Welcome
Thank you for choosing Austin Women's Counseling. Counseling is a major decision and you may have many questions. This document will provide you with information on policies, laws, and your legal rights.
Services Offered and Associated Risks
Talk-therapy is typically most appropriate for those seeking individual and family therapy. Individual therapy consists of one fifty-minute session, also known as the therapeutic hour, or occassionally may also consist of one twenty-five minute session. At times, family therapy can consist of one seventy five-minute session. Therapy is usually offered once a week or as determined by the therapist and client. Initially, information is gathered about various aspects of the client(s) difficulty, which may include extensive personal history. The therapist and client(s) will engage in a unique approach to treatment that caters to individual goals and therapeutic preferences. An assessment or analysis will be made, and solutions are generated and implemented by the client. Progress depends on many factors that include motivation, client effort, and other circumstances such as interventions with family, friends, and other associates.
Counseling sessions involve discussions of potentially sensitive information surrounding relationships, psychological, and/or emotional issues; therefore, these sessions carry both benefits and risks. Sessions can significantly reduce the amount of distress someone is feeling, improve relationships, and/or resolve other specific issues. While counseling has the ability to improve your quality of life, there are occasions in which you may feel frustrated or a lack of progress. It is sometimes common for symptoms to worsen before they get better as counseling may bring up unpleasant memories and emotions. These feelings and symptoms should improve over the course of counseling if you are progressing positively and following treatment recommendations. If you identify that counseling is not going in the direction you had hoped, please discuss this with your provider.
There are times where a referral to an alternative provider is needed to help you obtain positive progress. Counseling, by itself, may not resolve all concerns or symptoms. The success of your treatment will be dependent on the quality of work from both you and your counselor. You will derive maximum benefit from the counseling relationship when you are honest with both your counselor and yourself, as well as come to sessions with the willingness to make changes. Ultimately, counseling is a joint effort between the counselor and client and it is impossible to guarantee any specific results regarding your counseling goals.
Therapeutic Relationship
Although therapy sessions may be very personal, the relationship between you and your therapist is a professional rather than social one. Therefore, please do not invite your therapist to social events, give gifts to your therapist, ask to barter or exchange services, ask your therapist to write a reference for you, or ask your therapist to relate to you in any way other than the professional context of the counseling relationship. Should you encounter your therapist in the community, confidentiality will be upheld and it is the responsibility of the client to make contact.
Because of the nature of the therapeutic relationship, counselors at Austin Women's Counseling will not accept friend or contact requests on personal social networking sites from current or former clients. Adding clients as friends or contacts on these sites can compromise confidentiality and privacy of both the therapist and the client. Personal reviews or testimonials will also never be solicited from any counselor for any reason on any website. Should you see a request, this may come from a third party and you are encouraged to notify your counselor. If you have a neutral or unpleasant experience, please contact the therapist directly.
The counseling licensing boards stipulate that a provider must not knowingly provide counseling to an individual concurrently receiving counseling treatment intervention from another mental health services provider except with that provider's knowledge. If a licensed provider learns of such concurrent therapy, they must request release from the client to inform the other professional and strive to establish positive and collaborative professional relationships.
Scheduling and Associated Fees
The following is a comprehensive list of all fees that may be associated with your counseling with Brianne Blevins, LMFT-S, LPC-S, PMH-C
Initial Intake Session: 50 minute $150 or 75 minute $200
30 Minute Session: $75
50 Minute Session: $150
75 Minute Session: $200
Sliding scale for fully licensed clinicians, if and when available, are as follows:
Initial Intake Session: $125
30 Minute Session: $55
50 Minute Session: $115
75 Minute Session: $165
The following is a comprehensive list of all fees that may be associated with your counseling for student therapists within Austin Women's Counseling:
Initial Intake Session: $50
30 Minute Session: $25
50 Minute Session: $40
75 Minute Session: $60
Non-Therapeutic/Other Fees:
Charge Backs - $30.00
Non-sufficient funds (NSF) - $30.00
Documentation Fee other than receipts - $30.00 per page
Court/Litigation:
Retainer for court services due IN ADVANCE - $1500.00
Communications (phone, text/SMS, email, written letters, etc.) - $200.00 per hour, with minimum 15 minute incriments
Preparation (including submission of records, cancellation of clients, etc.) - $200.00 per hour
In-court appearance (including wait time/standby) - $1500.00 per day for any length of time
Travel & Mileage - $250.00 per hour plus $0.56 per mile
Court filing - $100.00 plus associated fees
Express service (Less than 72 business hours) - $250.00
Reset fee (Less than 72 business hours) - $500.00
Scheduling:
Appointments are scheduled in advance and the client must attend at least 75% of scheduled sessions. If the client(s) cannot attend a session, the client(s) will notify the therapist at least 24 business hours in advance, when possible. Business hours means 8am-8pm Monday through Friday excluding federal holidays. For example, if an appointment is at 3pm on Thursday, then it would need to be canceled by 3pm on Wednesday. Similarly, if an appointment was scheduled at 3pm on a Monday, a cancellation would need to be done by 3pm Friday. Clients are asked to maintain a card on file, and will be sent a text from Ivy Pay, a HIPAA compliant payment service for therapists. Your card will be stored following the first session and charges initiated by the therapist thereafter.
Scheduled sessions secure the time only for that client and may not be able to get refilled on shorter notice. As such, the client will be charged half the session cost for the first session cancelled with less than 24 business hours notice and full price of all subsequent sessions without proper notice. This includes missed or forgotten sessions and the only exception is an agreed upon emergency. When possible, these charges may be avoided if you can reschedule within the same week if there is an opening. This cannot be guaranteed. Please note that cancellation of a rescheduled appointment will be charged the full session fee as well as late arrivals, early terminations or challenges due to technical difficulties. These charges must be paid prior to meeting with your therapist again or at the next session and the credit card on file may be used. By signing below, the client gives their permission to use the card on file, if applicable, to collect these fees. Payment is due at the time of the session. If the client(s) are more than one session delinquent with regard to fee payment, termination or suspension of services may result. Insufficient funds and credit card chargebacks, plus all associated fees will be paid in full. Nonpayment is subject to submission to a collection agency and in such cases, personal health infomration may be released to collectors in order to rectify all debts. Cancellation fees are non-reimbursable for HSA/FSA accounts and it is the client's responsibility to contact their account provider for any uncovered expenses paid with health accounts.
Cooperation of Client
You agree to provide Austin Women's Counseling with any changes of information during your time of counseling services. You acknowledge the following actions may lead to immediate termination of therapy services: arriving for a therapy session intoxicated or under the influence of an illegal substance, or threats of violence towards any therapist. Please maintain professional, safe conduct while in session with your therapist and refrain from driving or interacting with others during your session.
By signing this Informed Consent Agreement, you agree that you will not make defamatory comments about your counselor and/or Austin Women's Counseling to others or post defamatory commentary about your therapy on any website or social media site. In the event that defamatory remarks about your counselor and/or Austin Women's Counseling are made by you, or others acting on your behalf or in concert with you, you further consent by signing this Informed Consent Agreement to allowing the staff at Austin Women's Counseling to potentially use confidential information necessary to rebut or defend against, or prosecute claims for, the defamation.
Confidentiality
Please note that everything stated in the counseling relationship is confidential, unless a client states there is a danger or serious threat to themselves or others, reports child abuse, or discloses abuse to the elderly, disabled or incarcerated. The therapist is required by law to report this information to keep threatened individuals safe. Similarly, in the unlikely event that your emergency contact on file must be reached, your therapist will identify themselves as "a medical provider" only if asked.
The profession also requires case notes and treatment plans. This is documentation about the counseling session. If law subpoenas the client(s) file, the therapist may have to submit it to the court. Supervision or consultation of the client(s) case may also be needed. Please know your therapist will take every precaution to ensure and protect the client(s) privacy. At times, the client may choose to email the therapist about appointments or provide information. Please note that email connections are unsecured and the information may be viewed by a third party. Your therapist will make every effort to keep any information sent electronically secure and confidential.
At times, clients ask if their therapist can intervene with the court on their behalf. As a policy, Austin Women's Counseling wants to protect the integrity of the therapeutic relationship and its privacy. As such, appearance in court or providing documentation is strongly discouraged. There is a minimum retainer of $1500 per day for any time spent should this be required. If the law subpoenas the client(s) file, the therapist may have to submit it to the court. Preparation of documentation is $200 per hour and will be billed accordingly to the card on file. Please see the above section for an outline of fees related to court and document preparation.
Therapist’s Incapacity or Death
You acknowledge that, in the event your therapist becomes incapacitated or dies, it will become necessary for another therapist to take possession of your file and records.
By signing this Informed Consent Agreement, you give permission to allow another licensed mental health professional to take possession of your file and records, providing you with copies upon request, or to deliver them to a therapist of your choice.
In the event your therapist at Austin Women's Counseling becomes incapacitated or dies, a website administrator will post an announcement on the home page. Reem Glasco, LPC-S and Stephanie Martinez, LMFT-S, LPC-S are designated to assume possession of your files and records and may contact you.
Final Note
If you need to reach your therapist, please do so by leaving a confidential voicemail at 512.981.5638. Messages are checked once daily and returned during the next available administrative timeslot. Please know that your counselor does not provide twenty-four (24) hour crises or emergency therapy services. Should you experience an emergency necessitating immediate mental health attention, you should immediately contact 911, your physician, your local emergency room, the local police department, or a crisis hotline. It is your responsibility to seek appropriate resources in emergency situations. If you are able to safely transport yourself, go the nearest hospital emergency room for assistance.
The therapeutic relationship lasts as long as there is continued growth and benefit to the client. Counselors are ethically bound to discontinue treatment if there is no longer a benefit to the client. Termination or formal discontinuation of the therapeutic relationship occurs once either party has notified the other of the need to stop sessions. This can be in the session or via written response. If more than 4 weeks go by without a scheduled session, the therapeutic relationship is legally terminated, but you are welcome to contact your therapist when you are ready to return. The responsibility to follow up lies with the client.
Lastly, the clinicians at Austin Women's Counseling take this profession very seriously and strive to provide the highest quality of care to all clients. If you feel that you have been unprofessionally mistreated or experienced treatment beyond ethical bounds, please allow your therapist to have a conversation with you about it so that we can explore a repair as well as how to improve and provide the best quality care for other clients. If you'd like to file your complaint to the Licensing Board in Texas you can contact the Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council at 1-800-821-3205 or email enforcement@bhec.texas.gov to request the appropriate form or obtain more information. Mailed complaints may be sent to:
Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council
Attn: Enforcement Division
George H.W. Bush State Office Building
1801 Congress Ave., Ste. 7.300
Austin, TX 78701
I certify that I have read and consent to the above policy and consent to treatment.