General Terms & Conditions
Online Psychology: General Terms & Conditions – Version 1.0, as of April 17th, 2024
General Terms & Conditions (GTCs): Online Psychology Mag. Angelika Spies
§ 1 Validity of the General Terms & Conditions
All psychological services provided by Mag. Angelika Spies are provided exclusively in accordance with the following General Terms & Conditions (GTCs). By sending an inquiry to Mag. Angelika Spies, the client agrees to the validity of these GTCs.
§ 2 Consulting service
Online psychology is agreed and billed in units. One unit is 30, 50 or 90 minutes. The fee note is calculated according to the price offer stated on the website.
§ 3 Range of services and payment conditions
Mag. Angelika Spies offers online psychology as units. Payment for each unit must be made after the fee note has been sent (via bank transfer or Paypal, stating the invoice number) no later than 48 hours before the agreed unit. The decisive factor here is the receipt of payment by Mag. Angelika Spies. If the client is late with payment, Mag. Angelika Spies will send a payment reminder or, if payment is not made, will not agree to further sessions. For clients who are insured with an Austrian statutory health insurance it’s possible to get cost subsidies for psychology units.
§ 4 Appointment scheduling and cancellation fees
The individual appointments for sessions are agreed individually between Mag. Angelika Spies and the client. Several appointments can be planned in advance or sessions can be agreed upon flexibly from appointment to appointment.
Cancellations and postponements are free of charge 24 hours before an agreed appointment. In case of later cancellations and postponements the fee is due in full. If a unit is cancelled during the course of the session, the entire session will still be charged. If a psychological process with previously agreed appointments is cancelled, these will not be charged if cancelled on time.
§ 5 Specified conditions and fee notes
For clinical psychological online services, sales tax is not applicable in accordance with § 6 Paragraph 1 Z 19 UStG, as these services are considered curative treatments. For psychological supervision services, Mag. Angelika Spies is subject to regulations for small businesses in accordance with § 6 Paragraph 1 Z 27 UStG. Accordingly, sales tax is not shown. The prices shown at the time of the booking apply. Austrian law applies.
§ 6 Data protection and security
Information transmitted as part of psychological counselling is of highly private nature and requires special protection. All information and data entrusted to the psychologist is stored with particular care, taking into account data protection and the obligation to document and retain data. As a Clinical and Health Psychologist, Mag. Angelika Spies is obliged to maintain confidentiality about the matters entrusted to her in accordance with § 37 of the Austrian Psychologists Act 2013, BGBI. I No. 182/2013. If the online service offers the option of entering personal or business data (E-mail addresses, names, etc.), the disclosure of this data by the client is on an expressly voluntary basis. Mag. Angelika Spies is obliged to carefully store the personal data and information provided for the purpose of her psychological work and to protect it from being viewed by third parties. The clients are aware of this and agree that their personal data will be stored on data storage devices and by using GDPR compliant cloud services by the psychologist. The clients expressly agree to the collection, processing and use of their personal data to fulfill the work assignment. The data will not be passed on to third parties.
For detailed information on data protection and the use of cookies, please read the privacy policy.
Online psychology poses particular challenges for data protection. Conventional E-mail providers do not offer a particularly high level of security. Information shared there is usually transmitted unencrypted and stored on servers abroad. It can therefore not be ruled out that third parties may read it. It is therefore recommended to use an encrypted E-mail provider.
§ 7 Counselling assignment and client responsibility
The content and goal of the psychological process or the individual units are jointly agreed between the client and Mag. Angelika Spies as part of clarification of the assignment. Online psychology requires the active cooperation of the client. Both parties work to the best of their knowledge and ability to achieve a successful consultation. The choice of methods and their modification is subject to the psychologist’s decision. The client acts independently in every phase of the cooperation. He or she is fully responsible for his or her physical and mental health during the units and the process. All interventions that the client carries out during and between the units are his or her responsibility. Mag. Angelika Spies points out that clients can experience an intensification of current emotions both during clinical psychological counselling and treatment and during supervision. Clients always act independently, even if something is not understandable or feasible for them. If misunderstandings or ambiguities arise, clients are encouraged to ask Mag. Angelika Spies for more information. No claims for damages, reductions in the invoice or refunds can be made as a result.
§ 8 Acute crises
Online psychology does not replace personal clinical psychological treatment or an examination or treatment by doctors. Online psychology is not suitable in particular for acute psychological crises and severe psychological disorders; personal treatment by clinical psychologists or psychotherapists is indicated. In acute emergency situations, your doctor or the nearest hospital should be consulted. If an illness is known it should be clarified with Mag. Angelika Spies.
§ 9 Online psychology
Visiting Mag. Angelika Spies’ website and information about her range of services are free of charge. Online psychology itself in all its forms is subject to a fee based on an arranged appointment. No guarantee is given for quality deficiency and connection interruptions in the online setting, the cause of which is outside of influence of Mag. Angelika Spies. By making an appointment, the clients agree to Mag. Angelika Spies’ pricing models.
§ 10 Technical requirements for online psychology
The clients require modern technology and access to the Internet in order to be able to use the services smoothly. Mag. Angelika Spies cannot guarantee complete protection against viruses and other technical risks. In addition, the psychologist is not liable for uninterrupted or fault-free access to the services. When using the services, a considerable volume of data can be generated, which can incur costs, particularly when using mobile devices. The costs and risks of Internet data traffic are borne solely by the clients. They are advised to ensure that their own computers are adequately secured to prevent strangers from accessing sensitive data. The clients are also aware that, due to the technical conditions of the Internet, complete protection against viruses, Trojans, spyware, etc. can never be guaranteed. The use of the programs used for online psychology is free for clients and can be accessed via computer, laptop, smartphone or tablet. For the agreed units, clients are responsible to find a quiet room and to switch off all sources of interference as far as possible (E-mail program, browser, telephone, etc.). During the units, no one else should be in the room except the client, unless this has been agreed upon in advance with the psychologist. It is not permitted to make recordings (screenshots, video or audio recordings) unless this has been agreed upon with Mag. Angelika Spies. If agreed recordings are made, clients are not allowed to share them with third parties.
§ 11 Disagreements
Disagreements arising from the concluded contract and the General Terms and Conditions should be settled amicably. It is recommended that objections, complaints or differing opinions be submitted to the other contracting party in writing.
§ 12 Liability for content
The content of the website is created with utmost care and diligence. However, Mag. Angelika Spies assumes no liability for the topicality, correctness, completeness or quality of the information provided. Liability claims against Mag. Angelika Spies, which relate to damages of a material or immaterial nature caused by the use or non-use of the information provided or by the use of incorrect and incomplete information, are fundamentally excluded, unless Mag. Angelika Spies can be proven to have acted intentionally or with gross negligence. All offers are non-binding and subject to change. Mag. Angelika Spies expressly reserves the right to change, add to or delete parts of the website or the entire offer without prior notice, or to temporarily or permanently stop publication. No liability is accepted in the event that the website is unavailable at any time or for any period for any reason.
§ 13 Place of jurisdiction
For all disputes that cannot be settled by consensus, Wiener Neustadt in Austria is agreed as the place of jurisdiction. By placing an order in writing or verbally, clients agree to these terms and conditions in full. Deviations must be made in writing.
§ 14 Final provision
Mag. Angelika Spies reserves the right to make changes to the General Terms and Conditions.