ETHICAL PRACTICE
Statement of
Ethical Practice
At Comma + Co, ethical practice is more than a professional requirement. It is how we create safety, build trust and provide counselling and coaching that’s specific to you and your needs.
Our work is grounded in the belief that counselling should feel both safe and empowering. We respect your experiences, protect your privacy and uphold clear professional standards so that meaningful change can occur with care, clarity and respect.
Our counselling practice is guided by the codes of ethics and professional standards established by the Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia (PACFA) and the Australian Counselling Association (ACA). Each practitioner also works in accordance with the requirements of their professional registration.
In practice, this means:
Confidentiality and safety
What you share is treated with care and kept confidential, subject to the legal and safety-related limits explained during the informed consent process.
Boundaries and respect
The counselling relationship remains professional, consistent and transparent. Your autonomy, identity, culture, values and lived experience are respected.
Competence and reflection
We work within the boundaries of our training and professional competence, participate in ongoing supervision and professional development, and seek consultation or provide referrals when another service may better meet your needs.
Integrity and accountability
We communicate honestly, manage potential conflicts of interest and take responsibility for maintaining ethical and professional standards.
Consent and choice
You have the right to understand what counselling involves, ask questions, make informed choices and withdraw your consent. We will work collaboratively with you and explain any circumstances that may affect your privacy or the way counselling is provided.
Our commitment to children and young people
Comma + Co is committed to the National Principles for Child Safe Organisations and to providing counselling environments in which children and young people are physically, emotionally and culturally safe.
Our approach includes age-appropriate consent and assent processes, respect for the voice and evolving capacity of each young person, and collaboration with parents or carers where appropriate and consistent with the young person's rights, privacy and safety.
We comply with the child-safety, information-sharing and reporting obligations that apply to our work under Victorian law. Where there is a serious concern about someone's safety, we will act in accordance with our professional, ethical and legal responsibilities.
Ethical practice at Comma + Co reflects the values that shape all our work: warmth, respect, courage and connection. It is how we earn trust, maintain appropriate boundaries and support your safety, autonomy and capacity for change.
RELATED INFORMATION
More information on
the way we work.
LET’S STAY CONNECTED
Something worth pausing for.
Occasional notes on the patterns that shape how we live, work, and relate, with ideas to help you respond with greater clarity and choice.