentally appropriate language, what play therapy involves and to participate in decisions about their therapy wherever possible.

The therapist will consider the child's willingness, comfort and engagement throughout the therapeutic process and will not pressure a child to participate in activities or disclose information.

6. Therapeutic Privacy & Confidentiality

A child’s therapeutic relationship requires an appropriate degree of privacy so that the child can feel safe to communicate and express themselves through play. For this reason, parents/carers will not routinely receive a detailed account of everything a child says or does during individual play therapy sessions.

Within parent consultations, the therapist may share general observations, themes, progress, areas of concern and recommendations for supporting the child.

Information may also be shared where parent/carer involvement is necessary or where there are concerns relating to the child's safety or wellbeing.

Whilst confidentiality is important it is not absolute. Information may be disclosed without consent where disclosure is required or permitted by law, or where it is necessary to respond to significant safety or child-protection concerns.

7. Communication with Other Professionals & Services

Parents/carers are welcome to request that Innate Play Therapy communicate with other professionals or services involved in supporting their child such as educators, psychologists, speech pathologists, occupational therapists or other allied health and support professionals.

A separate Consent to Communicate with Other Professionals & Services will be provided for completion before Innate Play Therapy communicates with an external professional or service. Consent can be withdrawn in writing at any time.

8. Separated Parents & Parental Responsibility

Innate Play Therapy's primary consideration is the child's wellbeing, safety and therapeutic needs. Innate Play Therapy requires consent from both parents/guardians who have parental responsibility before therapy commences, unless a relevant court order, legal arrangement, or other circumstance means consent from both is not required.

Parents/guardians are responsible for providing accurate information about parental responsibility, parenting arrangements, court orders, parenting plans and other legal matters (current and pending) that may affect the child's therapy. Relevant documentation must be provided where applicable.

Where appropriate and where there is no legal restriction, either parent/guardian may arrange appointments or request a parent/carer consultation. The parent/guardian arranging the appointment is responsible for the associated fee, ensuring the required consent has been obtained and informing the other parent/guardian. Requests for written documentation or therapeutic summaries will be considered in accordance with the child's therapeutic needs, privacy and best interests, applicable consent arrangements, professional obligations and any relevant legal requirements. Innate Play Therapy is not responsible for managing communication between separated parents, including in relation to appointment scheduling.

Play therapy is provided for the therapeutic benefit of the child and is not intended to assess, document or support either parent's position in family law or other legal proceedings. Innate Play Therapy does not provide opinions or recommendations regarding parenting capacity, the allocation of parental responsibility, custody, living arrangements or parenting time.

If the required consent cannot be established, or where legal circumstances or parental disagreement significantly affect the child's therapeutic care, Innate Play Therapy may be unable to commence, or may pause, review or terminate services were deemed necessary by the therapist.

9. Family Conflict & Professional Boundaries

Innate Play Therapy's role is to provide therapeutic support for the child and maintain a safe, supportive and therapeutic environment. The therapist will remain impartial and will not take sides or become involved in disputes between parents, carers or other family members, or provide information for the purpose of supporting one person's position in a family dispute.

Parents/carers and family members are expected to communicate with the therapist respectfully and cooperatively, with a focus on the child's needs.

Where significant conflict, disagreement or behaviour affects the child's therapeutic care, the therapeutic relationship or the safe operation of the practice, Innate Play Therapy may review, limit, pause or terminate services where necessary. This may include situations where required parental consent cannot be established or where ongoing disagreement prevents therapy from being provided safely and appropriately.

10. Parent/Carer Responsibilities

Parents/carers are responsible for:

• Providing accurate and complete information relevant to their child's care

• Informing the therapist of significant changes that may affect the child's wellbeing, safety, circumstances or therapy

• Informing Innate Play Therapy of any changes to parental responsibility, family circumstances or legal arrangements

• Providing copies of relevant legal documents

• Supporting regular attendance

• Remaining at the clinic for the duration of the child's appointment

• Attending parent/carer consultations were agreed

• Communicating questions, concerns and feedback openly and respectfully

• Respecting the child's therapeutic privacy

• Meeting agreed payment requirements

11. Therapist Responsibilities

Innate Play Therapy is committed to providing a professional, respectful and child-centred service.

Innate Play Therapy will:

• Provide services in a professional, ethical and child-centered manner

• Treat children and families with dignity and respect

• Work within their professional scope and competence

• Maintain appropriate professional boundaries

• Priorities the child’s safety and wellbeing

• Act in accordance with applicable professional, ethical, privacy and legal requirements

• Comply with applicable Victorian child-safety and mandatory-reporting obligations.

• Maintain appropriate clinical records

• Protect personal information in accordance with applicable privacy obligations

• Communicate regularly and appropriately with parents/carers while respecting the child’s therapeutic privacy

• Engage in professional supervision and ongoing professional development as appropriate to practice

12. Documentation & Access to Clinical Records  

Innate Play Therapy is a therapeutic service and does not provide diagnostic assessments or diagnosis.

Clinical notes are maintained as part of the child's confidential clinical record. These notes are not routinely provided to parents/carers.

Where appropriate, a therapeutic summary may be provided to communicate relevant information about the child's engagement, progress, therapeutic themes, strengths and recommendations.

Requests for written documentation will be considered on a case-by-case basis and will incur an additional documentation fee. Where this applies, the cost will be discussed before the work is undertaken.

Access to clinical records is subject to applicable privacy and health-records legislation.

Innate Play Therapy does not prepare reports or provide evidence for the purpose of family law proceedings, parenting/family law disputes or determining parenting arrangements and will not undertake therapy where the primary purpose is to gather evidence for current or anticipated legal proceedings.

13. Privacy

Innate Play Therapy collects and maintains information necessary to provide safe, appropriate and effective services.

Clinical records may include information provided by parents/carers, clinical observations, therapeutic notes, parent meeting information, correspondence and other information relevant to the child's care.

Clinical records may also include photographs of therapeutic materials, play scenes or artwork created during sessions where these are relevant to documenting or supporting the child's therapy. These photographs form part of the child's confidential clinical record and are not used for social media, marketing or other public purposes.

Innate Play Therapy uses Cliniko for practice and clinical record management and Xero for invoicing and financial administration.

Information is collected, used, stored and disclosed in accordance with applicable privacy and health records legislation and the Innate Play Therapy Privacy Policy.

Further information about the management of personal and health information is available in the Innate Play Therapy Privacy Policy.

Innate Play Therapy also participates in ongoing professional supervision to support safe, ethical and effective practice. Information about clients may be discussed with a professional supervisor for supervision and clinical practice purposes. Client confidentiality is maintained and identifying information is not disclosed unless authorised, required by law, or necessary to address a serious risk to safety.

14. Feedback & Complaints

Innate Play Therapy welcomes feedback, questions and concerns.

Families are encouraged to raise concerns directly with Honnie Craig so that the matter can be considered and where possible, resolved respectfully and promptly.

Making a complaint will not result in a child or family being disadvantaged in the provision of appropriate services.

If a concern cannot be resolved, you may choose to access an appropriate external complaints or professional regulatory process.

15. Changes to These Terms

Innate Play Therapy may review and update this document to reflect changes to the practice, professional requirements, legislation or service arrangements.

Where a change materially affects an existing client's services or arrangements, Innate Play Therapy will provide appropriate notice.

16. Contact

Innate Play Therapy
Honnie Craig - Play Therapist
Phone: 0432 011 535
Email: honnie@innateplay.com.au
Website: innateplaytherapy.com.au