Office Policies
Cancellations : Confidentiality : Payment : Electronic Communication : Emergencies
Cancellations
I require 24 hours notice by telephone for cancellation of your appointment.
If I do not answer, a voice message is acceptable. I will not accept a text message or email as proper notice of cancellation.
If you miss an appointment or are unable to provide at least 24 hours notice when you cancel, I will charge you the full fee for your session unless I am able to fill the open appointment with another client.
I’m never upset with clients when they miss an appointment; I know that’s life. In return, my clients understand that scheduling an appointment with me is like buying tickets to an event. If you miss the event, it doesn’t matter why you missed it, or even if it was your first time, you can’t turn in your tickets for a refund.
This policy is for the benefit of you and your therapy. Last-minute cancellations and no-shows worsen treatment outcomes. Clear policies promote an atmosphere of respect, safety and trust, thereby releasing the possibility of deeper levels of healing and change.
If I do not answer, a voice message is acceptable. I will not accept a text message or email as proper notice of cancellation.
If you miss an appointment or are unable to provide at least 24 hours notice when you cancel, I will charge you the full fee for your session unless I am able to fill the open appointment with another client.
I’m never upset with clients when they miss an appointment; I know that’s life. In return, my clients understand that scheduling an appointment with me is like buying tickets to an event. If you miss the event, it doesn’t matter why you missed it, or even if it was your first time, you can’t turn in your tickets for a refund.
This policy is for the benefit of you and your therapy. Last-minute cancellations and no-shows worsen treatment outcomes. Clear policies promote an atmosphere of respect, safety and trust, thereby releasing the possibility of deeper levels of healing and change.
Confidentiality
One of the ‘active ingredients’ of psychotherapy is the freedom to discuss anything, secure in the knowledge that your privacy will be protected.
All information about a client’s psychotherapy is confidential, except in situations where there is a threat or danger to life, including neglect or abuse of a child or an elderly person, and in other limited circumstances as defined by law.
I may occasionally find it helpful to consult about a case with another professional. In such consultations, I will make every effort to avoid revealing the identity of the client. The consultant is, of course, also legally bound to keep the information confidential.
Unless you object, I will not tell you about these consultations unless I feel that it is important to our work together.
With these exceptions, my privacy policy prohibits the release of any information concerning a client to anyone without the client’s explicit and informed written authorization.
All information about a client’s psychotherapy is confidential, except in situations where there is a threat or danger to life, including neglect or abuse of a child or an elderly person, and in other limited circumstances as defined by law.
I may occasionally find it helpful to consult about a case with another professional. In such consultations, I will make every effort to avoid revealing the identity of the client. The consultant is, of course, also legally bound to keep the information confidential.
Unless you object, I will not tell you about these consultations unless I feel that it is important to our work together.
With these exceptions, my privacy policy prohibits the release of any information concerning a client to anyone without the client’s explicit and informed written authorization.
Payment
My fee is $130 for each 50 minute session, payable by cash or check at the session.
Insurance |
I do not accept any insurance. For a combination of philosophical and practical reasons, my practice is self-pay only.
If you are looking to pay for mental health services with insurance, make sure you are aware of how the process works. In order to bill insurance, a provider is required to provide a mental health diagnosis. This diagnosis will then become part of your permanent medical record. The purpose of a diagnosis is to guide treatment, but psychiatric diagnosis is imprecise and generally heavily distorted by confounding familial, cultural, financial and political factors. Any time you give authorization to release your medical record, that information will then become visible to the person or persons reading the file. This can happen when you apply for new health insurance or life insurance, but it can also happen in other situations, such as applying for certain types of jobs. A diagnosis is not the only thing that becomes part of your file; other private information is also disclosed. Insurance companies require treatment plans, progress reports, and many other types of personal information to determine what, if anything, they will cover. These details about your unique situation and healing path should remain private, but instead they are open and available to anyone with access. If you still wish to use insurance, I can provide you with a “superbill” for you to submit for possible reimbursement. Please remember that doing so means I have to provide a mental health diagnosis as described above, and that it is up to the insurance company if or how much they will reimburse you. Some clients use their Health Savings Account to pay for therapy. If you have an FSA or MSA, you will need to check to see if this is allowed and what documentation is required. Again, I can provide a superbill if you need documentation, but I have to include a mental health diagnosis. |
Electronic communication
If you prefer to communicate via email or text messaging for issues regarding scheduling (except cancellations), I will do so.
I cannot ensure the confidentiality of any form of communication through electronic media, including text messages. You are also advised that any email sent to me via a work computer is legally accessible by an employer.
While I will try to return messages in a timely manner, I cannot guarantee immediate response and request that you do not use these methods of communication to discuss therapeutic content and/or request assistance for emergencies.
I am ethically and legally obligated to maintain records of each time we meet, talk on the phone, or correspond via electronic communication such as email or text messaging. These records include a brief synopsis of the conversation along with any observations or plans for the next meeting. A judge can subpoena your records for a variety of reasons, and if this happens, I must comply.
I cannot ensure the confidentiality of any form of communication through electronic media, including text messages. You are also advised that any email sent to me via a work computer is legally accessible by an employer.
While I will try to return messages in a timely manner, I cannot guarantee immediate response and request that you do not use these methods of communication to discuss therapeutic content and/or request assistance for emergencies.
I am ethically and legally obligated to maintain records of each time we meet, talk on the phone, or correspond via electronic communication such as email or text messaging. These records include a brief synopsis of the conversation along with any observations or plans for the next meeting. A judge can subpoena your records for a variety of reasons, and if this happens, I must comply.
Emergencies
In the event of an emergency, for yourself or someone else, do not contact me, but rather call 911 or go to your nearest emergency room.
What to Do In a Mental Health Emergency
Most of the time, mental health emergencies involve the threat of suicide or the occurrence of an actual suicide attempt. Other types of mental health emergency may involve the threat of harm to another person. Friends, family and neighbors are often confused about what to do in the event of such an emergency because they do not know whom to call for help. Most mental health professionals are not equipped to handle emergencies in their private offices. It is extremely important that threats of suicide be taken seriously. This is especially true if the threats have been voiced repeatedly or the person is inebriated or under the influence of drugs. It is a dangerous myth to believe that suicide threats are harmless attempts to get attention. When someone is in the midst of a severe emotional crisis characterized by suicidal or homicidal intent it is unlikely that they will willingly go to the emergency room even if accompanied by a friend or family member. It is most often necessary to call emergency services by dialing 911, and to report that someone is in danger of attempting suicide or has already swallowed pills, cut themselves or done something life threatening. Police and EMT workers will assess the situation and decide whether or not the person needs hospitalization. If the threat is deemed as serious as the phone call indicated, they will bring the patient to the hospital emergency room, where they will undergo further evaluation and wait until arrangements are made at a local psychiatric facility. Once moved to a psychiatric hospital, the patient will be medicated and stabilized until the crisis has passed. The treatment usually includes meetings with the psychiatrist and attendance at group psychotherapy sessions. Once the patient is deemed safe the psychiatric hospital will generally return the person home with medication and with recommendations for continued treatment. This process includes meetings with the family members of the patient. |