What to include on your initial consent form template?

Modified on Tue, 28 Jul at 1:11 PM

Clearhead expects you to have a consent form for therapy to ensure clients are informed and clearly understand the service they are agreeing to. Please relay information in language that is easily understood and give clients sufficient time to respond to information and an opportunity to ask questions.

We recommend that you include the following in your consent form template:

1. Consent for therapy and ability for client to sign this form

2. Confidentiality and the limits of confidentiality

3. Registration or membership board details

4. Ways a client can give feedback e.g. to registration board or complaints

5. Hours of availability and where to reach outside of hours if there is a crisis/ emergency

6. Helpline and crisis team numbers

7. Session notes and how they are stored, what agencies can request these notes

8. Request for client’s emergency contact details.

9. Guidance on EAP sessions- e.g. short term and sessions are free and session allocation is determined by organisation.

10. If you use AI to transcribe or take notes as part of your sessions.

Links to code of ethics that give guidance on informed consent, reporting, contracts and documentation:

Australian Counselling Association. (2025). Code of ethics and practice. https://theaca.net.au/viewdocument/code-of-ethics-and-practice-1

New Zealand Association of Counsellors. (2020). Code of ethics: A framework for ethical practice. https://nzac.org.nz/site/cc/code-of-ethics

New Zealand Association of Psychotherapists. (2018). Code of ethics. https://apanz.org.nz/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/NZAP-Code-of-Ethics-2018.pdf

New Zealand Psychological Society. (n.d.). Code of ethics. https://www.psychology.org.nz/members/professional-resources/code-ethics

Psychotherapists Board of Aotearoa New Zealand. (2022). Psychotherapist standards of ethical conduct. https://pbanz.org.nz/common/Uploaded%20files/Standards/Psychotherapist%20Standards%20of%20Ethical%20Conduct.2022.pdf

Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia. (n.d.). Code of ethics. https://pacfa.org.au/portal/Portal/Prac-Res/Code-of-Ethics.aspx