Cancellation Policy

1. Why do we need this cancellation policy?

My practice aims to be ethically run and to place both your care and practitioner wellbeing at the centre of the service I provide.

When an appointment is booked for you, that time is specifically reserved for you and generally cannot be replaced at short notice. Late cancellations can therefore result in lost clinical time for me as practitioner and reduced appointment availability for other clients I work with.

For this reason, cancellation fees apply where the required notice is not provided.

Where an appointment is cancelled, I will make reasonable efforts to offer the appointment to another client. If I am able to successfully fill the entire cancelled appointment, any applicable cancellation fee will be waived.

While I will make reasonable efforts to fill the appointment, I cannot guarantee that I will be able to do so. If the appointment remains unfilled, the cancellation fee applicable under this policy will remain payable.

2. Cancellation notice required to avoid fees

For all appointments at Wayfarer Psychology, I require at least 7 days’ notice to avoid a cancellation fee.

Notice received more than 7 days before your appointment
— no cancellation fee.
Notice received between 7 days and 2 full business days before your appointment
— 50% of the full consultation fee.
Notice received with less than 2 full business days’ notice
— 100% of the full consultation fee, except where an exemption under this policy applies.

If a cancellation fee would otherwise apply, I will make reasonable efforts to fill the cancelled appointment. If the entire appointment is successfully filled by another client, the cancellation fee will be waived.

3. What is meant by a “business day”?

Business days include any normal weekday other than a public holiday or office closure period, between the hours of 8.00 am and 5.00 pm.

4. What is the cancellation fee?

The cancellation fee is:

100% of the full consultation fee if less than 2 full business days’ notice is provided.
50% of the full consultation fee if notice is provided between 7 days and 2 full business days.
No cancellation fee if more than 7 days’ notice is provided.

Where a cancellation fee applies, Wayfarer Psychology will make reasonable efforts to offer the cancelled appointment to another client.

If another client takes the entire appointment, the cancellation fee will be waived. If the cancellation fee has already been processed before the appointment is filled, the fee will be refunded or credited to the client’s account.

The ability to fill a cancelled appointment depends on factors including other clients’ availability and clinical suitability. Wayfarer Psychology therefore cannot guarantee that a cancelled appointment will be filled, and the cancellation fee remains the client’s responsibility unless and until the appointment is successfully filled.

5. Are there any exceptions?

If I cancel on you with short notice, I want to hold myself to the same standard. Therefore, I will not charge you for one late cancellation in the 3-month period following a practitioner cancellation. After that, all standard cancellation fees will apply unless it qualifies as an exception under this policy.

6. What is meant by “illness or family emergency”?

I understand that illnesses and family emergencies sometimes occur, and I will not charge a cancellation fee in such cases. A medical certificate may, at my discretion, be required to waive the cancellation fee.

Examples of “family emergencies” include:

An illness, injury or death
A car accident
A robbery or assault

Examples not considered family emergencies under this policy:

A meeting (work or school), sports, or extracurricular event
A family activity or holiday

Although I accept that such events may be beyond your control, they do not exempt you from responsibility, and the cancellation fee will still apply.

7. Cancellation due to lack of funds to pay

I understand that financial difficulties can occur. However, a lack of funds is not considered a valid reason for a late cancellation and does not exempt you from cancellation fees. That said, I am happy to support you.

If you are experiencing financial hardship, please discuss this with me as soon as possible. I may be able to assist you with a payment plan or delay your invoice payment. I am here to help—communication is key.

8. Repeat illness-related cancellations

At Wayfarer Psychology, I understand that illness can arise unexpectedly. However, frequent short-notice cancellations due to illness—especially without documentation—can significantly disrupt clinical care and availability for other clients.

To manage this fairly and maintain service quality, Wayfarer Psychology reserves the right to take the following actions in cases where illness-related cancellations occur repeatedly:

Request medical documentation to support any cancellation due to illness. A medical certificate must be provided within 48 hours of the missed appointment if requested.

Transition clients to ad hoc scheduling. Clients who cancel late due to illness more than twice in a rolling 3-month period may be moved from regular weekly/fortnightly bookings to ad hoc appointments.

Require prepayment. Clients with a pattern of unverified illness-related late cancellations may be required to pay in advance for future appointments.

Temporarily suspend recurring bookings until a discussion has taken place about this with myself.

I remain committed to being flexible and compassionate, and I encourage you to speak with me early if you’re experiencing health challenges.

9. How do I pay the cancellation fee?

Cancellation fees are payable at the time of cancellation by invoice. This invoice must be paid within 48 hours of issue to avoid disruption to future appointments.

I appreciate your prompt attention to these payments, which help me manage the clinic’s operations fairly for all clients.

10. What happens if a cancellation fee is not paid promptly?

If a cancellation fee is charged under this policy and not paid promptly:

I will be unable to continue providing you with the service.
I reserve the right to take any reasonable action to recover unpaid fees, including billing you for any additional costs incurred in debt recovery.

If any 2 invoices remain unpaid on your account, Wayfarer Psychology reserves the right to cancel all future appointments until the account is brought up to date. Pre-payment will then be required at the time of booking for all future appointments.

11. How do I notify Wayfarer Psychology of a cancellation?

To cancel or reschedule an appointment, please...

phone 027 209 2673 (if needed, please leave a clear voicemail with your full name and date of the appointment)

or send a text message (again with your full name and date of appointment)

or email info@wayfarerpsychology.co.nz

12. What is a No-Show?

A “No Show” includes:

Failing to attend a scheduled appointment without notifying me
Arriving more than 10 minutes late to your appointment

If a client arrives more than 10 minutes late, they will need to reschedule, and a no-show fee will apply unless emergency circumstances exist.

Why is this policy in place?

Quality of Care: A shortened session compromises therapeutic effectiveness.
Impact on Other Clients: Late starts disrupt the schedule for others.
Ethical Standards: Sessions must be conducted with adequate time and attention.

I hope you find this to be a fair and reasonable policy, and I thank you for your understanding and cooperation.

My intent is to provide all participants/clients with every opportunity to reduce the likelihood of cancellations/no-shows which may attract a fee.

Please note that it is your responsibility to remember appointments you have made.

Wayfarer Psychology Ltd uses a variety of communication modes to ensure that clients are aware of the cancellation policy, and that communication of this policy is clear and comprehensible through the company website, verbally informed by the clinician, and noted in Service Agreements. Clients are encouraged to take note of the Cancellation Policy prior to commencing treatment with Wayfarer Psychology Ltd.