Terms
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Confidentiality Policy
In general, the law protects the privacy of all communication between a client and therapist, including that of minors. Therefore, I am not at liberty to release information to another professional or interested party without written permission, except where disclosure is permitted or required by law. There are some situations in which I am legally obligated to take action to protect others from harm, even if I have to reveal some information about a client’s treatment. Disclosures may be required in the following circumstances:
When there is a reasonable suspicion of child abuse, elder abuse, or abuse of a dependent adult. In this case I am required by law to file a report with the appropriate state agency;
If I believe that a client is threatening serious bodily harm to another, I am required to take protective actions. These actions may include notifying the potential victim, contacting the police, or seeking hospitalization for the client;
If the client threatens serious bodily harm to himself/herself, I may be obligated to seek hospitalization for him/her or to contact family members or others who can help provide protection;
When disclosure is required pursuant to a legal proceeding. (i.e., court order);
In the event that the services of an attorney and/or collection agency is required to pursue any past due fees.
These situations have rarely occurred in my practice. If a similar situation occurs, I will make every effort to fully discuss it with you before taking any action. I may occasionally find it helpful to consult other professionals about a case. During consultation, neither your name nor identifying information about you will be revealed. The consultant also is legally bound to keep the information confidential.
Please note that adult client records are disposed of seven years after the file is closed. Minor client records are disposed of seven years after the client’s 18th birthday. All Registered Associate Professional Clinical Counselors, their supervisors, and group supervision members will not disclose information, however the following limitations and exceptions do exist:
I determine that you are a danger to yourself or someone else.
You disclose abuse, neglect, or exploitation of a child, elderly, or disabled person.
You or your legal guardian gives written consent to release information to a designated individual or agency.
I or my supervisor are named as defendants in a civil, criminal, or disciplinary action arising from the counseling session.
I receive an authentic subpoena backed by judicial authority that requires the disclosure of information.
I am otherwise required by law to disclose information.
As a Registered Associate Professional Counselor, I am under supervision, which means there will be times when I discuss our session material with my supervisor and my notes may be reviewed. If you have any questions regarding supervision information, please feel free to ask me. If you have any questions or concerns, you may contact my supervisor: Brenda Gesell, PhD, LMFT at (714) 421-1975.
No Secrets Policy for Couples and Families
The couple or the family (the treatment unit) is considered to be the client. This “no secrets” policy is intended to allow me to continue to treat the couple or family by preventing, to the extent possible, a conflict of interest to arise where an individual’s interests may not be consistent with the interests of the unit being treated. For instance, information learned in the course of an individual session may be relevant or even essential to the proper treatment of the couple or the family. If I am not free to exercise my clinical judgment regarding the need to bring this information to the family or the couple during their therapy, I might be placed in a situation where I will have to terminate treatment of the couple or the family. This policy is intended to prevent the need for such a termination.
No Surprises Health Care Service Act:
Good Faith Estimate
(2799B-6 of the Public Health Service Act; January 1, 2022)
For patients who do not have insurance or will not be using insurance:
You have the right to receive a “Good Faith Estimate” explaining how much your treatment will cost. Under the law, all health care providers need to provide their patients an estimate of their bill for services.
You have the right to receive a Good Faith Estimate for the total expected cost of any of your services.
Your therapist is expected to give you a Good Faith Estimate in writing at least 1 business day before your therapy begins.
You can also ask for a Good Faith Estimate before you schedule a service. If you receive a bill that is $400 more than the Good Faith Estimate you received, you can dispute the bill. Be sure to save a copy of your Good Faith Estimate.
Cancellation/Re-schedule/No-show Policy
Scheduling an appointment involves the reservation of time for each client. If you need to cancel or reschedule an appointment, please note that my practice requires a 24-hour cancellation policy. If you cancel without providing at least a 24-hour notice, you will be charged the full appointment fee and this applies to no-shows as well. My schedule can get very full, with others having to be waitlisted. Providing me with ample notice of cancellation or reschedule allows me to fill the spot with another waiting client.
Text & Email Policy
To protect your privacy, text messaging and email are only used for scheduling purposes as they are not secure methods of communication. If seeking therapy as a couple, members of the unit are to be copied in the text message or email.