Section 1: COUNSELLOR GUIDELINES

Advisors/listeners are not allowed to expose any personal information from any of their clients. However, if we realise you may be at risk of suicide or any danger, we may use some information off your file to investigate & solve the problem. Any advisors exposing information will be removed from the site immediately.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Not all listeners on this site are licensed counsellors, although, we do provide training. If any listener/advisor is found to be abusing or treating clients in an unacceptable manner, you will be removed as an advisor.. Or even banned from the site.We are strict on our guidelines and anyone who does not abide by them will face severe consequences.

Section 2: AGREEMENT
The service we provide is a completely free & non-profit organization created strictly to help those who are in need of someone to speak to, when professionally paid counseling services is not an option. Please note that our service is not a professional, qualified & licensed counseling service, but instead a service filled with trained volunteer advisors & listeners that dedicate their time to talk, comfort & support people who are suffering from mental illness such as anxiety, depression, relationship issues, family issues, ASD, ADD, ADHD, OCD, drug & alcohol problems and many more. We strongly would like to state that not all of our listeners/advisors have qualifications or licenses that specialize in certain mental illnesses, but instead, the help & support provided by them are driven by personal experience, research or nothing but dedication to supporting and comforting another person by being a good friend and person to talk and vent to when in need. When you join our website, you will need to create an account before you start speaking to our listeners/advisors. This is so our advisors & listeners can regularly check up on you to see how you’re coping, and also so they can keep a file with notes connected to your profile so they can “follow-up” on problems occurring on future sessions. All of these files are kept confidential and only your assigned advisor/listener will have access to these files, unless you are at risk of harming yourself or another person. Once you have completed the account creation process, you will then be assigned to an advisor/listener that will help you on your journey to happiness. You have the opportunity to choose your own advisor/listener. If you don’t prefer a specific person, we will automatically assign an advisor/listener that best fits the problems you’re experiencing. Once you have signed/understood this declaration & been assigned to an advisor/listener, you will be able to chat with your advisor/listener via our online chat platform. Please note that some advisors do provide an email & SMS option of communication.

Nature of our support

As the client, I understand that the process of our service will involve learning to understand myself and assist in clarifying problems, goals and objectives. Focal Point only advise those whom they believe have the capacity to resolve their own challenges/situations/problems with the provided assistance. The process will follow a specific model, and although eclectic in nature, incorporates the concept of our assumptions and beliefs driving our self-talk, which in turn drives our emotions and then actions. Objectively examining the assumptions we have formed throughout life will allow clients to see whether these assumptions and beliefs are accurate or not. Changing negative thought patterns then impacts on every other area of our life. The process of self-awareness, problem-solving and cognitive restructuring can, for certain clients, take some time to achieve. Some clients only join our site for online listening sessions to achieve their goals, while others may require sessions over an extended period of time. Most clients would need a minimum of 2-3 sessions to work through their issues/concerns. As a client, you are in complete control and may end the listening session (online chat, emails, SMS) and relationship with their advisor/listener at any point. Focal Point will be supportive of your decision. If our services are successful, you should feel that you are able to face life’s challenges in the future without further support or intervention. Focal Point believes that clients should feel change by at latest the third or fourth session. If not, we will happily refer you to another service. Although the listening sessions may be very emotionally and psychologically intimate it is important for you to realize that the advising session relationship is strictly professional in nature. You will be best served during sessions to remember this and concentrate exclusively on your issues, concerns, problems and circumstances. I understand that anything my advisor/listener says to me is to be taken as merely a suggestion, which I am free to accept or reject. If at any time you are dissatisfied with the services of Focal Point, please discuss it with your advisor/listener. Should you require a referral to another professional service, your advisor/listener will discuss this with you. If you believe that any professional conduct is inappropriate, you may report your complaints to the founder of Focal Point by posting a complaint in the “Complaints” section of our website.

If you are feeling suicidal, please contact a suicide hotline immediately.Lifeline Australia - 13 11 14

By using our service and reading this form, you are agreeing to the above terms & conditions, and completely understand that not all volunteer advisors/listeners on our site are licensed or fully qualified, and are helping out of strictly nothing but kindness and a strong, caring mind with determination to help & support other people.