Your counselling with Toya Ricci
This document provides important information about the services you will receive, including approach to treatment, practices, fees, and information relating to confidentiality. If you have any questions, please let me know.
Counselling approach
Sexuality is an essential part of who we are as a person. It encompasses every part of our being and is part of what makes us unique individuals. As our sexual health evolves throughout our lives, self-knowledge and reflection are important aspects of helping us to realise our full potential. However, when it comes to our sexual health, we are not always equipped to fully explore and develop our sexuality due to various psychological, emotional, biological, cultural, and social influences. As a sexologist, I specialise in helping people negotiate sexual health matters such as sexual identity and orientation; sexual function, activity, and behaviours; sexuality education; sexual development over the lifespan; and sexual relationships. Sex therapy creates a safe, non-judgmental space to have an open dialogue about your sexual health and develop solution-focused interventions. I believe that my clients have the desire and the capacity to grow towards fulfilling their true potential and that they are the experts in their own lives. I will work with you to help you understand yourself more fully and to find your own inner resources. With greater self-awareness and trust in yourself, I hope that you will be able to make constructive changes, leading to a more satisfying and meaningful life.
Confidentiality
All our sessions are confidential. I will protect your privacy and not disclose information you share with a third party unless you consent for me to do so in writing. As a member of the Australian Counselling Association and the Society of Australian Sexologists, I adhere to a code of ethics through both professional organisations. It is my professional responsibility to have regular supervision. I may discuss my work with my supervisor; however, your personal details will be omitted or kept to a minimum to protect your identity.
It is important to note that there are also a few circumstances in which I may be legally or professionally required to break confidentiality:
If I consider you to be at risk of seriously harming yourself or someone else;
If a court of law requests your counselling records; and/or
If another party or agency requests your information and you provide your written consent to this.
To keep track of our progress together, I will take notes during or after each session. Additionally, our sessions may be digitally recorded and transcribed with your permission. I will not keep the digital recordings, but the transcripts may be saved as a reference. These notes will be stored in a private and secure location and may be viewed by you if you wish. I am legally required to keep your counselling records for seven years from the date of our last contact, even if you withdraw your consent from this counselling contract.
Sessions
The duration of each counselling session is 1 hour. Sessions are provided via scheduled in-person, telephone, or zoom appointments.
The sex therapy will be conducted through imagery and verbal communication. Any interventions involving touch or sexual activity will be done privately by the client outside of session times.
Additionally, as there can be many factors that affect your experience of sexuality, sometimes your treatment needs will be outside of my scope of services, and it may be necessary to refer you to other healthcare providers or specialists to help achieve your sexual goals and optimise your sexual health.
Clients who get the most out of sex therapy usually approach sessions with an open mind, ready to increase awareness, learn new skills, and take time to reflect on the work. If you are only looking for tips and tricks, sex therapy may not be for you.
Please let me know if you have any reasonable requests to make your session more accessible. If, at any time, you feel uncomfortable or concerned, please let me know as soon as possible.
Usually, the end of counselling is by mutual agreement. However, you have the right to withdraw your consent and end your counselling at any time. Additionally, if I feel that our counselling is no longer appropriate for you, I will discuss this with you and may suggest ending our counselling or a referral to a more appropriate service.
Payments/cancellations
Each 1-hour session costs $170 (individual), $190 (couple), $100 (concession), $75 (check-ins). Full payment can be made online with Paypal, or credit card. Please contact Toya directly to negotiate a discounted rate.
Please provide at least 24 hours notice if you cannot attend the appointment. If you are late for an appointment, your session may be less than 1-hour in duration; however, the full session fee will still be payable.
Contact
If you need to contact me between sessions, please use my email. If you are faced with an emergency in between sessions, please contact the appropriate emergency service.