I appreciate you asking me to help you. This informed consent is designed to give you information about my practice and our professional relationship. I realize it is long, but sufficient information can help you make informed decisions and give consent for treatment.

SCOPE OF PRACTICE AND PROCESS OF THERAPY

I am a Certified Massage Therapist and Bodyworker. I am also a Somatic Experiencing® practitioner, consultant and assistant teacher, and a NARM (NeuroAffective Relational Model) Practitioner, which is a form of therapy using psychology and somatics for developmental trauma. I am a BASE (Relational Bodywork and Somatic Education) Practitioner, this body of work is a form of touch therapy for addressing trauma including PTSD. I am a SRT (Somatic Resiliency Training) group facilitator, primarily for Somatic psychoeducational groups. I am NOT a psychotherapist/psychologist. My focus is on wellness and my areas of clinical expertise include pain, anxiety and stress related problems, chronic and acute musculoskeletal problems, Concussions, trauma issues/PTSD, relational problems and life transitions.

There are times that integrating these forms of therapies might be helpful. You have the choice of working exclusively in a chair to chair (psychotherapeutic) model or table model (touch work) or integrating them. Integrating them can take various forms of alternating treatment sessions, doing a series of one and then a series of the other, or doing both concurrently. Which model and modalities/interventions I employ will depend on your situation and will be done with your informed consent. Modalities/Interventions can include somatic based verbal therapy, exercise, manual (hands-on) therapy, Somatic Experiencing®, Integrative Bodywork.

All therapeutic work, including verbal therapy, body awareness and hands-on therapy, is strictly at a professional, not a personal level. You have the right to withdraw from therapy at any time. After our initial session I will inform you of my assessment of what I think I can be helpful with and what I may not be able to help with. If I feel I cannot help you I will tell you that and provide referrals for you when possible.

While it is impossible to predict the exact outcomes of therapy, we will work together toward the goals that we establish. In addition to the work we do together in my office, I may suggest things for you to do between treatment sessions. In Somatic Therapy it is not uncommon for clients to feel levels of sadness, anxiety, fear as well as joy, happiness and love. Clients healing from physical conditions in physical/touch therapy might feel some level of pain and discomfort while exercising or having certain manual interventions applied. Your feedback is very important.

The fee for a 50-55 minute appointment is $150. The frequency of treatment will depend upon your needs, scheduling and the severity of your troubles.

Payment is due at the beginning of each session by cash, check or credit card (including flexible spending accounts If you choose to pay by credit card you accept the risks associated with using credit cards. There is a $25 charge for returned checks.

MISSED APPOINTMENT/NO SHOW/LATE CANCELLATION

I charge in full for missed appointments and appointments not cancelled within 48 hours of scheduled time. I cannot extend beyond the stated time to accommodate late arrivals. Please be on time to your appointment.

Coming to an appointment while ill, is not appropriate care for infectious or contagious illness. Please cancel your appointment as soon as you are aware of an infectious or contagious condition. If it is within the 48 hr notice period, the cancellation fee may be waived.

Electronic media may not safe guard confidentiality. I will only text for scheduling purposes. Emails will be limited to scheduling and a very short question. It will not replace or substitute for therapy and cannot be considered therapy. It may take me a few days to return an email.

It is important to know that I have an extensive travel schedule, Assistant teaching Somatic Experiencing, BASE, presenting at conferences and other workshops. This does limit my availability clinically.

I have read the informed consent and have been given an opportunity to have my questions answered.