Counseling Agreement
To be most helpful, counseling must include an agreement between the counselor and the client. This agreement forms the initial boundary for the work to be done, and helps create the trust necessary for the work ahead.
Both client and therapist have difficult roles. The client must work on the issues he or she brings to the sessions. The counselor must work to understand the client and the meaning of the client's experience.
Confidentiality, billing details, HIPPA regulations, etc. must also be included.
Counseling Agreement Content
Confidentiality
With few exceptions everything clients say in counseling is confidential. Those exceptions required by law are as follows:
- If the information given by a client indicates a clear and imminent danger to the client or others, therapists are required by law to disclose the danger to the appropriate authorities and/or family members.
- If therapists learn of abuse or neglect of or by a client, they are required by law to disclose to appropriate authorities.
- Therapists may be required by law to release confidential information if clients are involved in legal matters and records are subpoenaed.
- If clients use insurance to cover the cost of treatment, treatment notes, including diagnostic information, may be required by insurance companies.
- If client is under fourteen years of age, parents have access to all records.
Length of Sessions
Sessions last 45 minutes.
Payment Policy
Clients are responsible for payment at the time of service. If insurance is involved, we will bill the insurance company as a courtesy to clients.
Telephone Contacts
Short calls (under 5 minutes) are not billed. Since we believe it is not possible to do therapy over the telephone in most cases, clients must schedule an appointment rather than talking over the phone.
Cancellation Policy
Appointments missed or cancelled with less than 24 hours notice will be billed at the regular rate.
Ending Therapy
How therapy ends is an important part of service. If clients engage in therapy with us, we expect to have at least one session in which the client and therapist know at the beginning of the hour that it is the last session.
Questions
Questions about treatment, training, orientation, or procedures are always accepted.
Emergencies
In case of a crisis (not life threatening) call 505.379.0810 to schedule an appointment. If there is a imminent danger to anyone, call 911 first and then call us.
Download a copy of the Counseling Agreement
Follow this link to download a copy of our Counseling Agreement form.
If you are planning to make an appointment, it will save time if you print it now and bring it with you to your first session.
Go from Counseling Agreement to Counseling Appointment.
