IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT PROFESSIONAL THERAPEUTIC TREATMENT
This page contains information about my professional services and business practices. Please read it carefully.
About Therapy
It is important to know that therapy has both benefits and risks. Therapy can be emotionally painful at times. Sometimes people feel worse before they start to feel better. This is a natural part of the healing process and often indicates that progress is being made. While there are no guarantees, participating in therapy should help you to reduce uncomfortable symptoms and increase your ability to communicate better and enjoy your relationships more. Please talk with me if you have concerns about how you are feeling to avoid any misunderstandings. My normal practice is to establish treatment goals, anticipated length of time and frequency needed to meet those goals. Sessions are generally 60 minutes in length.
Confidentiality
You have the right to a confidential therapeutic relationship that is protected by law. However, there are some limitations. A consent form outlining these limitations will be presented to you for your signature. In addition to the conditions mandated by law, I adhere to a “no secrets policy” when working with couples or families. What I am told by one member in treatment is to be discussed openly with other members in treatment. When working with groups, I do not discuss individual members outside of the group session. Contact with me outside of sessions is discouraged.
Minors
If you are under the age of 18, please be aware that the law may provide your parents or legal guardians with the right to examine your treatment records. Under most circumstances, I request parents give up access to records. If they agree, I provide them only with general information about our work together unless a high risk situation arises in which I feel you are in real danger at which time I will notify parents/legal guardians and/or law enforcement or social services. Before disclosing information, I will make every effort to discuss the matter with you.
Dual Relationships
Not all dual relationships are unethical or avoidable. Therapy never involves sexual or any other dual relationship that impairs your therapist's objectivity, clinical judgment, therapeutic effectiveness or can be viewed as exploitive in nature. San Diego, while a large County, contains many small close-knit communities and occasionally clients may know each other and know or recognize me from the community. Consequently, you may bump into someone you know in the waiting area or me out in the community. I will never acknowledge working therapeutically with anyone without his/her written permission.
Professional Consultations
I may occasionally find it helpful to consult with other professionals about our work together.
I will avoid revealing your identity, however the consultant is also legally bound to keep the information we discuss confidential. I will not normally tell you about consultations unless I feel it is important to our work together.
Termination of Service
It is your right to stop therapy whenever you feel you need to. It is my hope that you will discuss your desire to stop therapy with me so that we have an opportunity to bring our time together to a close. I normally review your progress with you and make a referral list for your future use. I am very interested in and welcome your comments about my practice at any time, but especially as you take your leave. If you decide to stop therapy suddenly or do not feel comfortable with a closure session, I’d appreciate it if you would notify me by phone message, email, or US mail so that your disappearance does not become cause for concern.