What you are agreeing to.

What the service is

New Ground is a health booking platform that lets you find and book mental health services with licensed professionals. The current service is online therapy sessions with a psychologist registered with the Philippine Professional Regulation Commission, held over video. Mental health testing and certification is arranged separately, by message.

Medical consultations, prescriptions and emergency care are not available through New Ground, and it is not a substitute for urgent care. New Ground does not provide real-time or emergency support between appointments.

Sessions are for adults

Sessions booked through New Ground are for adults aged 18 and over. If you are enquiring on behalf of someone younger, write to us and we will suggest a suitable service.

Confidentiality, and its limits

What you discuss with your psychologist is confidential. There are narrow exceptions:

• a serious and immediate risk to your life, or to someone else’s
• a child or vulnerable person at risk of harm
• where a court order or the law requires disclosure
• where you ask us in writing to share something with somebody

Your psychologist will go through these with you in the first session, and will tell you if any of them ever comes up.

Records

Your psychologist keeps clinical records of your care, because the profession requires it. What the website itself stores, where it is stored and who else is involved is set out in full in our privacy notice.

Sessions happen over video

You need somewhere private and a stable internet connection. If the video drops, your psychologist will call or message you, and you will not lose the session. Online is not right for everyone, or for every difficulty. If the psychologist thinks you would do better in person, or with a different kind of service, they will say so and help you find it.

Fees

Prices are shown in full before you book, in Philippine pesos. Each session is booked and paid for separately. You are not required to book more than one session, and no card details are kept. A first session is ₱2,500; follow-up sessions are ₱2,000. Mental Health Testing & Certification is ₱1,500 to ₱2,500 depending on the certificate, and is booked as an initial consultation. Confirm which assessment you need before arranging it. Some purposes call for tests that are not available through New Ground, or for an assessment done in person.

Rescheduling or cancelling

Sessions are billed at the price shown when you book. Cancel at least 24 hours before your session for a full refund. If you cancel with less than 24 hours’ notice or miss your session without letting us know, you may be charged the full session fee.

You can reschedule up to twice using the link in your confirmation email, provided you do so at least 24 hours before your session. For cancellations, a third reschedule, or any change within 24 hours, please contact us by WhatsApp or email.

Refunds go back the way you paid and take a few days to appear. New Ground covers the payment-processing fee, so it is not deducted from your refund.

If your psychologist ever has to reschedule a session, you choose: another time, or a full refund.

Your rights as a client

You can:

• ask what a method is, why it is being used, and what else you could try
• say no to anything, at any point, including a session you are already in
• stop altogether, without giving a reason
• ask to be referred to a psychologist somewhere else
• ask what is in your records
• complain, to us or to the Professional Regulation Commission

Complaints and feedback

We welcome feedback. If something concerns you, tell us by email or WhatsApp and we will look into it and answer. You do not have to come to us first: the Professional Regulation Commission licenses every psychologist in the country and can act without us being involved. Each psychologist’s registration numbers are on their profile on the psychologists page.

In an emergency

New Ground does not provide emergency or crisis support, and messages are not monitored outside service hours. If you are in immediate danger, call 911. The National Center for Mental Health crisis line answers at any hour, free, on 1553 from a landline, (02) 7989 8727 or 0917 899 8727.

Agreeing to begin

Booking a session confirms that you have read this page and agree to how the service works. Your psychologist will go through informed consent with you at the start of your first session, and you can ask anything, or change your mind, then.

Questions before you book? Write to hello@newground.ph or message us on WhatsApp.