Terms & Conditions

1. Definitions

2. Eligibility

TherapyNow services are available to individuals aged 18 years and older. Clients aged 13–17 may access services with verifiable written consent from a parent or legal guardian. TherapyNow does not provide services to children under the age of 13.

International clients are responsible for ensuring that receiving online counselling from a South African-registered counsellor is lawful in their country of residence. TherapyNow accepts no liability for non-compliance with foreign laws.

TherapyNow reserves the right to decline or terminate any booking or enrolment at its sole discretion, including where it determines that the Client’s needs fall outside the scope of registered counselling services.

3. Nature of Service & Scope of Practice

TherapyNow provides registered counselling services only. Counsellors are registered wellness counsellors or psychological counsellors. They are not medical doctors, psychiatrists, or clinical psychologists, and do not diagnose mental health conditions, prescribe medication, provide psychological assessment, or practise psychotherapy as defined under the Health Professions Act.

Counselling is a collaborative, supportive process. Outcomes are not guaranteed. TherapyNow makes no representation that any particular result, improvement, or recovery will be achieved.

Counsellors are independent registered practitioners accountable to their respective professional bodies (HPCSA, ASCHP, CCSA). TherapyNow is not vicariously liable for the independent professional conduct of its Counsellors.

From time to time, TherapyNow may engage counsellors who are in a period of training or professional development and who may not yet hold full independent registration with a professional body. Such counsellors practise exclusively under the direct supervision of a fully registered TherapyNow Counsellor. Where a Client’s sessions are being conducted by a counsellor under supervision, the Client will be informed of this prior to their first session. The supervising Counsellor remains accountable for the standard of care provided.

To the maximum extent permitted by law, TherapyNow and its Counsellors shall not be liable for any direct, indirect, incidental, or consequential loss or damage arising from the use of its services, including deterioration of any mental or physical health condition.

4. Bookings & Payments

All bookings are confirmed only upon receipt of full payment in advance. TherapyNow reserves the right to decline any booking.

All prices are quoted in South African Rand (ZAR) and include VAT where applicable. International card payments are accepted. Exchange rates are determined by the Client’s card provider at the time of payment. TherapyNow bears no liability for currency fluctuations or third-party bank charges.

Bulk Packages must be paid in full at the time of booking. Sessions within a package are non-transferable between clients and non-refundable except as expressly stated in these Terms.

Bulk Packages are valid for 6 months from the date of purchase. Unused sessions after this period are forfeited without refund. No extensions will be granted.

TherapyNow reserves the right to adjust pricing at any time. Existing Clients will be notified of any price change with a minimum of 30 days’ written notice before the change takes effect.

Billing disputes must be raised in writing within 14 days of the charge. Disputes raised after this period will not be considered.

5. Cancellations & Rescheduling — Individual, Couples & Family Sessions

A minimum of 48 hours’ written notice (via email or WhatsApp) is required to cancel or reschedule a session without charge.

Cancellations made with less than 48 hours’ notice will be charged in full and the session forfeited. This applies regardless of the reason, including illness or technical difficulty.

No-shows — failure to attend a session without prior notice — will be charged in full and the session forfeited.

TherapyNow reserves the right to cancel or reschedule sessions due to Counsellor illness, emergency, or circumstances beyond its reasonable control. A replacement session will be offered. TherapyNow is not liable for inconvenience or loss arising from such cancellations.

6. Online Sessions & Technology

All sessions are conducted online via WhatsApp, Google Meet, or Microsoft Teams. Clients are solely responsible for ensuring a stable internet connection, suitable device, and private environment.

Sessions are conducted via third-party encrypted platforms. TherapyNow cannot guarantee the absolute security of communications transmitted over third-party platforms. By booking, Clients accept this inherent risk.

Sessions that cannot proceed due to the Client’s technical difficulties are treated as cancellations. The 48-hour cancellation policy applies.

No recording of any session — individual, couples, family, or group — is permitted without the prior written consent of all participants, including the Counsellor.

7. Confidentiality & Privacy

All sessions are strictly confidential in accordance with the ethical codes of the HPCSA, ASCHP, and CCSA, and the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA).

Session content and personal information will not be disclosed to any third party — including employers, medical aids, insurers, or family members — without the Client’s explicit written consent.

Disclosure without consent may occur only where:

• there is an immediate and serious risk to the life of the Client or another person;
• a court order or applicable law requires it; or
• the Client is a minor and disclosure is necessary to protect their safety.

Client personal data is stored securely in accordance with POPIA. TherapyNow does not sell, share, or monetise Client data.

Session notes and records are accessible only to the assigned Counsellor and, where necessary for supervision purposes, to TherapyNow’s Head of Supervision. Notes are not shared with employers, medical aids, or family members without written consent.

8. The Counsellor-Client Relationship

Clients may request a change of Counsellor at any time. Unused prepaid sessions will be transferred to the new Counsellor in full.

Counsellors may refer Clients to another professional if, in their professional judgment, the Client’s needs fall outside their scope of practice or competency, or if continuing the relationship would not serve the Client’s best interest.

All dual relationships between Clients and Counsellors — personal, romantic, social, or business — are strictly prohibited in accordance with professional ethical codes. Any concern regarding a boundary violation should be reported immediately to accounts@therapynow.co.za.

TherapyNow reserves the right to immediately terminate the counselling relationship, without refund, if a Client engages in threatening, abusive, harassing, discriminatory, or otherwise inappropriate conduct toward any Counsellor or member of staff.

TherapyNow does not guarantee the continuous availability of a specific Counsellor. Reasonable efforts will be made to minimise disruption in the event of a Counsellor’s unavailability.

9. Corporate & EAP Clients

Corporate clients and Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) engagements are subject to a separate service agreement. These Terms apply to the individual employees receiving counselling services.

All individual sessions under a corporate or EAP contract remain strictly confidential. TherapyNow will not disclose individual session content, attendance records, or personal information to any employer without the individual Client’s explicit written consent.

Aggregate, anonymised programme data may be shared with corporate clients for reporting purposes only, where this has been agreed in the service agreement and does not identify any individual.

10. Free Masterclass

The TherapyNow Free Masterclass — The Unknown Secret of Harm Reduction — is a 60-minute online educational session hosted by Elza Berk, Founder & CEO.

The Masterclass may be offered free of charge or at a fee, at TherapyNow’s sole discretion. The applicable price will be clearly communicated at the time of registration. Where a fee applies, payment is required in full before access is granted.

Registration is by email only. By registering, the Client consents to their email address being added to the TherapyNow mailing list. They may unsubscribe at any time.

The Masterclass will only be recorded where TherapyNow expressly decides to do so. Where a session is recorded, registered participants will be notified in advance. TherapyNow retains full ownership of all recordings and determines if, when, and to whom any recording is made available.

TherapyNow reserves the right to cancel or reschedule the Masterclass at any time. Registered participants will be notified with reasonable advance notice. Where a paid Masterclass is cancelled by TherapyNow, a full refund will be issued.

11. Addiction/Harm Reduction Programme — Additional Terms

11.1   Programme Structure

The Programme includes, each week:

• 2 individual sessions of 50 minutes each;
• 1 flexible session of 50 minutes (up to 90 minutes for family sessions), used as a couples, family, multi-stakeholder, or additional individual session as agreed between Client and Counsellor;
• 1 facilitated group counselling session of 50 minutes; and
• access to the HR Community.

The flexible session may include a partner, family member, or external professional (including a psychiatrist, general practitioner, or social worker) with the agreement of the Client and Counsellor. All participants in a flexible or family session are bound by the confidentiality obligations in Section 7. TherapyNow is not responsible for the professional conduct or advice of any external professional attending a flexible session.

The group session is a professionally facilitated group counselling session. It is strictly confidential. Participants agree not to record, screenshot, or disclose the identity or disclosures of any other participant. Breach of group confidentiality may result in immediate removal from the Programme without refund.

The HR Community is a peer support space only. It is not a clinical service, crisis line, or substitute for a counselling session. Breach of HR Community confidentiality or conduct standards may result in removal from the group and, at TherapyNow’s discretion, from the Programme.

11.2   Harm Reduction Approach

The Programme operates on Harm Reduction principles. Abstinence is not a requirement to enrol or remain enrolled. The Programme supports Clients who seek to reduce use, use more safely, or achieve full abstinence — without judgment, ultimatum, or precondition. Where a Client’s goal is abstinence, the Programme supports that goal with compassionate, realistic milestones.

11.3   Billing

The Programme runs for one calendar month at a time and is billed monthly in advance on the Billing Date at R19,999.00 (VAT included). The Programme begins on the date of the Client’s first session.

Unused sessions within a billing month are forfeited and do not carry over. Individual session cancellations within the Programme are subject to the 48-hour notice policy in Section 5. Late cancellations and no-shows are forfeited and counted as used sessions.

TherapyNow reserves the right to amend Programme pricing with 30 days’ written notice to existing Clients.

11.4   Cancellation

The Programme is month-to-month with no minimum commitment period. The Client may cancel at any time by providing 7 days’ written notice to accounts@therapynow.co.za before the next Billing Date.

No refund will be issued for the current billing month upon cancellation, regardless of sessions attended or unused.

11.5   Aftercare

Follow-up and aftercare programmes are available upon completion or at any stage of the Programme. Aftercare is not automatically provided and must be purchased separately. Clients should speak to their Counsellor for available options and pricing.

12. General

These Terms & Conditions are governed by the laws of the Republic of South Africa. Any disputes shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the South African courts.

TherapyNow reserves the right to amend these Terms at any time. Clients will be notified of material changes with a minimum of 14 days’ written notice. Continued use of TherapyNow services after notification constitutes acceptance of the amended Terms.

If any provision of these Terms is found to be unlawful or unenforceable, the remaining provisions shall continue in full force and effect.

These Terms constitute the entire agreement between TherapyNow and the Client in respect of TherapyNow services and supersede all prior representations, discussions, or agreements.

For any questions regarding these Terms, contact us at accounts@therapynow.co.za before booking or enrolling.