Late cancellation
and non-attendance

  • The spiel

    • On the one hand, no one likes paying for a session they didn’t attend. On the other hand, when you book a session with me, that means that someone else doesn’t get to book a session with me for that time, which means that I lose income if you don’t pay for the session.

    • Because of this, when I  book a session with a therapist, I make sure that I’m able to attend the session. If life then throws something at me and I have to cancel at the last moment, I sigh, curse, and understand that someone has to pay. Seeing as I’m the one cancelling the appointment, I accept, reluctantly, that that someone is me. Still, wouldn’t it be nice if the therapist and I split the loss? It would, so that’s the solution I’ll adopt with you.


    The nuts and bolts

    • Technology failure. If you've booked a video link or phone session, it is up to you to make sure that you have access to internet or phone reception. If we're unable to connect because your internet or phone connection fails, that will count as a missed appointment.

    • Less than 48 hours’ notice (i.e., cancelling with less than 48 hours' notice, just not attending, or technology failure). We’ll split the loss. The first time this happens (and I'm unable to fill the appointment time with someone else), I’ll charge you 50% of the session fee. If this happens a second time, I’ll be reminded of Lady Bracknell’s quip to orphan Jack Worthing: “To lose one parent may be regarded as a misfortune; to lose both looks like carelessness.” The second time this happens, I’ll charge you 100% of the session fee.

    • Of course, if I fill the appointment time with someone else, I won’t charge you for the session.

    • If you usually claim a Medicare rebate, note that Medicare won’t give you a rebate for a missed session.

    • More than 48 hours’ notice. I won’t charge you for the session. Of course, when someone gives 49 hours’ notice, it’s unlikely that I’ll fill the appointment, but when it comes to drawing lines, they must be drawn somewhere. 

    • When someone repeatedly cancels at short notice, it means a game of some sort is being played. I don’t like playing games that involve me losing money, so before I book another session, I ask the person if they’re willing to change the game. 

  • The spiel

    • When you book a session with me, that means that someone else doesn’t get to book a session with me for that time, which means that I lose income if you don’t attend the session.

    • My regular clients pay for sessions that they don’t attend or cancel at short notice (less than 48 hours). But WorkCover law states that I can’t charge you for missed appointments. Even you offer to pay me for the missed appointment, I’m not allowed to accept that payment. And WorkCover doesn’t pay for missed appointments. Because of this, many psychologists now refuse to see WorkCover clients. This isn’t your fault. It’s a known fault in the WorkCover system and the Australian Association of Psychologists is lobbying the government to correct this major flaw. 

    • By agreeing to see you, I’m putting my trust in you. I’m trusting that you will only book sessions that you know you can attend, and that you will attend those sessions even when it is difficult for you to attend them.


    The nuts and bolts

    • Before you book a session, make sure that you'll be able to attend it. This includes: If you're booking a video link or phone session, make sure that you'll have access to internet or phone connection.

    • Adopt this attitude: “If I don’t feel like doing a session, that is not a reason not to attend the session. If I’m in pain, or upset, or if there is some drama happening in my life, none of that is a reason not to attend the session. I can pick up the phone and do the session by phone. I can bring my difficult feelings to the session. That’s what therapy is for.” 

    • When you signed up to see me for therapy, you agreed to adopt this attitude. If things have changed and you no longer feel able to do this, that’s OK. There’s no shame in that. Part of the blame lies with the flawed WorkCover system that doesn’t compensate psychologists for missed appointments. And, in part, it may be that psychotherapy isn’t something that’s right for you and your situation at this point in time. If this is what’s happening, email or phone me to talk about it. I’ll be happy to help you find a solution that works for you, something that you can do.

    • If you don’t attend a session, or if you cancel at short notice (and I'm unable to fill the appointment time with someone else), I will take steps to stop seeing you. There are legal and ethical obligations toward you that I will fulfil, but I also have a mortgage to pay and a family to feed; I cannot afford to lose income because WorkCover doesn’t value my time. As I’ve been saying, this isn’t your fault. Well, to be straight about it: it is your fault if you think it's OK to book sessions and not attend them; but it is not your fault that WorkCover is not willing to pay for missed appointments, and it is certainly not your fault if you're willing to pay for missed sessions and the law forbids you from doing so! Anyway, this is the system you and I find ourselves in.

    • The upshot is that you are held to a higher standard than my regular clients (i.e., my clients who pay for sessions they don't attend or cancel at short notice). Is that fair? No. But if you can adopt the attitude I've stated above, then you will for that very reason do better than my regular clients do. So there's that.

  • The spiel

    • When you book a session with me, that means that someone else doesn’t get to book a session with me for that time, which means that I lose income if you don’t attend the session.

    • My regular clients pay for sessions that they don’t attend or cancel at short notice (less than 48 hours). But NSW law states that I can’t charge you for missed appointments. Even if you offer to pay me for the missed appointment, I’m not allowed to accept that payment. And NSW Victims Services only pays 50% for a missed appointment, and they only do this twice. Because of this, and combined with the already low rate that Victims Services pays, many psychologists now refuse to see Victims Services clients. This isn’t your fault. These are known faults in the Victims Services system and both the Australian Psychological Society and the Australian Association of Psychologists are lobbying the government to correct these major flaws.

    • By agreeing to see you, I’m putting my trust in you. I’m trusting that you will only book sessions that you know you can attend, and that you will attend those sessions even when it is difficult for you to attend them.


    The nuts and bolts

    • Before you book a session, make sure that you'll be able to attend it. This includes: If you're booking a video link or phone session, make sure that you'll have access to internet or phone connection.

    • Adopt this attitude: “If I don’t feel like doing a session, that is not a reason not to attend the session. If I’m in pain, or upset, or if there is some drama happening in my life, none of that is a reason not to attend the session. If I can't turn up in person, or I can't even bring myself to log on to a video-link session, I can pick up the phone and do the session by phone. I can bring my difficult feelings to the session. That’s what therapy is for.” 

    • When you signed up to see me for therapy, you agreed to adopt this attitude. If things have changed and you no longer feel able to do this, that’s OK. There’s no shame in that.

    • Part of the blame is that Victims Services doesn't properly compensate therapists for missed sessions and doesn't even allow you to pay for missed sessions. And, in part, it may be that psychotherapy isn’t something that’s right for you and your situation at this point in time. Instead of committing to something that isn’t right for you at this time, you’ll be much better off doing something that you can do.

    • If you don’t attend a session, or if you cancel at short notice (and I'm unable to fill the appointment time with someone else), I will take steps to stop seeing you. There are legal and ethical obligations toward you that I will fulfil, but I also have a mortgage to pay and a family to feed; I cannot afford to lose income because Victims Services doesn’t value my time. As I’ve been saying, this isn’t your fault. Well, to be straight about it: it is your fault if you think it's OK to book sessions and not attend them; but it is not your fault that Victims Services doesn't properly pay therapists for missed sessions, and it is certainly not your fault if you're willing to pay for missed sessions and the law forbids you from doing so! Anyway, this is the system you and I find ourselves in. 

    • The upshot is that you are held to a higher standard than my regular clients (i.e., my clients who pay for sessions they don't attend or cancel at short notice). Is that fair? No. But if you can adopt the attitude I've stated above, then you will for that very reason do better than my regular clients do. So there's that.