Website Terms & Conditions
Introduction
Hello! This website, www.drdaniellearabena.com, is owned and operated by Dr Danielle Arabena ABN: 74 963 249 846. If you have any questions or need further information, please contact me via email: admin@drdaniellearabena.com.
This document sets out the Terms and Conditions you need to be aware of when using this website. Please take a moment to read them, as they set out your important rights and obligations and I care about making sure we both know where we stand. When you visit this website, use my services or purchase my products, you agree that you are over the age of 18 and willing to be bound by these Terms and Conditions. If you don’t accept this agreement, you should not continue to visit this website or purchase from me.
All products and services advertised on this website are offered in compliance with Australian Consumer Law.
General Disclaimer
On this website you may find blog posts, articles, instructional guides, hints, tips and information about health, wellbeing, menstruation and childbirth. This information is provided solely for your education and personal development, with the hope of empowering you to improve your health and wellbeing.
My Rights and Responsibilities
While I take every care to provide valuable information, I cannot be responsible for the use that you make of that information. Please be aware that the generalised health and wellness information I provide is never a substitute for specialist medical advice tailored to your individual circumstances.
There is no professional relationship formed between us unless you explicitly choose to work with me by purchasing my services or products.
Any testimonials and promised results I may display on this website are based on my experience and those of my previous clients. They are not guarantees that anyone else will achieve the same results.
I may modify this information provided on this website at any time, including altering or deleting it without notice.
Visitor Responsibilities
You are expected to exercise your common sense and take responsibility for your own health, safety and well-being. I provide educational information on my website because I want to help people. If you become my client, it is my intention to hold space for you as you improve your health and step into the best version of yourself. However, it is extremely important for you to take full responsibility for the choices that you make and the actions that you take. This means conducting your own research and ensuring that you are fully informed before implementing any information that you find here. If you have any concerns or are not sure about whether a particular course of action is best for you, it is essential that you consult your usual doctor or other medical specialists before taking action.
Downloads
From time to time I may offer files for you to download, or for sale, including pdfs and mp3s. I take every care to ensure that these files are safe at the time when I upload them. However, please exercise care for your own safety and ensure you have an up-to-date virus scanner and internet security in place before downloading. I am not responsible for viruses or other damage which might occur as a result of downloading material from my site.
External Links
I may feature external links to sites that I believe share worthwhile information or are otherwise complimentary to my work. I am not responsible for the content of any other site that may be linked. If you find a broken link, please help me out by letting me know.
My Products and Services
I provide the following products and services:
- Holistic Pelvic Care™
- Shamanic Holistic Healing
- Menstrual Wellness Consults
- 13 Moons Medicine™ Meditation Albums
- 13 Moons Medicine™ Aromatherapy and Herbal Products
- Counselling Services
- General Wellness Consults
- Birth Education Services
- Menstrual Education workshops
- Women’s circles
- Shamanic Womancraft workshops
- Workshops
My products and services are predominantly geared towards women interested in holistic health and wellness, who want to reclaim and understand the spiritual aspects of life, birth, and their bodies. Together, we explore the boundaries between spiritual and physical embodiment. I also welcome everyone (fathers, mothers and partners) to debrief after the birth of a new child, or access counselling or wellness consultations.
I believe this to be very powerful healing work, and I see myself as continuing the strong healing traditions of both my Torres Strait Islander heritage and my training in modern medical practice. My mission is to help women and families to compassionately heal themselves as they honour their sacred path through major crossroads or turning points in their lives. My aim is to hold space for this process as you birth a new version of you by clearing and healing ancestral patterns, increasing your understanding of your body, optimising menstruation, menopause, pregnancy and postpartum recovery, preparing your families for childbirth and to helping you process your experiences after you welcome a new soul into the world.
PLEASE NOTE: When I provide these products and services I am NOT acting as your medical doctor or General Practitioner (GP). These are designed as complementary alternative services and they are not a substitute for specialist medical, gynaecological or psychological care. I am happy to co-ordinate with the other health professionals who are treating you as an important part of your health and wellness team.
These products and services are NOT suitable for you if you have a diagnosis of a serious mental illness. I reserve the right to terminate our professional relationship should it become evident that I am not the best person to fulfil your needs. In these circumstances, I will return you to the care of your usual doctor and recommend that you get a referral to a counsellor or a psychologist, as I cannot activate a mental health care plan or provide you with specialist assistance.
Holistic Pelvic Care
I am trained in holistic pelvic care™ (HPC) by its inventor, Tami Kent (www.wildfeminine.com). HPC works on the physical and energetic aspects of the pelvic bowl space. It includes gentle intervaginal massage to assess pelvic musculature health. Further treatments may include internal vaginal massage focusing on myofascial release and trigger points, instruction in pelvic muscles and breathing exercises, visualisations, rectal assessment, massage and other techniques as needed. HPC is a powerful treatment and can assist with psychological disassociation or numbing in the pelvic area after experiencing trauma or sexual assault, release of energetic patterns, grief, post-partum issues and menstrual irregularities. If you have a previous history of trauma, please ensure you have an established relationship with a counsellor whom you trust to support you before you commence this work. Even though HPC is quite subtle, it can bring up repressed trauma or trigger issues so please do make sure you have emotional support available afterwards.
HPC can be done while menstruating. However, I will not perform internal HPC if you are pregnant or think you may be pregnant. You can have a HPC treatment at eight weeks post-partum and can have external energetic work while pregnant to help prepare for your delivery. I reserve the right to err on the side of safety and may decline to perform a treatment if I feel there is any risk.
Shamanic Healing
I use a combination of reiki, massage and Earth-centred shamanic techniques to work on your energetic body, either in person or at a distance using phone, Zoom or Skype. Please wear loose, non-restrictive clothing and ensure that you are in a private location where you will not be disturbed, if our consultation is online or by phone.
Menstrual Wellness Consulting
We begin by investigating your menstrual history and feeling into the energy of your body. We may also undertake some shamanic work to uncover what your menstrual cycle is revealing about your health and wellness. We then create a tailored holistic plan to improve your menstrual cycle and rebalance and restore your relationship with your womb. Please be aware that you will need to provide me with information about your experience with menstruation, including any surgeries, medical history which may include gynaecological, sexual and obstetric history, symptoms and main concerns. Your consultation will be more effective if you prepare this information in advance and bring it with you.
13 Moons Medicine™ Meditations
I provide guided meditation albums using drumming and meditones to help you reconnect with your body, the earth and your higher self. These albums are available online as digital downloads. These meditation albums must be downloaded to a computer and then synced to a device. They will not download directly to a device due to file size. Please follow the instructions in the accompanying booklets.
Meditones are UNSUITABLE FOR PEOPLE SUFFERING EPILEPSY
13 Moons Medicine ™ Aromatherapy & Herbal Products
These aromatherapy and herbal blends are made in small batches using shamanic ritual. As a result, they are only available in limited numbers and released from time to time. Interested purchasers should sign up for my newsletter, where I will let you know via my email list or via social media when they become available. They will be sold on a strictly first come, first served basis. The womb alchemy oil cannot be used during pregnancy as it contains Clary sage, which is a uterotonic, meaning it can cause contractions of the uterus. It is a perfect oil to use during labour.
As with any oil or cream-based product, I recommend that you do a small patch test on the skin to ensure there are no sensitivities before using.
Counselling Services
During the initial consultation I will conduct an assessment to gain an understanding of your concerns and difficulties as well as your goals and expectations. I will use a combination of psychological therapies and energetic work to hold space for you while we develop new insights and understanding to current or past difficulties, and develop strategies to enhance your wellbeing,
Birth Education Services
I provide birth education services for both women and men combining the evidence based work of the first 1000 days, my medical education, my work as a graduate of the School of Shamanic Womancraft, and my work as a healer, with the aim to bring spiritual and whole health aspects and rituals back into birth for the benefit of the whole family.
Through Birth Alchemy™ I offer various workshops including meditation sessions, group work and connections for sacred birth – a shamanic journey for parents to connect with their baby,
I also work with parents in the post-natal period to help them debrief and work with their own and their babies’ birth stories, giving both women and men an opportunity to process, integrate and ground their experience of giving birth.
Workshops
I offer a range of live workshops, including women’s circles, birth drum alchemy workshops, Menstruation Alchemy™ and birth education.
My Qualifications
As a medical doctor, I am bound by strict codes of ethics and conduct – and in particular the principle of “do no harm”. All of the products and services I offer are based on extensive research around the most recent evidence-based reviews. I also enjoy constantly improving and expanding my skills through ongoing professional development. My qualifications for providing the services I offer include:
- RACGP fellow – consultant
- level 2 mental health counselling
- currently enrolled in diploma of aromatherapy with subset of aromatic medicine
- currently enrolled in certificate course of women’s herbal medicine
- Bachelor of Medicine / Bachelor of Surgery
- Bachelor of Nursing
- Bachelor of Business & Communications
- Reiki mastership
- numerous certificates in massage
- Infant Massage instructor
- Holistic Pelvic Care™ certification
- graduate of the School of Shamanic Womancraft
- First 1000 Days short course – Indigenous birthing knowledge from pre-conception to two years of age, and
- as a medical and cultural educator, I teach Indigenous health to General Practitioner registrars and lead an Indigenous health training team.
Very Important Information
When you work with me, we are not entering into a doctor / patient relationship. I am assisting you to focus on your health and wellbeing using a combination of preventative health measures and alternative complementary treatments. I am NOT acting as your doctor, and the information and treatment advice that I give you does NOT replace the need to consult with your own doctor. I highly recommend that you do not commence working with me unless you have a good relationship with a General Practioner (GP) that you trust. If you have a history of trauma, I also recommend ensuring you have access to a counsellor whom you are comfortable talking to before we begin our treatment, as sometimes deeply buried emotions can arise which are beyond the scope of my service and I cannot support you through. If these feelings do arise following a session and your normal counsellor is unavailable, please call a publicly available counselling service such as Beyond Blue (1300 224 636) or Lifeline (13 11 14) for immediate assistance.
When working with me 1:1, it is your responsibility to be honest with me and give me your full personal medical history, so I can tailor your treatment to suit your needs. As already mentioned, it is important that you have the support of a General Practitioner (GP) in place and that you do any follow up care that I may recommend.
If you want to see results, it is strongly recommended that you do your ‘homework’ and implement the preventative care strategies and recommendations that I provide. However, it is also crucial that you listen to what is right for you and your body. If at any stage you feel my advice is not aligned to your needs, then don’t follow it – talk to me about it instead. In doing this work, we act together in partnership, and both of us need to work together towards our shared goal of improving your health.
I may offer to make an aromatherapy or herbal blend for you, to support specific needs that arise during counselling or other services. These blends will incur an additional cost including a postage and handling fee. Costs will be advised at the time of your session.
Please tell me immediately if you are pregnant or trying to fall pregnant, especially if your treatment involves intervaginal massage as we may need to modify the service I provide accordingly. If you are pregnant you cannot use 13 Moons Medicine™ Womb Alchemy oil as it contains Clary Sage which can cause uterine contractions.
Even though working therapeutically together can form strong bonds, unfortunately I am unable to be friends with you on Facebook or other social media channels. Due to professional restrictions around advertising, you cannot leave reviews or testimonials for my work as a medical doctor on my social media pages, and any comments of that kind will be removed. I may, however, ask for testimonials for workshops or healing sessions that I will put on my website or social media. Thank you for your understanding.
After Your Session
Please plan to be gentle with yourself for rest of day. Big energetic shifts are likely to be happening, so factor in time to rest and nourish yourself allowing the process to integrate before going back into the world.
If I have given you suggestions for appropriate follow up, I highly recommend you do them conscientiously. I would not like to see you suffer unnecessarily due to neglecting your self-care. I may ask you to send me a quick check in via email after one week, to let me know how you are going post treatment.
If you experience anything that concerns you or is causing you pain, please do not delay in seeking medical advice, or counselling. If your own counsellor is not available, you may wish to call Beyond Blue (1300 224 636) or Lifeline (13 11 14).
If you have purchased products from me, use them strictly according to the label and do not use them in ways that are not intended. For example, all aromatherapy products are for external application only. Do not use them internally (and this includes inside your vagina.)
Finally, please understand that deep work can take time and may not be fixed in one session. It is quite common to need additional treatments before you experience significant shifts. At your first session, we will develop a treatment plan together, and I ask that you commit to seeing the plan through in order to give yourself the best chance of a healthy relationship with your body.
Intellectual Property
The content of this website is protected by copyright. No portion of this website may be copied or replicated in any form without my written consent.
I own the registered and unregistered trademarks in:
- my logo
- 13 Moons Medicine™
- Sacred Birth Meditones™
- Birthing Alchemy™
- Menstruation Alchemy™
- Birth Alchemy™
- Birth Drum Alchemy™
You may not use these marks for any purpose without my express permission.
Payment Terms
I accept payment by PayPal or bank deposit at time of booking. I do not take your bank account or credit card details. All transactions are governed by PayPal or your bank’s terms of use. Payment is required in advance to secure your booking time, and I also believe it helps us to honour the commitment to our contracted time together.
I may occasionally agree to enter into payment plans on an individual one-off basis depending on your circumstances. Please email me to enquire.
Please be aware, these treatments DO NOT attract a Medicare or private health insurance rebate and therefore private billing is required for in person, skype, zoom or phone consultations.
Shipping of Products
If you purchase physical products, such as 13 Moons Medicine™ Aromatherapy & Herbal blends, shipping charges will be advised at the time of purchase.
Purchase of 13 Moons Medicine™ Meditation albums are delivered as downloadable files.
PLEASE NOTE: Albums must be downloaded onto a computer FIRST, then synced to a phone or other device. Limited tech support is available if an album fails to download. However, please first ensure that your browser, app and iTunes are all up to date before contacting techsupport@drdaniellearabena.com.
Delivery of Consultations
Consultations are held face to face in my clinic, or online via Skype, Zoom or phone. You will be provided with appropriate address and contact details at the time of booking.
For online calls, please ensure that you have a reliable internet or phone connection.
Please be aware that I run a very busy practice. It is very important that you are available and ready to begin at the agreed time for our consultation. If you are late for your appointment, your total consultation will be shorter and will finish at the originally scheduled time, so that I do not run late for my other appointments. If you are more than 15 minutes late, this is considered to be a missed appointment. Your appointment time will be forfeited and no refunds given. If there is an emergency, please contact me prior to the scheduled appointment time, so I can offer an alternative arrangement at my discretion.
Refund Policy
In the event that I have to cancel a workshop or consultation (if minimum numbers are not met, or unforeseeable circumstances occur) you will receive a full refund. I will advise you, either by email, message or telephone call, prior to the scheduled workshop or consultation.
Please note that in the event of cancellation I will not be responsible for any other costs other than the consultation or workshop payment.
Due to the nature of my business and busy schedule, I am unable to accommodate multiple requests to reschedule. If you need to change your appointment time you can do so as a once off, up 48 hours prior to your appointment time, with no charge. If you need to change the time again or provide me with less than 48 hours notice, you may incur a service fee of 30% of your payment. You agree that this is reasonable, as I have held the scheduled slot open for you and due to your late notice, I am not able to book another client in that time. If you wish to cancel your appointment, you must provide me with 48 hours notice in order to receive a full refund. If you miss a session without notifying me in advance, or are more than 15 minutes late, the appointment is forfeited and there will be no refund.
If you notify me that you wish to cancel your attendance at a Workshop at least 48 hours prior to the scheduled start time, you will receive a full refund. If you provide less than 48 hours notice, I will offer you credit towards a future workshop, minus a 30% service fee. This will only happen once. Further cancellations with less than 48 hours notice will result in your full fee being forfeit. You agree that this is reasonable and necessary in order to cover the costs involved in preparing for the workshop and running it at less than capacity.
If you need to cancel a consultation or workshop with less than 48 hours notice due to emergency circumstances, I may choose to waive the service fee or offer an alternative arrangement at my sole discretion.
Consumer Guarantees
If there is a minor problem with my products or services, such as a failed download or the internet going down during an online call, I will resend the product or reschedule the call.
If there is a major problem, as defined under Australian Consumer Law, I will refund your payment to you minus any PayPal fees that I have incurred.
Results of treatment are extremely personal and will vary between individuals due to your unique history, health and personal circumstances. Accordingly, any benefits mentioned in connection with my products or services are aspirational only and indicative of what may be achieved based on my experience and that of past clients. No results of any kind are guaranteed. While I will do my best to deliver high quality products and services, it is a condition of purchase that you agree I cannot be held responsible for products or treatments that do not meet your expectations, are not “successful” or that do not achieve the results you desire.
Visitor Information
Visitors to this website are asked to behave in a respectful manner. All comments are moderated, and comments that are rude, offensive or otherwise unacceptable will be deleted.
I may invite guest bloggers to post on my website, or feature interviews with guests on my podcast, or invite a co-facilitator to assist at a workshop. All content shared by these guests is their own and I have no responsibility for the opinions that they express.
Jurisdiction & Dispute Resolution
These terms and conditions and any contracts entered into under them are subject to the governing law of Queensland, Australia.
If any issue or complaint arises out of your use of this website, these terms and conditions, or any purchase of my products or services, you agree to make a genuine effort to resolve the dispute with me personally, through negotiation and discussion.
If we are unable to resolve a dispute by negotiation and discussion within 14 days, we agree to proceed to mediation with the assistance of an independent accredited mediator, and to share the costs of mediation equally between us.
Litigation is to be considered a last resort and may not be commenced until, in the opinion of the independent mediator, the potential for negotiation and mediation have been exhausted.