Terms of Service

On this page

1. Important: Mindwell is not a crisis service
2. 1. About Mindwell
3. 2. Eligibility
4. 3. The Nature of Psychological Services
5. 4. Psychologist Independence and Credentials
6. 5. Therapy Process and Ending
7. 6. Not a Crisis or Emergency Service
8. 7. Booking, Payment, and Additional Services
9. 8. Consent to Treatment
10. 9. Use of Artificial Intelligence
11. 10. Confidentiality and Its Limits
12. 11. Clinical Supervision
13. 12. Client Conduct and Expectations
14. 13. Availability and Response Times
15. 14. Your Consumer Rights
16. 15. Limitation of Liability
17. 16. Complaints
18. 17. Governing Law
19. 18. Changes to These Terms

Please read these Terms of Service carefully before using Mindwell’s website or services. These Terms, together with our Privacy Policy and Cancellation Policy, form a legally binding agreement between you and Mindwell Ltd.

1. About Mindwell

Mindwell Ltd (“Mindwell,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) is a New Zealand company that runs an online psychology practice. We arrange and administer video sessions with independent, registered psychologists, who work with Mindwell as contractors rather than employees.

Contact: team@mindwell.co.nz

2. Eligibility

To use Mindwell’s services, you must:

• Be aged 18 years or older
• Be located in New Zealand at the time of your sessions
• Have access to a suitable internet-connected device for video sessions
• Be engaging voluntarily and have capacity to consent to psychological services

Mindwell’s services are intended for individuals seeking non-urgent, voluntary psychological support. They are not suitable for individuals who require acute crisis intervention, inpatient care, or emergency mental health services.

Clients under 18: Mindwell’s services are available to adults aged 18 and over only. If you are seeking psychological support for a young person under 18, we recommend speaking with their GP or accessing specialist youth mental health services.

Location requirement: The requirement that you be physically located in New Zealand at the time of each session reflects the regulatory and jurisdictional requirements applicable to the registered psychologists providing services through our platform. Sessions cannot be conducted with clients who are outside of New Zealand at the time of the session, regardless of residency status.

3. The Nature of Psychological Services

Through Mindwell you can book and attend video sessions with independent, registered psychologists. All sessions are delivered by secure video call.

Who is responsible for what: Your psychologist is responsible for your clinical care, including assessment, treatment decisions, advice and your clinical notes. Mindwell is responsible for the parts of the service it runs: booking and payments, the online platform, checking each psychologist’s registration and indemnity cover, and handling complaints about our service.

Psychologists working through Mindwell use evidence-based, research-supported treatments and take a collaborative approach to goal-setting and in-session work. The first few sessions will involve gathering information and assessing your needs. Your psychologist will discuss their initial impressions and treatment recommendations with you, and together you will establish mutually agreed goals and a treatment plan.

Benefits and risks of therapy: Psychological therapy has well-established benefits, including improvements in relationships, problem-solving, and reductions in emotional distress. However, therapy often involves discussing difficult aspects of your life and may temporarily increase feelings of discomfort or distress. While we aim to support meaningful improvement, there are no guarantees of specific outcomes. Psychotherapy is usually not a quick fix, and the length of treatment varies depending on the approach and the nature and severity of the concerns being addressed. If at any point you have questions about the process or concerns about your progress, you are encouraged to raise them directly with your psychologist.

4. Psychologist Independence and Credentials

All psychologists who provide services through Mindwell are independent contractors, not employees of Mindwell. As a condition of working with Mindwell, each psychologist is required to:

• Hold current registration with the New Zealand Psychologists Board (Te Poari Kaimātai Hinengaro o Aotearoa) and maintain a current Annual Practising Certificate (APC)
• Hold their own current professional indemnity cover at a level appropriate to their practice
• Comply with the Code of Ethics for Psychologists Working in Aotearoa New Zealand and all relevant professional and legal obligations
• Practise within their scope of competence

You can verify a psychologist’s current registration and APC status on the NZ Psychologists Board’s public register at www.psychologistsboard.org.nz.

Mindwell checks these credentials when a psychologist joins, and requires psychologists to keep them current and to tell us of any change to their registration. Each psychologist is responsible for their own clinical work and holds their own professional indemnity cover. If you have a concern about your care, see section 16 (Complaints).

5. Therapy Process and Ending

Psychology sessions typically occur weekly or fortnightly, depending on your needs and goals. Your psychologist will discuss the expected length and structure of therapy with you early in treatment, and a timeframe or number of sessions will usually be agreed collaboratively.

The way therapy ends is important. Where possible, therapy is brought to a gradual, planned close, with sessions becoming less frequent over time as goals are met. Your psychologist will aim to ensure the ending of therapy is predictable, respectful, and discussed with sufficient notice.

Psychologist unavailability: In the event that your psychologist becomes unexpectedly unavailable (for example, due to illness, resignation, or other unforeseen circumstances), Mindwell will endeavour to notify you promptly and, where possible, assist with arranging continuity of care or a referral to another available psychologist. Where continuity is not immediately possible, Mindwell will provide guidance on seeking alternative support. Mindwell is not liable for any interruption to services arising from a psychologist’s unavailability, provided reasonable steps are taken to notify you and facilitate transition of care.

6. Not a Crisis or Emergency Service

Mindwell and the psychologists on our platform are not equipped to provide crisis intervention or emergency mental health services. Our services are not a substitute for emergency care.

If at any point you are experiencing thoughts of suicide or self-harm, are at risk of harming yourself or others, or are experiencing a mental health emergency, you must contact emergency services (111) or a crisis support line immediately (see above).

By using our services, you acknowledge and accept that Mindwell and its psychologists cannot be held liable for harm arising from a failure to seek emergency or crisis care, or from engaging with Mindwell’s services in circumstances where crisis or emergency intervention was required.

7. Booking, Payment, and Additional Services

Sessions are booked through Mindwell’s online booking system. By completing a booking, you agree to our Cancellation Policy. Appointment availability is subject to capacity. If no times are available in the booking system, please contact us at team@mindwell.co.nz.

• All fees are in New Zealand dollars (NZD). The session fee is $199 + GST, which is $228.85 including GST, and the GST-inclusive amount is what you pay
• Payment is required at the time of booking
• All payments are processed securely via Stripe. A card processing fee of 2.9% + 60¢ applies to all transactions
• We do not accept bank transfers
• Session fees are displayed clearly on our website and are subject to change with reasonable notice

Additional professional services: Services beyond your standard therapy sessions, including preparation of written reports, GP or specialist correspondence, therapy summaries, attendance at meetings, or telephone calls with other professionals that you have authorised or requested, may be charged separately in addition to your session fee. Your psychologist will advise you of the applicable fee before undertaking any such work, and your agreement will be obtained. You are responsible for any such costs.

Right to cancel a booking: While Mindwell welcomes clients from across New Zealand, we reserve the right to cancel a confirmed booking where, on review of your intake information, we determine that our services are not clinically appropriate for your needs, for example where your presentation requires a higher level of care than we are able to provide, falls outside the scope of practice of our psychologists, or where we are otherwise unable to provide services safely and appropriately. In these circumstances, you will be notified as soon as possible, a full refund of any amount paid will be issued promptly, and we will, where possible, provide a signpost to a more appropriate service or provider.

Legal proceedings: It is Mindwell’s policy not to voluntarily participate in legal proceedings. In the unlikely event that a psychologist is ordered by a court to release information about you or to testify in proceedings you are involved in, you are responsible for the cost of the psychologist’s time and any associated costs, whether or not they are compelled to testify or provide information by another party.

8. Consent to Treatment

Your psychologist will seek your informed consent to treatment in accordance with their professional and ethical obligations. You need to complete our consent and intake form before your first session.

You can withdraw your consent at any time by telling your psychologist.

Emergency contact and GP details: As part of the intake process, you will be asked to provide an emergency contact (name, relationship, and phone number) and, where applicable, your GP or other treating healthcare provider’s details. By providing this information, you consent to Mindwell or your psychologist contacting your emergency contact or GP where this is considered clinically necessary by your treating psychologist, for example in the event of a safety emergency or where clinical coordination with your GP is appropriate to your care. Please let your emergency contact know that you have given us their details.

9. Use of Artificial Intelligence

Mindwell and the psychologists working through it use AI tools to help with note-taking and the day-to-day running of the practice. These tools support our team and do not make clinical decisions, and your psychologist remains responsible for all clinical decisions and for what is in your notes.

• AI note-taking: Unless you ask for it not to be used, your sessions may be recorded (audio only) and transcribed by Carepatron’s AI note-taking tool, which drafts a note for your psychologist to review and edit. The recording and transcript are kept securely in Carepatron. Carepatron states that your information is not used to train AI. This is explained in your consent form.
• Saying no: AI note-taking is optional. If you would prefer it not to be used, tell your psychologist at any time, or email team@mindwell.co.nz before your session, and it will be switched off for your session. Saying no won’t affect your care.
• Clinical reasoning support: Carepatron also includes an AI assistant your psychologist may use to help think through clinical ideas or documentation. It supports their professional judgement and does not replace it.
• How we protect your information: Where AI tools handle personal or health information, we limit the information used to what is needed for the task and take reasonable steps to protect it. Mindwell requires psychologists to remove anything that could identify you before using any AI tool other than Carepatron’s for their clinical work.
• Who processes it: Carepatron and its technology providers process this information on behalf of Mindwell and your psychologist, under their security and privacy terms.

Full details are set out in our Privacy Policy.

10. Confidentiality and Its Limits

Your psychologist is bound by professional obligations of confidentiality under the Code of Ethics for Psychologists Working in Aotearoa New Zealand. All information shared in sessions is treated as strictly confidential. However, confidentiality has legal and ethical limits. Your psychologist may be required or permitted to disclose information without your consent in the following circumstances:

• Where disclosure is necessary to prevent or lessen a serious threat to your life or health, someone else’s, or public safety
• Where the law requires or allows it, for example a court order or subpoena
• Where disclosure to another healthcare provider is reasonably expected in the circumstances and is directly related to the purpose for which your information was collected, for example writing to your GP, or replying to a GP, psychiatrist or other health professional who referred you

Any other disclosure will only happen with your consent. These limits apply to both your psychologist and Mindwell, under the Health Information Privacy Code 2020.

11. Clinical Supervision

As required by the New Zealand Psychologists Board and the Code of Ethics for Psychologists, psychologists providing services through Mindwell engage in regular clinical supervision with an experienced supervisor and/or peer consultation. Supervision is a professional and ethical requirement designed to support the quality and safety of care provided to clients.

Your psychologist may raise themes or clinical concepts from sessions in supervision in order to better understand how to support you. Psychologists keep identifying information about you out of supervision wherever possible. Case material is usually discussed without identifying details. If you have questions about supervision, you are welcome to raise them with your psychologist.

12. Client Conduct and Expectations

When engaging with Mindwell’s services, you are expected to:

• Attend sessions at the agreed time and engage diligently with the therapeutic process
• Provide at least 48 hours’ notice if you need to cancel or reschedule (see our Cancellation Policy)
• Participate in sessions free from the influence of alcohol or illicit substances
• Not record any session, in whole or in part, by any means (including audio, video, or screen recording) without the prior written consent of your psychologist. Unauthorised recording of sessions is a breach of these Terms and may result in termination of services
• Treat your psychologist and any Mindwell staff with respect at all times
• Use appropriate and respectful conduct throughout all interactions with Mindwell, including by email, phone, and video session

Mindwell reserves the right to immediately terminate access to services where conduct is abusive, threatening, harassing, or otherwise disrespectful toward any psychologist or Mindwell staff member. Any fees paid for a session terminated on these grounds will not be refunded.

13. Availability and Response Times

Clinical contact with your psychologist is limited to your scheduled sessions. Any contact outside of sessions is for administrative purposes only, such as booking, rescheduling, or cancelling appointments. Clinical matters, including questions about your treatment or mental wellbeing, should be raised within your scheduled sessions. Mindwell’s psychologists are not able to provide clinical support, advice, or crisis intervention between sessions.

For administrative enquiries, Mindwell will endeavour to respond to emails and messages within one business day. If you contact us outside business hours, we will aim to respond on the next working day.

If you are experiencing distress between sessions, please use the crisis resources listed at the top of this document, or speak with your psychologist at your next session about strategies for managing difficult periods between appointments.

14. Your Consumer Rights

This service is bound by the Code of Health and Disability Services Consumers’ Rights (“the Code”). As a consumer of health services in New Zealand, you have the following rights under the Code:

• Right 1: The right to be treated with respect
• Right 2: The right to freedom from discrimination, coercion, harassment, and exploitation
• Right 3: The right to dignity and independence
• Right 4: The right to services of an appropriate standard
• Right 5: The right to effective communication
• Right 6: The right to be fully informed
• Right 7: The right to make an informed choice and give informed consent
• Right 8: The right to support
• Right 9: Rights in respect of teaching or research
• Right 10: The right to complain

For a full explanation of your rights, visit the Health and Disability Commissioner’s website at www.hdc.org.nz. If you would like free, independent support to raise a concern, the Nationwide Health and Disability Advocacy Service can help: 0800 555 050 or advocacy@advocacy.org.nz.

15. Limitation of Liability

Your psychologist is responsible for the clinical care they provide. Mindwell is responsible for its own services, such as booking, payments and the online platform.

To the extent permitted by New Zealand law:

• Mindwell does not guarantee any particular outcome from therapy
• Mindwell is not responsible for harm arising from a mental health crisis or emergency, because our services are not designed to provide emergency support (see section 6)
• Mindwell’s total liability to you for any claim about its own services (not the clinical care your psychologist provides) is limited to the fees you paid for the session or sessions the claim relates to

Nothing in these Terms limits your rights under the Consumer Guarantees Act 1993, the Fair Trading Act 1986, or the Code of Health and Disability Services Consumers’ Rights.

16. Complaints

We want to hear about anything that has gone wrong, and making a complaint will not affect your care.

How to complain: Email team@mindwell.co.nz, or tell your psychologist. You can complain about Mindwell’s service, your psychologist’s care, or both.

What happens next:

• We acknowledge your complaint in writing within 5 working days.
• Within 10 working days of that acknowledgement, we tell you whether we accept that the complaint is justified, or how much more time we need and why.
• We keep you updated at least once a month until it is resolved, then tell you our decision, the reasons for it, and what we will do.
• If your complaint is about clinical care, we will, with your agreement, pass it to your psychologist, who will respond under their own complaints process, and we will make sure you receive a response.

Free, independent help and other options:

• Nationwide Health and Disability Advocacy Service: 0800 555 050 | advocacy@advocacy.org.nz
• Health and Disability Commissioner (HDC): www.hdc.org.nz | 0800 11 22 33
• New Zealand Psychologists Board: www.psychologistsboard.org.nz

17. Governing Law

These Terms of Service are governed by the laws of New Zealand. Any dispute arising under these Terms shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the New Zealand courts.

18. Changes to These Terms

We may update these Terms from time to time. The current version is always on this page with its date. If we make a significant change, we will tell you by email before it applies to your sessions, and if you don’t agree you can cancel any future bookings without a fee.