APPOINTMENTS AND CANCELLATIONS

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Clients who wish to cancel or reschedule an appointment, are asked to do so at least 24 hours in advance. You will be responsible for the entire fee if  cancellation is less than 24 hours. You will be required to call or text me in order to cancel your appointment. More than two consecutive

cancellation notices could result in the loss of a reserved time for a weekly or bi monthly appointment, if one exists. The standard meeting time for psychotherapy is 50 minutes. It is up to you, however, to determine the length of time of your sessions. Requests to change the 50-minute session needs to

be discussed with the therapist in order for time to be scheduled in advance. If you are late for an appointment, we will still end at the regularly scheduled time and you will be responsible for payment of the full session. No adjustments are made for shorter appointments unless agreed

upon.​

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TELEPHONE ACCESSIBILITY

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If you need to contact me between sessions, please leave a

message on my voice mail or text me. I am often not immediately available; however, I will attempt to return your call within 24 hours. Please note that

face-to-face sessions are preferable to distance counseling sessions. However, in the event that you are out of town, sick or need additional support, phone sessions are available. If a true emergency situation arises, please call 911 or any local emergency room.

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SOCIAL MEDIA AND TELECOMMUNICATION

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Due to the importance of your confidentiality and the importance of minimizing dual relationships, I do not accept friend or contact requests from current or former clients on any social networking site (Facebook,

LinkedIn, etc). I believe that adding clients as friends or contacts on these sites can compromise your confidentiality and our respective privacy. It may also blur the boundaries of our therapeutic relationship. If you have questions about this, please bring them up when we meet and we can talk more about it.

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ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATION

 

I cannot ensure the confidentiality of any form of communication through electronic media, including text messages. If you prefer to communicate

via email or text messaging for issues regarding scheduling or cancellations, I will do so. While I may 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. Services by electronic means, including but not limited to telephone communication, the Internet, facsimile machines, and e-mail is considered telemedicine by the State of Texas. If we chose to use information technology for some or all of your treatment, you need to understand that: (1) You retain the option to withhold or withdraw consent at any time without affecting the right to future care or treatment or risking the loss or withdrawal of any program benefits to which you would otherwise be entitled. (2) All existing confidentiality protections are equally applicable. (3) Your access to all medical information transmitted during a telemedicine consultation is guaranteed, and copies of this information are available for a reasonable fee. (4) Dissemination of any of your identifiable images or information from the telemedicine interaction to researchers or other entities shall not occur without your consent.

 

MINORS

 

If you are a minor, your parents may be legally entitled to some information about your therapy. I will discuss with you and your parents what information is appropriate for them to receive and which issues are more appropriately kept confidential.

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NON-SUBPOENA CLAUSE

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The process of therapy depends on trust and openness during the therapy sessions. Therefore, clients are not to subpoena me, my supervisor, or my records for a deposition or court hearing of any kind for any reason. Information given or received during a therapy session is not to be used

for or against any party in a court or judicial setting of any kind. In the event that I am subpoenaed despite this policy, the client will be charged $400 per hour ($150 for me and $250 for my supervisor - see Informed Consent for Services Provided by a Counselor Under Supervision release). This is for any case-related work including but not limited to: consultation by my supervisor, drive time, note preparation time, and court/hearing/deposition appearance time.

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SCHEDULED TIME OFF

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I will be taking time from sessions periodically to attend training workshops or take vacations. These dates will be communicated to you in advance and I will attempt to work you in for a telehealth apt. during these breaks or reschedule you for a weekend apt. if possible and if necessary. Since July and December are typically low times for my practice, I plan these months for vacations and will be closed for two weeks during these months.

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TERMINATION

 

Ending relationships can be difficult. Therefore, it is important to have a

termination process in order to achieve some closure. The appropriate length of the termination depends on the length and intensity of the treatment. I may terminate treatment after appropriate discussion with you and a termination process if I determine that the psychotherapy is not being effectively used or if you are in default on payment. I will not terminate the therapeutic relationship without first discussing and exploring the reasons and purpose of terminating. If therapy is terminated for any reason or you request another therapist, I will provide you with a list of qualified psychotherapists to treat you. You may also choose someone on your own or from another referral source.

If you fail to schedule an appointment for three consecutive weeks, unless other arrangements have been made in advance, for legal and ethical reasons, I must consider the professional relationship discontinued.