Counseling Policies and Procedures

Let's be honest. Everyone's least favorite part of the counseling process is reading policies and procedures and filling out intake documents. There's a lot of information in my policies and on this website, and I realize it's time-consuming to get through it all. Here are several good reasons for taking that time:

• You want to feel comfortable with the service you sign up for.

• You want to feel secure about your privacy.

• You want to know something about the person you are trusting with your therapy.

• You want to understand what to expect and what's expected of you.

• You want to know what tools will be used for your virtual counseling services.

• You want a counseling service that demonstrates a high standard of care.

Before you sign an informed consent agreement, it's important to understand what you're agreeing to so you can make an informed decision to begin therapy with me.. Please leave yourself a few days to digest all the information in the policies and on my website. If you have questions after reading the material and you're still feeling iffy, please submit your questions on this form. If you like what you've read and you want to dig in, please follow the steps on my getting started page. If you're not yet looking to deep dive into my policies, and you just want a general idea of what I do and how I work, please head over to my online counseling services page and my about page. 

If you are on a mobile device, please click on each policy Doc to open the Doc and select a Google account from which to view the Doc. 

Please note that these policies and procedures are copyrighted materials. Download and distribution are prohibited by law. My policies are available for purchase by other clinicians in my practitioner materials.

Your privacy is so important, the information about how it works deserved its own page. Please take the time to read my notice of privacy practices. It explains your rights and my obligations under the the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), and will give you a clear understanding of the act.

My technology and security policies and procedures outline my HIPAA compliancy practices, describe the tools and processes I have in place to protect your privacy and security, and discuss the technology I use and why I chose it.  

Professional ethics includes professional boundaries on social media. Please see the social media page of my website for my social media policies and procedures. 

Detailed information on my payment policies and procedures, including fee structure, can be found in the description of my therapy services and fees.

This practice is self-pay, also known as private pay or direct pay. I am not an out-of-work provider. 

• I do not accept insurance.

• I do not provide superbills for you to file a claim with your insurance.

• I do not participate in contacting or billing your insurance.  

• On your informed consent agreement with me, you will be asked to opt out of insurance and acknowledge that you agree to the payment policies of my practice. 

I would love to work with you, but if you have insurance and plan to file an out-of-network claim, I am not the clinician for you. You need a therapist who provides superbills, whether they are in-network or out-of-network. My business model does not accommodate the restrictions and administrative demands required when dealing with insurance. At your request, I will be happy to provide you with a receipt for any services you receive from me, but please be aware that a receipt will not be accepted by your insurance company as a means of obtaining reimbursement.

Payments should be made in accordance with the payment policies and procedures outlined in my therapy services and fees. Please pay for your first appointment no later than 24 hours before the appointment using the initial session payment button on my payment page.

You are under no obligation to accept my policies; you have the option to work with a clinician who accepts your insurance or who provides superbills for out-of-network claims. Please see these resources or contact your insurance company to help you locate a provider who can serve your needs.  I do not offer sliding scale fees at this time. 

Please see my therapy services and fees for details on your right to a good faith estimate of healthcare costs. 

My practice is fully online. This includes consultations with legal professionals involved in your care and any court appearances related to your care. 

Attorneys and attorney's representatives, please read my policies, procedures, and fees for court appearances and related documentation, consultation, or coordination services prior to requesting records or sending subpoenas. Per HIPAA law,  I will not response to communications from you about a client until I have a signed release from that client. Please advise your client to contact me about providing a release and let them know the best HIPAA-secure method for communicating with you once the release is signed. 

Current clients may request copies of these policies for their files. Policy downloads for clients will be watermarked with the client's name and contact email and are for that client's personal use only. Distribution is prohibited by law. 

My policies are available for purchase by other clinicians in my practitioner materials.