Busting the Consent Myth in the New Psychology Code of Conduct
There’s been a bit of chatter lately about the Psychology Board of Australia’s new Code of Conduct, coming into effect on 1 December 2025 — especially around client consent.
Word on the street is that psychologists will soon have to get new consent from every client every 12 months.
Let’s set the record straight: that’s not quite true.
So, What’s Actually Changing?
The new Code of Conduct replaces the APS Code of Ethics and sets out enforceable standards for psychologists across Australia. It’s all about ensuring client care is safe, ethical, and culturally respectful.
There are two key updates psychologists need to prepare for:
Making “reasonable arrangements to care for clients if they become unavailable” (for example, due to illness, injury, or death), and;
Informing clients of the period for which consent will be relied upon, in the absence of any major changes.
In other words, the new Code expects psychologists to tell clients how long their consent lasts — but it doesn’t dictate that consent must be renewed every 12 months. That’s entirely up to you.
Busting the 12-Month Consent Myth
Here’s the part causing confusion:
Some practitioners have interpreted the new Code to mean that consent must be refreshed annually. The actual wording, however, says psychologists must “inform clients of the period for which consent will be relied upon, in the absence of significant changes.”
That means you can decide whether that period is 12 months, two years, or five years — as long as your policy is clear and your clients understand it.
If you choose to make consent valid for 12 months, that’s fine — but it’s your choice, not a mandatory requirement.
What This Means for Your Practice
Here’s what psychologists will need to do before December:
Update your consent forms and policies to state how long consent is valid for.
Communicate this clearly to clients — for example, within your intake or consent form wording.
Have a simple plan in place for client care continuity if you become unavailable (for example, who will step in and how records will be managed).
That’s it. No annual consent scramble required.
Where Offsiters Comes In
Our VAs have already mapped out the most efficient ways to keep everything compliant — from consent wording to record-keeping and continuity planning — so your systems stay smooth and stress-free.
With the right processes in place, you’ll be fully covered under the new Code without adding to your admin load.
📌 The Bottom Line
The new Code of Conduct is about clarity, not extra paperwork. You get to decide how long consent lasts — just make sure your clients know what that period is and that your processes reflect it.
If you’ve heard otherwise, consider this myth officially busted.
Want help?
Both Halaxy and Zanda have already implemented features to help psychologists manage consent and continuity requirements under the new Code.
If you’d like to know how these tools can simplify things for your practice, reach out — we’re happy to point you in the right direction.