Practice Policies
Appointments and Cancellations
The standard meeting time for Psychotherapy is 50 minutes.
The standard meeting time for Coaching is 60 minutes.
Payment in full is due at the time of each session for therapy. Total payment for the Coaching package selected is due before the first Coaching session.
Please remember to cancel or reschedule you r therapy or coaching session 24 hours in advance. You will be responsible for a late cancellation fee of $75.00 if cancellation is less than 24 hours. This is necessary because a time commitment is made for you and is held exclusively for you. If you are late for a session, you may lose some of that session time. If you do not contact me to let me know you will be late, I will offer a 20-minute grace period. After that time, without a notification, I may or may not be available. If I hear from you, I will wait and meet for as long as we are able in the time remining for your session.
A $20.00 service charge will be billed for any checks returned for any reason for special handling.
I understand that life can intervene with unexpected situations such as illness, sick children, car trouble, sudden emergencies, etc. I will use my discretion in determining the fee for a late cancellation, but please note; forgetting, scheduling mistakes and other priorities taking precedence over your scheduled session will constitute payment of the full late fee.
Telephone Accessibility
If you need to contact me between sessions, please send me a brief text requesting a return phone call. You can also call and leave a message on my voice mail if I do not answer the phone right away. The most immediate way to reach me if you are going to be late or if you need to speak with me URGENTLY between sessions is to call my cell phone at 401-489-3636. I am often not immediately available; however, as this number is only used for emergencies and brief scheduling exchanges, I will get back to you as soon as I am available.
Please note that face- to-face sessions are highly preferable to phone sessions (for therapy clients). However, in the event that you are out of town, sick or need additional support, phone sessions are available, and payment in full will be due at the time of the next in person service. If an emergency situation arises, please call me at 401-489-3636. If for some reason, I do not respond in a timely manner, please call 911 or go to any local emergency room.
Social Media and Telecommunication
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 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.
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 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, but rather to alert me immediately of the need to communicate through other means.
Minors/Adolescents
If you are a minor, your parents are legally entitled to some information about your therapy. I will discuss with you and your parents in detail what information is appropriate for them to receive and which issues are more appropriately kept confidential. It is essential that my adolescent clients feel safe and comfortable speaking freely about their concerns, and therefore, must be informed about how the boundary regarding shared information with their parents is implemented.
Termination
Ending relationships can be difficult, especially if we have been working together for a while and you have met your goals and are feeling a lot better. 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. Most commonly, we will end our therapy or coaching when you have met your goals. We may also terminate treatment, after an appropriate discussion, if we determine that the psychotherapy is not being effectively used or if you are in default on payment. I will not terminate our relationship without first discussing and exploring the reasons and purpose of terminating. If therapy or coaching is terminated for any reason, or if you request another therapist, I will provide you with a list of qualified Psychotherapists or Coaches to treat you. You may also choose someone on your own or from another referral source.
Should 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.