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Terms of Use

Effective date: [Effective date]

This website is owned and operated by Sandton Therapy, the practice of Sarah-Jane Lipshitz, Registered Educational Psychologist (HPCSA registration PS 0123102; practice number 086 003 0529346). References to "we", "us", "our" or "the practice" mean Sandton Therapy, and references to "you", "your", "the client" or "the user" mean any person who accesses the website or uses our services.

1. Acceptance of these terms

By accessing or using this website, booking a session, or providing your information through the site, you agree to be bound by these Terms of Use. If you do not agree with any part of these terms, please do not use the website or our online services. We may update these terms from time to time, and the version published on the website at the time you use it applies. We encourage you to review this page periodically.

2. Information and booking only — not professional advice

The website provides general information about the practice and allows you to book sessions, complete onboarding, give electronic consent, receive invoices and obtain support with medical-aid claims. The content on the website is provided for general information purposes only. It is not professional, psychological, medical or therapeutic advice, and it is not a substitute for a consultation with a registered healthcare practitioner. You should not rely on website content to diagnose or treat any condition, and you should always seek the advice of a suitably qualified professional regarding any specific concern.

3. No emergency service

The website and our online services are not an emergency service and are not monitored in real time. Do not use the website, email or our booking system to communicate an emergency or a crisis. If you or someone else is in danger or experiencing a mental-health emergency, contact emergency services immediately on 112 (from a mobile) or 10111, or go to your nearest emergency department.

You can also contact the following crisis lines, which are available at no charge:

  • SADAG (South African Depression and Anxiety Group) Mental Health Line: 0800 567 567
  • SADAG Suicide Crisis Line: 0800 456 789

4. Scope of services and no automatic therapeutic relationship

The practice provides educational-psychology therapy sessions, delivered in person or online, of approximately 60 minutes each, together with online booking, onboarding, electronic consent, invoicing and medical-aid claims support. Our services fall within the scope of practice of a Registered Educational Psychologist as regulated by the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA).

Using the website, requesting a booking, or submitting your information does not, on its own, create a doctor-patient or therapeutic relationship between you and the practitioner. A professional relationship is only established once a session is confirmed, you have completed the necessary onboarding and consent, and the practitioner has agreed to provide services to you.

5. Booking, confirmation, cancellation and no-shows

You may request appointments through the online booking system. A booking is only confirmed once you receive a confirmation from the practice. We will make reasonable efforts to honour confirmed appointments, but we may need to reschedule from time to time, in which case we will notify you and offer an alternative.

  • Cancellations and rescheduling: please give us reasonable notice if you need to cancel or move an appointment, in accordance with the cancellation period communicated to you at the time of booking or during onboarding.
  • Late cancellations and no-shows: appointments cancelled without adequate notice, or appointments you do not attend, may be charged in full or in part at the practitioner's discretion and as permitted by HPCSA guidelines. Such fees may not be claimable from your medical aid.
  • Online sessions: you are responsible for ensuring you have a suitable device, a stable internet connection and a private space for online sessions.

6. Fees, invoicing and medical-aid claims

Fees for sessions and related services are communicated to you before or at the time of booking. By confirming a booking you agree to pay the applicable fees. We will issue invoices electronically.

Where the practice offers medical-aid claims support, this is provided as a convenience. You remain responsible for your account in full and for any claim you submit to your medical-aid scheme. We do not guarantee that your scheme will accept, pay or fully reimburse any claim. Any shortfall, co-payment, rejected claim or amount not covered by your scheme remains your responsibility and is payable to the practice. You are responsible for ensuring that the medical-aid details you provide (including scheme, plan, member number and dependent code) are accurate and up to date.

7. Your information and privacy

To provide our services we collect personal information through the website, which may include your name, email address, phone number, ID number, date of birth, medical-aid details, clinical records and electronic consent records. We process this information in accordance with the Protection of Personal Information Act, 2013 (POPIA) and the confidentiality obligations that apply to healthcare practitioners.

For full details of how we collect, use, store and protect your information, and your rights, please read our Privacy Policy and our POPIA Policy, which form part of these terms.

8. Cookies and how the site works

The website uses only essential cookies needed for it to function — namely a session cookie and a CSRF (cross-site request forgery) token. We do not use third-party analytics, advertising or tracking cookies by default. To protect sensitive data, we apply field-level encryption to ID numbers and medical-aid numbers, store documents in protected storage, and keep an audit trail of access to records.

9. Acceptable use

When using the website, you agree to:

  • provide accurate, current and complete information, and keep your details up to date;
  • use the website only for lawful purposes and for booking and managing your own care (or that of a dependent or person for whom you are lawfully authorised to act);
  • keep any login or access credentials confidential and not share them;
  • not attempt to gain unauthorised access to the website, any account, or our systems or storage;
  • not introduce viruses, malware or other harmful code, or interfere with the operation, security or integrity of the website;
  • not copy, scrape, harvest or misuse data from the website; and
  • not use the website to harass, defame or harm any person, or to upload unlawful or infringing content.

We may suspend or restrict your access to the website if we reasonably believe you have breached these terms.

10. Intellectual property

All content on the website — including text, graphics, logos, the practice name, layout, design and any materials we make available — is owned by or licensed to Sandton Therapy and is protected by South African and international intellectual-property laws. You may view and use the website for your own personal, non-commercial purposes connected with our services. You may not reproduce, distribute, modify, republish or otherwise exploit any content without our prior written permission, except as allowed by law.

11. Availability of the website

We try to keep the website available and working correctly, but we do not guarantee that it will be uninterrupted, error-free or secure at all times. The website may be unavailable from time to time for maintenance, updates or reasons beyond our control. We may change, suspend or discontinue any part of the website or our online services at any time.

12. Limitation of liability

To the extent permitted by South African law, the website and its content are provided "as is" and "as available", without warranties of any kind, whether express or implied. Nothing in these terms excludes or limits any liability that cannot lawfully be excluded or limited, including liability arising from death or personal injury caused by our negligence, or any liability under the Consumer Protection Act, 2008 where it applies.

Subject to the above, and to the extent permitted by law, we will not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special or consequential loss, or for any loss or damage arising from:

  • your reliance on information published on the website;
  • your use of, or inability to use, the website or its online services;
  • any unauthorised access to or alteration of your data despite our reasonable security measures; or
  • any act or omission of a third party, including your medical-aid scheme or internet or device provider.

Any liability we do have will be limited to what is fair and reasonable in the circumstances and as permitted by South African law.

13. Indemnity

To the extent permitted by South African law, you agree to indemnify and hold the practice and the practitioner harmless against any reasonable claims, losses, costs or expenses arising from your breach of these Terms of Use, your unlawful or improper use of the website, or your provision of inaccurate or unauthorised information. This does not apply where the claim arises from our own negligence or wilful misconduct.

14. Governing law

These Terms of Use are governed by and interpreted in accordance with the laws of the Republic of South Africa. You agree to submit to the jurisdiction of the South African courts in respect of any dispute arising from your use of the website or our services. Our services are also subject to the rules and ethical guidelines of the HPCSA.

15. Contact us

If you have any questions about these Terms of Use, or wish to contact the practice, please use the details below:

  • Practice: Sandton Therapy (Sarah-Jane Lipshitz, Registered Educational Psychologist)
  • Email: sarahjane@sandtontherapy.co.za
  • Phone: 083 438 1768
  • Address: Manor Medical Centre, 189 Kelvin Drive, Morningside Manor, Sandton, 2196, Gauteng, South Africa
  • Information Officer: [Information Officer name]