Appointment Information

To improve appointment availability, a $35 fee will now apply for missed appointments and late cancellations (less than 24 hours’ notice).

Additionally, some appointment types, will now require payment card details when booking online. Your appointment will only be confirmed once your card details have been provided; however your card will not be charged until after your appointment.

If you prefer, you can also book an appointment by phoning reception on (08) 9227 6177.

SHQ clinic location

You have the option of completing your paperwork online, via a link sent to your mobile or email, or in person when you attend for your appointment. If you prefer to do your paperwork in person, please ensure that you arrive 10 minutes early to complete these. If you are late, you may miss your appointment.

You’ll need to bring your Medicare card with you, and any Commonwealth Concession cards (e.g Health Care Card) you have. You are welcome to ask a support person such as a friend, partner or relative to come with you if you prefer.

Regarding support persons, please note that:

• for privacy and confidentiality we have a client-only intake area. We ask that support persons wait in the main waiting area whilst paperwork is being completed.
• we often need to see clients on their own during a consultation, and your support person may be asked to leave the consult room for a short period of time.
• currently, all clients are required to complete some paperwork when they arrive.  All your information will be stored confidentially. For more information please read the brochure: Respecting and protecting your privacy at SHQ.

While we do our best to ensure our Clinicians run to time, and clients do not experience significant delays, sometimes a wait time is unavoidable. We will do our best to keep you informed of any delays. You are also welcome to check with reception staff if you have been waiting more than 30 minutes.

Clinic costs

SHQ offers a range of telehealth appointments in addition to our face-to-face appointments. Telehealth is a convenient, safe, and effective way of accessing counselling, however not all services are appropriate for telehealth, and we can discuss what option is best with you.

SHQ telehealth sessions are private and confidential and are offered by phone or videoconference. Appointments fees are the same as our usual clinic fees and will be discussed with you before your appointment.

Phone appointments
We will ring you at your appointment time using the secure clinic phone system. At the end of the consultation, your call will be transferred to reception for billing purposes.

Video appointments
We will send you a meeting invitation before the appointment. You will need a good internet connection and a device with a microphone and speaker. You will not need to download any software prior to your appointment. If a videocall drops out, we will call you back either by phone or via the video conference. If needed, we will continue the session by phone if that is ok with you.

At the end of the consultation, reception will call you to complete any billing. Please note that clinic emails are not regularly monitored, so if you need to contact us between sessions, please call 08 9227 6177 during office hours.

Telehealth services
It is important to us that we provide telehealth services in a safe and evidence-based way. At the beginning of each session, we will check that there is a good phone or video connection in place and that it is a good time for the session to go ahead.

To get the most out of your session you may like to:

• Find a quiet place for the session to take place
  Find a comfortable place where you are unlikely to be disturbed and you can speak confidentially.
• Allow time for the session
  If you share your home with children, partners, pets and/or housemates, try to plan your sessions to avoid interruptions as best you can.
• Charge up
  Make sure the device you will use is charged. For video sessions by computer, have your phone charged and nearby in case there is a technical difficulty, and we need to ring you.
• Allow time to set up
  Arrive and settle in a few minutes before your sessions with things you might need. This may include a drink, tissues, paper, pen, and diary for planning appointments. Please be aware that it may take a few minutes to get the link set up and start a video session.
• Set up for video sessions
  Many people find that looking at their own face during sessions is distracting. Many clients (and clinicians!) choose the “hide self-view” option so that you only see the other person. This can feel more natural and like being in a face-to-face session.
• Use headphones
  This can be helpful to improve sound quality, reduce background noise and give you more privacy. Not everyone uses headphones or microphones, so do whatever best suits you.
• Turn off notifications
  It can be helpful to shut down programs that use speakers or microphone e.g., Instagram, Netflix, iTunes, TikTok or other video-conferencing software.

Please let us know if you have any questions about telehealth services or if you need any further assistance.

Download this information as a pdf flyer

SHQ encourages you to seek alternative childcare when attending an appointment. Questions might be asked by the clinician about your sexual health, and it may not be appropriate to have children present. It is also not safe to have children in the room if you are undergoing a contraceptive or screening procedure/s.

We understand that at times it can be difficult to organise childcare, but we would appreciate your support in this instance. Your safety is of great importance to us.

SHQ does not take responsibility for children in the waiting room, and children should not be left unattended.

SHQ clinicians have a high level of expertise and skill in sexual health. We are committed to professional development, and support other healthcare professionals to gain extra skills in the area of sexual and reproductive health.

There may be an extra health care professional in the room during your appointment. This person will be a qualified doctor or nurse up-skilling in sexual health.

This means you will have the benefit of not one, but two, qualified professionals involved in your care. You’ll also be doing your bit to ensure the health care sector remains skilled and up-to-date with sexual health issues.

SHQ welcomes and supports diversity across all our services, and across all our staff, and we are pleased to offer male and female clinicians.

We acknowledge there may be times clients wish to see a clinician of a specific gender. Please mention any preferences when booking your appointment – we will make every effort to accommodate these requests, but please note there may be times when this is not possible.

Clients may also request a clinical observer if they wish.

Every day we see people from diverse backgrounds who have concerns about their sexual health. You can be supported during your appointment by professional interpreting services, either on-site or over the phone. Please bring your Medicare card.

Family or friends are unable to act as interpreters during a consult, so please be upfront about your needs when making an appointment. We may not be able to see you if you require an interpreter and one has not been pre-booked.

SHQ clinic location