Intake and consent forms
Counselling consent form: what it must cover in South Africa
A counselling consent form in South Africa has to do more than collect a signature. It is the record that your client understood what they were agreeing to, and it is the first document anyone will ask for if something is later disputed.
This guide explains what informed consent means, what the form should cover, and how consent works for minors. It is general information for practitioners and not legal advice.
3 October 2026 · 8 min read
What is informed consent in counselling?
Informed consent is a process, and the form is the record of it. The client needs to understand what counselling involves, what its limits are, what it costs and what happens to their information. They need to agree freely, and they need to be able to change their mind.
So what is a consent form for counselling? It is the written summary of that conversation. A client who signs a page they haven’t read has given a signature, not consent. Go through the main points in the first session, even when the form was signed online beforehand.
In South Africa the duty comes from several places: the National Health Act, which requires that a health care user be informed and consent to a service; the HPCSA’s ethical guidelines on seeking patients’ informed consent (Booklet 4); and POPIA, which governs the personal information you collect.
What a counselling consent form should cover
| Section | What to say |
|---|---|
| Who you are | Your name, registration category and HPCSA registration number, and your scope of practice |
| What counselling involves | The nature of the service, session length, and that outcomes can’t be guaranteed |
| Confidentiality and its limits | What stays private, and when you may or must disclose: serious risk of harm, a court order, or a legal reporting duty such as child abuse |
| Fees and payment | Your fee per session, when payment is due, and who is responsible if a medical aid doesn’t pay |
| Cancellations | Your notice period and what a late cancellation or missed session costs |
| Online sessions | That sessions may happen by video, the limits of that, and what happens if the connection drops |
| Records and personal information | What you record, how it is stored, who can see it and how long it is kept |
| Contact between sessions | How to reach you, your response time, and what to do in a crisis |
| Signature | Client’s name, signature and date, and yours |
If a client claims from a medical aid, say so in the form: the scheme receives a diagnosis code with the claim. Many clients don’t realise this, and it is part of what they are consenting to.
POPIA and the consent form
People often search for a “POPIA consent form for a psychologist” as if it were a separate document. In practice the POPIA wording can sit inside your consent form, as long as it is clear. Health information is “special personal information” under POPIA and needs careful handling.
Your form should tell the client:
- What information you collect and why
- Who it may be shared with, such as a medical scheme, a referring doctor or a supervisor
- How it is stored and protected
- How long it is kept (see our guide to HPCSA record keeping)
- That they can ask to see their information and ask for corrections
Keep consent to marketing separate. If you want to email clients a newsletter, that needs its own opt-in, and it should never be bundled with consent to treatment.
Is there an HPCSA informed consent form template?
The HPCSA publishes ethical guidelines on informed consent, but it does not issue a standard form that makes a practice compliant. Any “HPCSA informed consent form template” you find online, including ours, is a starting point written by someone else. You remain responsible for making sure it reflects how you practise.
That is why the free template below is editable. Change the fee section to your fees, the cancellation section to your policy, and have the final version checked.
Age of consent for counselling in South Africa
This is the question practitioners are least sure about. The age of majority is 18. Below that, the Children’s Act 38 of 2005 allows a child to consent to their own medical treatment from the age of 12, provided the child is mature enough to understand the benefits, risks and implications of the treatment.
How that applies to counselling and psychological services depends on the child, the service and the circumstances. In most private practice settings a parent or guardian is involved: they usually make the booking, pay the account and need to understand the limits of what you will tell them.
A therapy consent form for minors should therefore have:
- Consent from a parent or guardian, with their relationship to the child stated
- The child’s own assent, in words they understand
- A clear statement of what the parent will and won’t be told
- Where parents are separated, a note of who holds parental responsibilities and rights
Check before you rely on it
Consent for minors is a legal question with real consequences. Confirm your approach against the Children’s Act and the HPCSA’s guidance, and take advice if the parents disagree with each other.
Getting it signed before the first session
A consent form signed in the waiting room is signed in a hurry. Send it when the client books, so they can read it at home and arrive with questions.
For online sessions this matters even more, because there is no waiting room. And once it is signed, the form belongs on the client’s file where you can find it again.
Common questions
Does a consent form have to be signed on paper?
No. A form completed and signed electronically can serve as the record, provided you can show who signed it and when. Keep the signed copy on the client’s file.
Do I need a new consent form for online sessions?
You need the client’s consent to the use of video specifically. That can be a section in your main form or a separate one. See our guide to the HPCSA telehealth guidelines.
How often should consent be renewed?
Whenever something material changes: your fees, the way sessions are delivered, or who is involved in the work. Many practitioners also review it at the start of each year.
This article is general information, not legal advice. Have your consent form reviewed against POPIA, the Children’s Act and the HPCSA’s ethical guidelines before you use it.
Sources
In Wholistic
Collect signed consent online before the first session.
Clients complete and sign online, and their file creates itself with the signed PDF attached.
See intake and consent forms