About this Agreement
Marcella Cox through Marcella Cox Marriage and Family Therapy Inc. DBA Kindful Body (“Consultant”), agree to offer you professional consultation. All services provided under this Group Consultation Agreement are provided by Marcella Cox, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist as Consultant, but not as a mental health professional responsible for your or your client’s care. Our relationship will be consultative in nature, and neither supervisory nor therapeutic. You remain fully responsible for your own clients and your own healing journey. As a Consultant, results are not guaranteed. In the event that the need for additional mental health support emerges, Consultant will provide you with referrals for support.
About Group Consultation
The goal of our work together is to increase your embodied Self energy and Self-leadership as a Somatic IFS therapist or practitioner in your work with your clients. This includes all of the C's: confidence, calmness, clarity, compassion, curiosity, creativity, connection, and courage as well as the 5 P's: patience, persistence, perspective, playfulness, and presence. It also includes integration of the 5 Somatic IFS embodiment practices of somatic awareness, conscious breathing, radical resonance, mindful movement and attuned touch.
I will seek to model these qualities, the Somatic IFS practices and the Somatic IFS process with you in our didactic and skills teaching, as well as during case consult, therapist parts exploration, supervised peer practice, brief demos, experiential exercises, etc.
At times consultation may feel like therapy as the experiential protocols are the same, however the difference is that we are not engaging in a therapeutic relationship (ie. not therapist-client). Healing of your own system is a natural part of your professional growth process, however our primary goal in teaching and consultation remains to support you in your role as therapist/professional.
You are always in the driver's seat, and get to choose what, how and if you would like to continue down any particular learning path. You can always change your mind, and you never have to disclose anything that you aren't comfortable sharing. My role is to offer you my observations, suggestions, and IFS perspectives from my clinical experience for you to consider for yourself and decide what fits and works for you.
As your Consultant I acknowledge that I also have parts, and when they become more active, I will aspire to speak for them, making room for all of our parts in our exchanges. You are invited and encouraged to speak for (or from) any part of you that senses that a part of me may be present that I am not aware of yet, and I will check it out.
A note about dual roles: I largely view our consultative relationship as one among peers, one with more experience with Somatic IFS than the other. I also acknowledge the potential power difference with my placement as being white-bodied, cis/het, and as providing training, among other privileges.
If you attend (or wish to attend) one of my other workshops, trainings or retreats or where I am also a participant, let’s have a conversation about whether we are comfortable being in a small group together or not. There can be powerful healing in the shared vulnerability of the IFS community, and we must respect protectors and healthy boundaries.
If we haven't had this conversation, we will err on the side of caution and place us in different groups.
Confidentiality
While the services offered through your consultation are not therapy services, your Consultant is a licensed mental health provider. As such, and as required by law, your Consultant observes the standards of the mental health profession regarding confidentiality and all applicable laws requiring protection of health information, such as HIPAA, and will generally only reveal information disclosed in the course of consulting if you provide consent in writing, signing an Authorization to Release/Exchange confidential information.
Regardless of the services being offered, your Consultant is mandated to make a report to an appropriate entity if there is reasonable suspicion of abuse or neglect of a child, elder or dependent adult, even if you have not signed an Authorization to Release/Exchange confidential information. There may also be other scenarios in which your Consultant is permitted to reveal information to third parties without an Authorization to Release/Exchange confidential information.
About Your Responsibilities
I understand that consultation outcomes are influenced by my participation and engagement in the consultation process. Group consultation will be enhanced by my vulnerability in sharing my work and setting intentions that honor my whole being. I agree to communicate authentically with my Consultant regarding my needs and concerns. I am committed to the emotional well being of myself and my clients, and I agree to take full responsibility – legally and ethically – for my decisions and actions.
I understand that the Consultant's services are consultative in nature. I understand that consultation does not involve the diagnosis or treatment of mental health disorders as defined by the American Psychiatric Association. I understand that consultation is not a substitute for counseling, psychotherapy, or mental health treatment. I will not use consultation in place of any form of diagnosis, treatment, or therapy.
I acknowledge that consultation does not guarantee any specific results or outcomes. I shall in no way hold the Consultant liable or responsible for any actions I take, or refrain from taking, during or after this consultation relationship.
I understand the potential limits of the confidentiality of this relationship. To the extent possible, my case presentations will provide no identifiable patient information. However, I understand that if I provide identifiable information about a situation regarding which my consultants have an ethical or legal obligation to report confidential information, they will inform me at the time and will give me the opportunity to make the report myself.
I understand that if my Consultant becomes aware that they know or have a prior relationship with the presented client(s), or if they believe they have a potential conflict of interest in their relationship with me, they will notify me of that fact immediately and will cooperate in helping me find a different Consultant.
I understand and agree with the above stipulations as well as the following:
I understand the fee for this group is $480 for 6 meetings in this group consultation series.
I understand that my fee holds my seat in the group (whether or not I am able to attend) and by accepting a place in the group, I am committing financially for the duration of the group consultation series.
I understand that if I provide advanced notification of my absence and request a recording, a zoom recording of the meeting I miss will be made available to me for a period of one week for viewing.
I UNDERSTAND THAT IF I WISH TO USE GROUP OR INDIVIDUAL HOURS TOWARD IFS CERTIFICATION, MARCELLA WILL NEED TO VIEW A VIDEO OF ME USING THE IFS MODEL WITH A “CLIENT” IN ORDER TO EVALUATE MY SKILL WITH EVERY STEP OF THE MODEL. I FURTHER UNDERSTAND THAT IF MY DEMONSTRATED SKILLS WITH THE MODEL ARE BELOW AVERAGE AND MARCELLA IS UNABLE TO RECOMMEND ME FOR CERTIFICATION, MY CERTIFICATION HOURS WITH MARCELLA WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED BY THE IFS INSTITUTE. I UNDERSTAND THAT THIS IS AN INSTITUTE POLICY AND AGREE TO DISCUSS ANY QUESTIONS WITH MARCELLA PRIOR TO INITIATING CONSULTATION.
I understand that this group’s focus is on integrating the Somatic IFS model with clients.
I understand that group consultation is a mixture of didactic (case consultation questions, skills teaching), experiential (guided Somatic IFS meditations and experientials, live demos with group members, potential practice dyads/triads, etc.), and personal support (brief feelings check ins at the beginning of group or therapist parts exploration). Participation in any or all of these elements is always voluntary. This mixture is very intentionally included in the group to allow for a variety of approaches to learning the content.
Should my preference be for didactic/instruction only, I am aware that I may contact marcella@kindfulbody.com and change my consultation preference to individual consultation sessions, which are exclusively teaching/case consultation and do not include experiential unless expressly requested.
Individual Consultation Fee:
$250 per 50-minute clinical hour. This fee may be split ($125) between 2 consultees if desired, however dyadic (shared) consultation hours do not count toward individual hours for IFS certification. I understand that if I choose this option, I am responsible for finding my own co-consultee to share the hour.
Fees & Payment
Prepayment for this group is required and can be made in full on at the time of registration or can be made in two payments—one due at the time of registration and one due one month after registration. Full payment is required regardless of attendance.
Recording Policy
NO AUDIO OR VIDEO RECORDING of any kind is permitted by consultation participants. Making recordings independently and without adequate safeguards can quickly and easily compromise the privacy of group members.
Liability
By contracting with Consultant, I agree to carry full and sole liability for any “Harm” created by personal decisions I make, or refrain from making, even those informed by the consultation. Harm may include emotional distress, serious bodily injury, or even death of others. I agree not to hold Marcella Cox legally responsible should any Harm or other negative consequences of my decision making occur. I agree that the consultation provided is informed by Consultant’s training and experience but does not in any way constitute psychiatric, mental health or medical advice or take the place of psychiatric, mental health or medical advice.
I understand the risks of such Harm and I appreciate that I may have to exercise extra care for my own person and for others, including my clients, in the face of such potential Harm. I confirm that this consultation relationship is voluntary, and I have chosen to work with Consultant at my sole discretion and may choose to cease working with Consultant at any time. I understand that the Consultant has not tried to contradict or minimize my understanding of the risks of Harm.
To the fullest extent allowed by law, I agree to WAIVE AND DISCHARGE CLAIMS AGAINST, RELEASE FROM LIABILITY, INDEMNIFY AND HOLD HARMLESS Marcella Cox, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and Marcella Cox Marriage and Family Therapy Inc. DBA Kindful Body from and against ANY AND ALL LIABILITY on account of, or in any way resulting from, any Harm relating to participation in the consultation sessions offered, even if caused by the wrongdoing or NEGLIGENCE of Consultant. Such negligence could include but is not limited to negligent assessment of the appropriate care options for the recovery of my clients. This release of liability applies to any and all rights for claims that exist in my favor, known or unknown, and is intended to be as broad and inclusive as is permitted by law. If any provision or any part of any provision of this release of liability is held to be invalid or legally unenforceable for any reason, the remainder of the release of liability and this agreement shall not be affected thereby and shall remain valid and fully enforceable.
Further, I have read Section 1542 of the California Civil Code, which provides as follows:
“A general release does not extend to claims which the creditor does not know or suspect to exist in his or her favor at the time of executing the release, which if known by him or her must have materially affected his or her settlement with the debtor.”
I understand that Section 1542 allows me to choose not to release existing claims of which I am presently unaware, unless I voluntarily choose to waive this right. Having been so apprised, I nevertheless hereby voluntarily elect to, and do, waive the rights described in Section 1542, and elect to assume all rights for claims that now exist in my favor, known or unknown, for the subject of this release of liability.
I HEREBY WAIVE ALL RISKS DESCRIBED HEREIN, AND RELATED HERETO, RELATED TO MY USE OF CONSULTANTS’ SERVICES.