- Payment Method:
The cost for an individual session is $150 per hour. Family, couple sessions, and telephone support may be priced differently. Payment is expected at the beginning of each session. Your check is your receipt. You will also be responsible for such expenses such as: legal, paperwork, and/or telephone calls outside of the 'normal clinical duties.'
- Length of Treatment:
This is an individually designed process based on your needs. A therapy session lasts about 50 minutes. Normally about twelve sessions offers us an understanding of how regularly you want to attend. You may attend for as long as we feel this process is helping you to improve your life. I do retain the right to end treatment, if needed, and to refer you to other appropriate levels of care.
- Cancellations:
Life has unexpected moments. If you need to change or to cancel your appointment please give me at least 48 hours notice in order to allow me to change my schedule. I will respect you with the same amount of notice. Without such notice, I will charge you for the time at the full rate.
- Confidentiality and the Law:
Your privacy is respected. I will ask for your permission in writing before I speak with anyone. Legally however, I am mandated to report situations of harm, abuse or neglect to children, elders and handicapped persons. Also, in situations of harm to yourself or to another, I do not need your permission to notify the authorities. There may be times when the courts and/or other peoples request your records. I will follow all professional and legal standards in these situations.
- Course of Treatment:
Just as beginning a new physical exercise is difficult and only becomes easier with practice, counseling is also a process involving change. Sometimes this feels good, and sometimes this process feels unnatural. Change is difficult for most people. When something is difficult or feels unnatural some people want to stop the process of change. If you feel uncomfortable in the clinical process, let me know. Your comments and opinions are an important part of your feeling better.
- Reaching Me:
A written journal of your feelings, actions, and thoughts may be a useful way for you to share your life with me. Also, there may be times when you may wish to telephone me. Please do so! My office answering machine will instruct you how and when to reach me. Please remember though, that mechanical problems can occur which might make reaching me difficult at some times. Thus, in the event of a clinical emergency, you should always proceed to your local hospital emergency room, and ask that physician to notify me as to the outcome.