Informed Consent

Please read through the following information carefully and ask me if you have any questions.

Beatriz Freitas Melim is a clinical and health psychologist registered with the Portuguese Board of Psychologists (Ordem dos Psicólogos Portugueses, OPP) – Professional License number 24701. Below a consent form is presented so that we can continue our work in accordance with the current ethical standards of online service.

I further acknowledge that Beatriz Melim must obtain my informed consent before changing or altering the nature of the intervention or psychological service(s) that we agree upon.

Confidentiality and limits on confidentiality
All information exchanged during the sessions is the responsibility of the psychologist who must maintain the confidentiality of the information and follow the Psychologist Code of Ethics in effect in Portugal. It is important to highlight that information exchanges made through the internet are not considered completely safe. We advise the client not to use public computers, to delete the conversation’s history, and to use an ANTIVIRUS program that you trust.

Records of the time periods, dates and types of intervention and all reports (including psychological assessment reports), opinions or statements provided in the context of following up a client will be kept for a minimum of 10 years after the end of the intervention process according to the OPP Resolution No. 004 (Guidelines Comunicação Interprofissional e Partilha de Informação). The client can, at all times, request access to their own records. Other records, such as intervention notes (e.g. clinical records or records of educational follow-up), administered tests, or recordings of interventions should be kept for a minimum of 5 years according to the OPP Resolution No. 005 (Guidelines Comunicação Interprofissional e Partilha de Informação). The psychologist cannot disclose to third parties information about the client, without written consent from both parties. An exception to this is non-identifiable information shared in the context of professional supervision and intervision. This sharing of information is made between experienced psychologists, who all abide by the same ethical standards of confidentiality. It should be made in the client’s best interest, in order to help the psychologist work as well as they can. Information shared should not lead to the identification of the client. In any cases in which identification may be possible, the psychologist will ask for the patient’s explicit consent, before sharing any information.

It is not allowed to record the consultation, without written consent from the psychologist and the client.

The only time that confidentiality may be broken is if the psychologist is concerned about the client harming themselves or someone else. In this case, the psychologist will talk to the client about this first though, if at all possible.
By initiating our process, the client indicates that they are aware that the law limits the confidential nature of the psychological service(s) provided to them. Typically these limits on confidentiality may arise if the psychologist perceives that there is a risk of harm in a situation such as the following:
1. If the client is an imminent danger to myself, or present a danger to others or report that my life is threatened by someone, the law requires that steps be taken to prevent such harm.
2. If a court orders the disclosure of records.
3. Guidelines of confidentiality and limits on confidentiality do not apply to psycho-legal work as reports are requested by courts and law practitioners.

Furthermore, the client understands that it is their responsibility to ensure that the room in which I sit for the duration of the online session is private.

Contraindications

Online counselling is not suitable for people experiencing severe psychological crisis and /or suicidal ideation. For these cases, face-to-face counselling is indicated. It is prohibited to provide this service to people and groups in situations of rights violation or violence. This service should be provided by professionals and teams in person.

Protocol for interrupted internet signal
There may be times where the internet signal may be interrupted. During such a time, the client understands and accepts to adhere to the following protocol:
If the video produces a static image we will try to continue the conversation without video. If, after we have tried to fix the internet problem, we are unable to resolve the internet connection difficulty, the psychologist will be available to continue the conversation by phone or e-mail (if the client is outside the European Union or unable to use the phone).

Financial contract

The client will be informed of eventual annual price increases via email, which will apply from 1 January.

Cancellations/ rescheduling
The scheduled time is reserved especially for the client, thus, if the patient is unable to attend, he/she must request a rescheduling or a cancellation by email more than 48 hours in advance of the start time for the scheduled session.
If the request is made less than 48 hours in advance the session will be charged, due to the impossibility of readjustments in the agenda on short notice.

The client is expected to pay in full even if the Internet connection was interrupted and the session was continued by phone or through e-mail.

If it is the psychologist who asks to cancel or re-schedule a session (this would only be in an emergency), they will also try to give the patient 48 hours’ notice. Any session that has been canceled by the psychologist will be rescheduled or refunded.

Client delays

The psychologist will be online during the 50 minutes of the pre-scheduled session (or 60 minutes for couples sessions) and the client(s) can connect at any time within their session time. However, regardless of the delay, the session will be ended at the scheduled time.

Psychologist delays

In case the psychologist is less than 10 minutes late, the session will be carried out in its entirety, without any damage to the client. However, if the client prefers, the session can be rescheduled.

Duration of therapy /coaching
The psychologist and the client will work together and on a continual basis until they reach a point where we agree that therapy is no longer needed. The client knows best how much time they want to dedicate to their therapeutic goals and how involved they want to be. It is in the client best interest to talk to the psychologist before ending therapy.

Legal disputes

Any dispute or legal conflict shall be regulated by the Portuguese Board of Psychologists (Ordem dos Psicólogos Portugueses – OPP). Under the terms of Regulation No 593/2008 of the European Parliament, and of the Council of June 17th 2008, on the law applicable to contractual obligations (Rome I), the applicable law is the Portuguese law and the court responsible for resolving the dispute will be the Judicial Court of the District of Madeira.

By initiating /continuing the process with Beatriz Melim, the client indicates that he/she has read and is in agreement with the policies and contract for online psychology services.

If you are in danger or in an emergency situation, do not use this web.

Call 112 for immediate help.