The following information is meant to familiarize you with my practice, and to afford you the opportunity to give your informed consent.
Confidentiality
What is shared with me in the context of both therapy and coaching is completely confidential. As a mandated reporter, however, I am required by California State and US federal laws to notify the appropriate authorities if:
- I believe that you have serious plans to kill or physically harm another person who can be identified
- I believe that you have serious plans to take action in ending your own life,
- I am told about abuse towards a child or an elder (younger than 18, or older than 65), either in your care or in the care of someone else.
It’s not uncommon to have passive thoughts about ending one’s life, and it’s important to have a safe space to talk about these thoughts and feelings. These laws are only applicable to instances where someone has a serious plan and means to take action.
Please let me know if you have any questions about confidentiality.
Fees and Payment
My standard fee is $425 per 50-minute session, payable by credit card, and charged on the day of the scheduled session (longer sessions are prorated accordingly). Should we work together for over a year, the fee is raised 5% annually.
Appointments and Cancellation
If you need to cancel your appointment for any reason and we cannot reschedule, please let me know at least 48 hours in advance of your appointment time (more notice is always appreciated). If you cancel your session with less than 48 hours notice, you will be billed for your missed session.
Termination
You may, of course, stop working with me whenever you choose. However, if we work together over a long period of time I ask that you tell me when you’re thinking about terminating so that we can review what we’ve worked on together before your final session. The termination process in counseling is significant, and once we get to know each other better it will be important for us to have some time to say goodbye, and to review what you’ve gained and learned over the course of our time together. An excellent guideline, if it’s possible, is one month’s notice.
Contacting Me
If you need to get in touch with me outside of our session time, please call or email me at your convenience (email is preferable for me). I maintain standard business hours (9am to 6pm, Monday to Friday PST), and I almost always am able to respond within 24 hours. If you require an urgent response from me please indicate so in your message and I will do my absolute best to get back to you as quickly as possible. If you are experiencing a potentially life-threatening emergency and I’m not immediately available, please call 911 or take yourself to the nearest emergency room.
Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns about this. Thank you.