Pre-Surrogacy Counselling
The Process
Australian surrogacy legislation requires that all parties to any surrogacy arrangement participate in pre-surrogacy counselling prior to the surrogacy being commenced (i.e., prior to signing the surrogacy agreement or attempting to conceive). The standard process for Pre-Surrogacy Counselling consists of the following:
Appointment 1: Individual session with the intending parent(s). Total time required: 2-3 hours.
Appointment 2: Individual session with the surrogate (and partner if relevant). Total time required: 2-3 hours.
Appointment 3: Appointments with each adult individually to report on the psychometric assessment and discuss some issues (if appropriate) with each couple. A joint counselling session with all adults. Total time required: 2-3 hours. This appointment must be scheduled for at least 1 week after the completion of appointment 1 and 2.
Further counselling sessions may be necessary if any party requests this, or at the discretion of the counsellor where issues may still require addressing. On the other hand, if any party to your surrogacy arrangement has previously undertaken surrogacy counselling/been involved in a surrogacy arrangement, please let our administration team know as adjustments to the standard counselling process may be necessary.
See a more detailed description of the Pre-Surrogacy Counselling process here.
A report will be available for your doctor/clinic and lawyers approximately two weeks after the joint counselling session, which will be forwarded to the intending parent(s) and surrogate (and partner). This report will not be provided until the completion of the full counselling process, including any additional sessions required to fulfil the counselling requirements, and until full payment has been received.
Pre-surrogacy counselling also entails personality and mental health assessment and review of all parties using standard testing procedures. Prior to the counselling sessions, IPs and surrogates will be asked to complete a registration form and a series of questions which explore the issues surrounding surrogacy. You will also be asked to complete a brief mental health assessment and a lengthier psychometric assessment (completed online). Your responses to these written questions comprise a very important component of the counselling process and may be used directly within the report. Delays in completing these documents are likely to result in the final report also being delayed.
Fees
3 x 120-minute Consultations
Including Associated Report
Total Cost: $2500**
Additional 50-minute Consultation to Complete Pre-Surrogacy Counselling
Cost: Standard Practitioner Consultation Fee**
Please see individual practitioner fees.
Additional 50-minute Consultation Requiring Additional Report
Total Cost: $300**
*Medicare rebates not available.
*Reduced consultation time will not result in fee reduction.
Booking Deposit
When you contact us to book your counselling, we require a 50% deposit to be paid within 7 days of reserving your appointments. Once a deposit payment has been received, we will contact you to confirm your bookings and provide the relevant registration documents and mental health/psychometric assessments. If a deposit payment is not received within 7 days, your appointment reservations will be removed and you will need to contact our reception to rebook.
Cancellation Fees
Our administration team is delighted to support you through your pre-surrogacy counselling booking process. However, significant administration time is needed to coordinate multiple appointments, arrange registration documents and administer mental health and personality assessments. Therefore, cancellation of pre-surrogacy counselling appointments following the administration of the online psychometric assessment will incur an Administration Fee of $150.
Our standard cancellation policy applies for cancellation within 48 business hours of the appointment.
Our Pre-Surrogacy Counsellor
Narelle really knows surrogacy. Since 2010, she has supported over 100 surrogacy arrangements. She has been there with families as they prepare for surrogacy and after their babies are born – she has even been thrilled to help a few families welcome their second surrogacy baby into the world!!
Narelle has also had the quite unique experience of travelling around the world investigating the implications of cross-border surrogacy for Australian families (you can read her blog here or access the complete report she wrote for her Churchill Fellowship here) so she really understands the issues you need to consider – whether you are contemplating becoming a surrogate, or whether you are exploring using a surrogate – either in Australia or overseas. Narelle is based in Brisbane, but can offer Telehealth consultations – wherever you are based in the world.
