The following policies are here for anyone to read at their leisure. In order to maximize our face to face time. If however you wish to discuss the policies in greater detail I will be happy to assist. Those who wish to utilize the Tele-Mental Health option will find specific policies just for that service.
Mental Health Therapy has a number of rather unique aspects not found in other healthcare modalities. So I will try to point out areas that are maybe different from what you may normally find in other healthcare practices
Confidentiality
Mental Health Providers go to great lengths to protect the privacy of the people we serve. I will not discuss anything about you to anyone that has not been authorized by you. If you were referred by a friend I will not acknowledge that I even know your friend. If I see you in public I will not approach you or talk to you. If you talk with me I will not say your name or how I even know you. It is not up to me to breach your confidentiality. If you wish to tell anyone that you see me and perhaps why that is your choice. My own wife does not know names or details of anyone I see or have seen in the past. In the past I have had peers of my children come and see me and my children never knew. They know many years after the fact, but not even the gender of any peer is currently known to them. In this age of technology where personal information is so often distributed all over for all to see I go to great length to protect your information. I am utilizing a patient portal that meets and exceeds all the privacy requirements that the law requires. Once you sign in to the portal all communications will be encrypted. Though it is impossible to guarantee people won’t go to great lengths to find out information about you they will be hard pressed to find it through Counsol.com. Additionally, what I document in your record of treatment I purposely keep to the minimum requirements by law. I purposely write as little as necessary. It is vague and won’t give out any significant information. In the rare case where the record is ordered by a judge to be given to the court they will not find it very helpful. I have been in mental health for years. I have seen documents interpreted in ways contrary to the best interest of the people served. I learned early on to plan for such a possibility. So if you are wishing to see me so that I can thoroughly document what is going on in your life you will be very disappointed.
Conflicts of Interest
One of the most difficult concepts to fully understand is conflict of interest. A number of mental health professionals are very rigid in their interpretation of this concept. I am rigid in the fact that I will not see anyone in which I have a previous relationship. My role with the people I serve is solely professional. Where things get sticky are in the matter of working with members of the family that I am seeing. If I am seeing an adult and we decide that their spouse might benefit from coming in as well then all three of us have to be in agreement. Some mental health professionals won’t ever allow such a thing. I see it this way. I am never on anyone’s side. My goal is to help anyone that comes through my door. I will not sacrifice the happiness of one person for that of another. I will not divulge “secrets” to anyone. Often when I observe multiple people in a family I find the key information comes together. So informed consent will be required to see any family members in my practice. If a child doesn’t want me to work with their sibling or parent I will respect that request.
Practice Style
I have often been told that therapy with me is not what was expected. Fortunately I think that statement is usually positive. I primarily use CBT or Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. Basically CBT is a style of therapy where a person explores how to change thoughts, behaviors, and even feelings. This is often a very active process that tries to come up with ideas and maybe even answers quickly. Research show that CBT shows the greatest evidence of success far out shining all the other treatment styles. I believe that treatment should both educate people about the cause of their issues as well as possible solutions. If you have any questions or concerns including saying I don’t think this is helping I encourage you to tell me. I will try to adjust. If I can’t I will see if I can find another mental health professional that might be of greater assistance.
If I am working with a child I prefer to see them at first alone at the beginning of a session. The reason I do this is because I want them to feel that I work for them. I actually do work for them, but that doesn’t mean I will try to convince their parents to give them cake for breakfast. If I see the parent alone first, I find that the child feels like they are getting told on. I then come across as a parent ally and a colluder. I will bring the parent(s) in after I have seen the child. My preference is that the child stay in the session. Again that way the child doesn’t feel I am teaming up against them. Now parents are more than welcome to email or call me ahead of time to discuss concerns. Of course if a parent feels they need to talk with me alone in session I will allow it. I prefer that a parent come in without the child if possible if they feel they really need to talk at length about solutions for their child.
Cancellations
It is my policy to require at least a 24 hr notice of cancellation. The reason for this policy is I see the appointment as a reservation. I am keeping the time open so that the person who made the reservation can be guaranteed a spot. No shows and late cancellations don’t allow sufficient time to have some one else fill that slot. I am reasonable and will listen to the factors that caused someone to not cancel with 24 hr notice. Therefore if I don’t deem the reason adequate I will charge a $50 late cancellation/no show fee. Insurance of course will not pay this fee.
Documents/Court Fees
I understand that sometimes I will be asked to write up something for school, court, or some other agency. Since this is outside normal documentation that is considered included in the usual service fee I will ask for financial compensation. Documentation takes time and virtually all mental health providers expect to be compensated for their time. I charge $ 25 for simple one page notes. For more comprehensive documentation I will charge $ 60. Many documents can take the better part of an hour to write so that is the reason for the cost.
Court is something I prefer to avoid for many reasons. I am not a forensic evaluator and my purpose for treating people is to help and not be a factor in some legal resolution. If I am required to attend court I have to open up my schedule so as to allow for the inevitable delays. So because of travel costs and the need to free up my schedule so as not to have to late cancel others I will charge a minimum of $ 250 for a court appearance. If the court requires me to lose a whole day of work I will charge an additional $ 250. If I am also required to bring notes from the record I will charge $ 3 a page.