PRACTICE POLICIES

These Practice Policies are for with the use of the Platform and are to be read in conjunction with the Terms of Service and Terms of Use.

 

Appointments and Cancellations: Please refer to  the Terms of Service which provide for the booking, rescheduling and cancellation of an appointment.

 

Telephone Accessibility: If the User / Patient need to contact the Professional in-between sessions, please leave a message on Professional’s voice mail. The Professional shall attempt to return the call within 24 hours. Please note that face- to-face sessions are highly preferable to phone sessions. However, if you are out of town, sick or need additional support, phone sessions are available. If a true emergency situation arises, please call 911 or any local emergency room.

 

Social Media and Telecommunication:  Due to the importance of User/ Patient’s confidentiality and the importance of minimizing dual relationships, the Professional does not accept friend or contact requests from current or former User/ Patient on any social networking site (Facebook, LinkedIn, etc.).

Electronic Communication:  The Professional cannot ensure the confidentiality of any form of communication through electronic media, including text messages. If the User/Patient prefer to communicate via email or text messaging for issues regarding scheduling or cancellations, the Professional will do so. While the Professional may try to return messages in a timely manner, the Professional cannot guarantee immediate response and request that Patient/User do not use these methods of communication to discuss therapeutic content and/or request assistance for emergencies.

Notice for California Residents: Services by electronic means, including but not limited to telephone communication, the Internet, facsimile machines, and e-mail is considered telemedicine by the State of California.  Under the California Telemedicine Act of 1996, telemedicine is broadly defined as the use of information technology to deliver medical services and information from one location to another. If Patient/ User ("you”/”your”) and the Professional choose to use information technology for some or all of your treatment, you need to understand that:

·       You retain the option to withhold or withdraw consent at any time without affecting the right to future care or treatment or risking the loss or withdrawal of any program benefits to which you would otherwise be entitled.

·       All existing confidentiality protections are equally applicable.

·       Your access to all medical information transmitted during a telemedicine consultation is guaranteed, and copies of this information are available for a reasonable fee.

·       Dissemination of any of your identifiable images or information from the telemedicine interaction to researchers or other entities shall not occur without your consent.

·       There are potential risks, consequences, and benefits of telemedicine. Potential benefits include, but are not limited to improved communication capabilities, providing convenient access to up-to-date information, consultations, support, reduced costs, improved quality, change in the conditions of practice, improved access to therapy, better continuity of care, and reduction of lost work time and travel costs. Effective therapy is often facilitated when the therapist gathers within a session or a series of sessions, a multitude of observations, information, and experiences about the client. Professional may make clinical assessments, diagnosis, and interventions based not only on direct verbal or auditory communications, written reports, and third person consultations, but also from direct visual and olfactory observations, information, and experiences. When using information technology in therapy services, potential risks include, but are not limited to the therapist's inability to make visual and olfactory observations of clinically or therapeutically potentially relevant issues such as: your physical condition including deformities, apparent height and weight, body type, attractiveness relative to social and cultural norms or standards, gait and motor coordination, posture, work speed, any noteworthy mannerism or gestures, physical or medical conditions including bruises or injuries, basic grooming and hygiene including appropriateness of dress, eye contact (including any changes in the previously listed issues), sex, chronological and apparent age, ethnicity, facial and body language, and congruence of language and facial or bodily expression. Potential consequences thus include the therapist not being aware of what he or she would consider important information, that you may not recognize as significant to present verbally the therapist.

·        Minors: If you are a minor, your parents may be legally entitled to some information about your therapy. Professional will discuss with you and your parents what information is appropriate for them to receive and which issues are more appropriately kept confidential.

 

Termination: Ending relationships can be difficult. Therefore, it is important to have a termination process in order to achieve some closure. The appropriate length of the termination of the relationship with the Professional depends on the length and intensity of the treatment. The Professional may terminate treatment after appropriate discussion with you and a termination process if the Professional determines that the psychotherapy is not being effectively used or if you are in default on payment. Professional will not terminate the therapeutic relationship without first discussing and exploring the reasons and purpose of terminating. If therapy is terminated for any reason or you request another therapist, Professional will provide you with a list of qualified psychotherapists 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, Professional must consider the professional relationship discontinued.

 

 

BY SIGNING OR CLICKING BELOW THE PATIENT/ USER AGREES  THAT THE PATIENT/USER HAVE READ, UNDERSTOOD AND AGREE TO THE ITEMS CONTAINED IN THIS DOCUMENT.

 

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