This page aims to provide information to inform decision making
Quality assurance: Dr Nathan Beel (PhD, MCoun) receives regular clinical supervision and is a clinical member of the Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia (PACFA) and is bound by the PACFA code of ethics. My registration can be confirmed on ARCAP Register | Australian Register of Counsellors & Psychotherapists.
Clients: I work with adults over the age of 18 years of age.
Online therapy and communications: Ensure you find a confidential space where you are unlikely to be interrupted. If using Zoom, this uses internet data. Check your internet plan to check affordability for internet data usage. If the Zoom connection or phone connection cuts out, I will wait five minutes for you to connect. If you do not connect, I will attempt to contact you by phone or email. If you have any issues in connecting, please email me at dr.nathan.beel@gmail.com.
Crisis and Emergencies: I cannot provide emergency or crisis appointments. If you have an emergency, please call 000. If you are in a crisis, please visit Mental health helplines | healthdirect for phone numbers to helpline services.
Complaints: If you have concerns about the service, please reach out to Nathan Beel. If this is unsatisfactory or you feel uncomfortable doing so, you may contact the Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia to file a complaint.
Confidentiality: To offer you the best possible service, your counsellor may need to discuss your case with a clinical supervisor. Identifying information such as names are not used. All information provided by you is stored in securely. Information cannot be released to anyone outside the service without your written permission. The only exceptions are when you or others may be deemed at risk of harm, and when a court subpoenas the records for legal reasons. Client records are kept in an encrypted cloud service. I occasionally use artificial intelligence for assistance with case conceptualisation and planning in both counselling and clinical supervision. I de-identify all information in the prompts to safeguard privacy and use GPT4All that runs offline as an additional security measure.
Accidental meetings: If we happen to see each other in public, I will not acknowledge you unless you acknowledge me. The reason for this is that I am protecting your privacy in case people ask how you know me.
Couple therapy confidentiality: Confidentiality for couples and individuals within the relationship is the same as with individual therapy. However, there is one difference. I have a no secret rule in couple counselling. That is, I will not be the holder of relationally damaging secrets (e.g. secret affair) of one person, that which might undermine treatment or lead to feelings of betrayal. The exception is where danger may be present. For more information about this position, see here.
Domestic violence: I work from a gender-inclusive, non-discriminatory perspective that is based on safety and risk assessment, not gender. Where a relationship has active domestic violence with one person controlling the other person, or has an active domestic violence order, I will not offer couple counselling. I may work individuals.
Costs: Individual counselling is provided at $150 per session (60 min), and relationship counselling at $200 per session (1.5 hours). Clinical supervision is $150 per session (60 min). Fees can be negotiated if needed.
Appointments: If an appointment cannot be kept, please email dr.nathan.beel@gmail.com as soon as possible to inform the counsellor. Appointments that are not attended or not cancelled within 30 minutes of the appointment will be charged at full rate.
Questions: If you have any questions about any of the information on this form, please reach out to Nathan Beel at dr.nathan.beel@gmail.com.