Our commitment to belonging

At Comma + Co, belonging means being met as a whole person rather than reduced to a label, role or assumption.

We welcome adults across genders, cultures, identities, abilities, relationships, professions and life experiences. Our responsibility is to approach each person with respect, curiosity and cultural humility while recognising that inclusion requires ongoing reflection, not a claim that we already understand every experience.

Our approach is grounded in empathy, openness and respect for each person’s autonomy. We aim to provide counselling and executive coaching that is thoughtful, accessible and responsive to the people with whom we work.

• 1. Purpose

This commitment guides how Comma + Co designs and provides counselling, executive coaching and future group programs.

Its purpose is to foster an environment in which people are treated with dignity, their identities and experiences are respected, and assumptions are questioned rather than imposed.

We recognise that belonging is created through everyday actions, including how we listen, communicate, respond to feedback and acknowledge the limits of our own knowledge and experience.

• 2. Scope

This commitment applies to:

• Comma + Co practitioners

• Staff, contractors and volunteers working on behalf of Comma + Co

• Counselling and executive-coaching services

• Future group programs and other service offerings

• In-person and online environments

• Interactions with clients, prospective clients and members of a client’s care team where appropriate.

Comma + Co currently provides services to adults aged 18 years and over.

• 3. Our commitments

Respect and inclusion

We welcome and affirm adults across different:

• Cultural and ethnic backgrounds

• Races and nationalities

• Gender identities and expressions

• Sexual orientations

• Relationship and family structures

• Faiths, spiritual beliefs and non-religious beliefs

• Physical, sensory and cognitive abilities

• Neurotypes

• Socioeconomic circumstances

• Professions and employment circumstances

• Migration and refugee experiences

• Caring responsibilities

• Political and social perspectives

• Life histories and lived experiences.

This list is not exhaustive. We recognise that identity is personal, layered and not always visible.

We will not knowingly discriminate against a person based on a protected attribute or treat an aspect of identity as something that must be corrected, concealed or explained.

Cultural humility and responsiveness

We approach cultural difference with humility, curiosity and respect.

We recognise that practitioners cannot assume expertise in another person’s culture or lived experience. We therefore seek to:

• Listen to how each client understands their own identity and experience

• Avoid treating cultural norms or assumptions as universal

• Reflect on the influence of our own identities, experiences and biases

• Seek appropriate consultation when needed

• Remain open to correction and feedback

• Adapt our approach where it is appropriate and within our professional competence.

Accessible participation

Comma + Co provides both in-person and online appointments.

Our in-person premises are accessible. Online appointments may provide an alternative for clients who prefer to attend remotely or experience barriers to attending in person.

A support person may be involved as part of a client’s care team where this is appropriate and agreed. Any involvement is subject to the client’s informed consent, privacy preferences, professional boundaries and the purpose of the service.

We will discuss the role of a support person before information is shared or they participate in a session.

Trauma-aware practice

We recognise that trauma, discrimination, exclusion and marginalisation can intersect and influence how safe a person feels in professional and therapeutic relationships.

We aim to:

• Provide clear information about what to expect

• Support informed choice and personal autonomy

• Avoid unnecessary power imbalances

• Respect boundaries and consent

• Explain the purpose of questions or proposed approaches

• Respond thoughtfully when a person tells us that something does not feel safe or appropriate

• Avoid practices that may unnecessarily reproduce experiences of shame, exclusion or loss of control.

Trauma-aware practice does not mean that discomfort will never arise. Counselling and coaching may involve difficult conversations. Our commitment is to approach these conversations transparently, respectfully and within the agreed scope of the work.

Neurodiversity-affirming practice

We recognise neurological differences as part of natural human diversity.

We aim to avoid deficit-based assumptions and work collaboratively with clients to understand their individual strengths, challenges, communication preferences and support needs.

We do not assume that people with the same diagnosis, identity or neurotype will have the same experiences or require the same approach.

Inclusive language

We use language intended to support dignity, autonomy and accurate understanding.

We aim to:

• Use each client’s stated name and pronouns

• Avoid assumptions about gender, relationships, family, culture, ability or identity

• Explain professional terminology where it is useful

• Avoid unnecessary jargon or labels

• Ask rather than assume how a person describes their experience

• Accept respectful correction when our language does not reflect a client’s preferences.

Clients are invited to tell us about language, names, pronouns or terms they would like us to use or avoid.

Privacy and choice

You decide what personal information you share, subject to any information reasonably necessary for Comma + Co to provide a service safely and appropriately.

Information about your identity, culture, relationships, health or personal circumstances is treated in accordance with our Informed Consent and Privacy statement.

Information will not be shared with a family member, partner, employer, support person or other member of your care team without your consent unless disclosure is required or authorised by law or another recognised legal or ethical exception applies.

Professional suitability and referral

Inclusion does not mean that every practitioner or service will be suitable for every person or every need.

A practitioner may recommend another professional or service where:

• The requested work is outside their professional scope or competence

• Another practitioner has more appropriate specialist knowledge

• A conflict of interest exists

• The service cannot be provided safely or ethically

• The client’s needs would be better supported elsewhere.

Where a referral is appropriate, we will communicate this respectfully and, where practicable, provide relevant referral information.

A referral should not be understood as a rejection of a person’s identity or experience. It is part of our responsibility to recognise the limits of our service and act in the client’s best interests.

• 4. Feedback and accountability

We welcome feedback about whether our services and environments feel respectful, inclusive and accessible.

When concerns are raised, we aim to:

• Listen without becoming defensive

• Take the concern seriously

• Clarify what has occurred

• Consider whether repair or corrective action is needed

• Communicate the outcome where appropriate

• Use the feedback to inform reflective practice.

We recognise that good intentions do not remove the impact of an interaction. Where we make a mistake, our responsibility is to acknowledge it, respond appropriately and learn from it.

• 5. Complaints and enquiries

If you have a concern, suggestion or complaint about belonging, accessibility, discrimination or inclusion at Comma + Co, please contact:

Email:kr@commaandco.com.au
Text (only): 0468 030 092

We aim to acknowledge your concern within five business days.

Information relating to a complaint will be handled respectfully and confidentially, subject to any legal, professional or safety obligations that require information to be used or disclosed.

If you are not satisfied with our response, you may also contact an appropriate external body, including:

• The Victorian Health Complaints Commissioner

• The Australian Counselling Association, where applicable

• The Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia, where applicable

• Another regulator or complaints body with jurisdiction over the concern.

Raising a concern or making a complaint will not affect your right to respectful and ethical treatment.

6. Review

Comma + Co reviews this commitment every 12 months, or sooner where required by:

• Changes to legislation or professional standards

• Changes to our services

• Significant client feedback

• An identified accessibility or inclusion concern.

This commitment will continue to evolve as our practice and understanding develop.