Advised at first appt with new psychologist that there could be a conflict of interest within the office as one their staff recognised my address as her own and brought it to the attention of the 'powers to be'. I live in a retirement village of sorts with 10 stages. The new psychologist told me that this staff member did not live in the same stage as me and did not know me on site. And because of this information I advised the psychologist that it is okay by me.
Obviously, my appointments with the psychologist were extremely sensitive and personal and there were many, many discussions held there I would never wanted to be repeated.
So I have just today found out who that staff member was. She rocked up to our unit with a Jade plant -Chinese for good luck! She is my next door neighbour! She advised me that she was leaving the complex permanently as his son is having his first child, she had lost her job, the timing is right, blah blah blah. And where did you work? You guessed it, right on the nose. Hence - the good luck plant! This person had no way of knowing the extremely bad times and bad luck I have had recently ..... not unless she had read my file.
I have three or four questions I would like answered please:
1st: has the psychologist broken any laws regarding this conflict-of-interest
2nd: if I had been fully made it aware of where this person delivered I would deathly not had bothered to go. Is this actually what is known as a conflict of interest. If I had known she had been my next door neighbour I would NEVER have gone through with the appointment/s. During my next appointment with my psychologist what is your advice for me to do? She lied to me for a start.
2nd question: do I have a right (under Australian law) to request to read my file?
3rd question: should I have a third party in the office as a witness to our discussion regarding what I feel is this conflict of interest?
Obviously, my appointments with the psychologist were extremely sensitive and personal and there were many, many discussions held there I would never wanted to be repeated.
So I have just today found out who that staff member was. She rocked up to our unit with a Jade plant -Chinese for good luck! She is my next door neighbour! She advised me that she was leaving the complex permanently as his son is having his first child, she had lost her job, the timing is right, blah blah blah. And where did you work? You guessed it, right on the nose. Hence - the good luck plant! This person had no way of knowing the extremely bad times and bad luck I have had recently ..... not unless she had read my file.
I have three or four questions I would like answered please:
1st: has the psychologist broken any laws regarding this conflict-of-interest
2nd: if I had been fully made it aware of where this person delivered I would deathly not had bothered to go. Is this actually what is known as a conflict of interest. If I had known she had been my next door neighbour I would NEVER have gone through with the appointment/s. During my next appointment with my psychologist what is your advice for me to do? She lied to me for a start.
2nd question: do I have a right (under Australian law) to request to read my file?
3rd question: should I have a third party in the office as a witness to our discussion regarding what I feel is this conflict of interest?