Insurance for Counsellors
- Compare quotes from leading New Zealand insurance providers
- Buy online instantly- no paperwork required
- Tailored policies to suit your profession needs
Why do Counsellors need Insurance?
Your role as a counsellor involves interacting with clients in an intimate and personal environment. Your clients seek your expert advice and wisdom when it comes to seeking guidance on a whole variety of topics and issues.
As a counsellor you have a major responsibility of not only protecting your clients but your business too. There’s always a risk for things to go wrong, and a claim could have a crippling impact on your finances and your reputation.
Business insurance is there to protect your counselling business, providing cover for Public Liability, Professional Indemnity, Business Insurance and Cyber Liability for example.
Did you know?
You may be required to have a minimum level of Professional Indemnity insurance in place to become a member of certain industry councils, bodies and boards?
Insurance for Counsellors
While you may be busy looking after your clients and their wellbeing, it is also important to make time to ensure your counselling business is being looked after too. That’s why it is vital to spend time understanding what kinds of business insurances can help safeguard your business for the long run, and which ones may be even a requirement in some instances.
These are some of the different types of business insurances you may need to consider when working as a counsellor.
Professional Indemnity insurance*
Professional Indemnity (PI) insurance is an important form of protection for businesses that provide
specialist services or professional advice. It is designed to respond to claims against your business for
losses as a result of actual or alleged negligent acts or omissions in the provision of your professional
service or advice. PI Insurance will also assist with the legal costs associated with responding to or
managing claims which are covered by the policy.
While you may be careful in the professional services and advice that you provide, the reality is, a Professional Indemnity claim can occur when you least expect it. Here are some examples of the common scenarios when a Professional Indemnity insurance claim may arise:
- Accidentally making an unintentional mistake
- Mistaking or overlooking a crucial bit of information
- Client misunderstanding your advice and experiencing a financial loss as a result
What does Professional Indemnity insurance typically cover you for?
- Damages and claimant costs awarded against you
- Civil liabilities which may arise from but are not limited to:
- Providing misleading or negligent advice
- Breach of duty (confidentiality and other privacy issues)
- Defamation, libel or slander
- The loss or damage to documents
- Infringement to intellectual property (including copyright infringement)
- Related defence and legal costs of a claim
- The costs involved with investigating a claim including those by a professional body
- The cost of responding to a disciplinary inquiry
- Court attendance costs
- Public relations costs
- Bodily injury or illness caused from the professional services covered under the policy
What does Professional Indemnity insurance typically NOT provide cover for?
- Intentional damage
- Any claims or circumstances that are known prior to the period of insurance
- Acts of fraud and dishonesty
- Accidental injury and property damage
Protect your business today.
Why do counsellors need Professional Indemnity Insurance?
Professional Indemnity insurance is one of the main types of business you may need to consider, and if you’re just starting out you may need to have your policy in place before you utter those first words of advice to your client.
It may be a requirement by certain industry body and boards to have in order to become a member. A minimum level of cover is often stipulated so make sure you check what this is when sorting out your cover.
Public Liability Insurance*
Public Liability insurance is designed to provide protection for you and your business in the event a
customer, supplier or a member of the public are injured (and not covered by the Accident Compensation Commission (ACC) ) or sustain property damage as a result of your negligent business activities.
What does Public Liability insurance typically cover?
- Compensation for accidental damage to third party property
- Compensation for personal injury or death to third parties where the ACC does not provide cover
- Legal and defence costs
What is typically NOT covered by Public Liability insurance?
- Injury to your employees
- Damage to your own property
- Compensation for personal injury whereby cover is provided by the ACC
- Known claims and circumstances
Why do Counsellors need to consider Public Liability Insurance?
Not only does it provide some much needed peace of mind, it may also be a requirement when working on certain contracts or within a medical/health facility. Even if you practice from home, Public Liability insurance is there as a safeguard in the event that a client or supplier does accidentally injure themselves or damages their personal property while on your business premises.
Business Insurance*
Business Insurance is an insurance package designed to provide cover for your business contents, stock, tools and commercial premises when an insured event occurs (such as fire, storm, theft or even accidental damage). A Business Insurance policy can also cover your portable equipment, and loss of revenue due to business interruption in specified circumstances.
Business Insurance covers a variety of different risks, some types of cover which you may need to consider when protecting your counselling business include:
- Building insurance*– Covers physical loss or damage to your insured buildings as a result of an insured event (such as fire, storm, flood and other perils).
- Contents insurance*– A Business Insurance policy covers physical loss or damage to your insured contents as a result of insured perils. Contents also includes, but is not limited to, cover for; Glass, Transit (of insured property within NZ), Money, Equipment Breakdown, Refrigerated Goods, Theft, Employee Effects, Seasonal Stock Increases.
- Portable Equipment insurance*– Covers you for loss and damage to your tools and equipment due to theft, fire and other perils listed in the wording, anywhere in New Zealand.
Cyber Liability Insurance*
Working closely and constantly with sensitive medical information about your clients online, means it’s important that you have the right measures in place to keep it protected and secure. This is where Cyber Liability insurance can help.
Cyber Liability insurance covers you for losses from claims arising from data breaches, business interruption and remediation costs following an actual or threatened data breach.
*This information is a general guide only and does not take into account your objectives, financial situation or needs. As with any insurance, cover will be subject to the terms, conditions and exclusions contained in the policy wording. The information contained on this web page is general only and should not be relied upon as advice. BizCover Limited is owned by BizCover Pty Ltd (ABN 68 127 707 975)
Need Help?
Visit our Contact Us page, where you can find out how to get in touch with one of our business insurance professionals.
You can also access quick links to our self-service portal, where you can download your Certificate of Currency, update your payment details, amend your cover and download your policy documents.