Therapy is a relationship that works in part because of clearly defined rights and responsibilities held by each person. This frame helps to create the safety to take risks and the support to become empowered to change. As a client in psychotherapy, you have certain rights that are important for you to know about because this is your therapy, with the goal of your well-being. There are also certain limitations to those rights that you should be aware of. As a therapist, I have corresponding responsibilities to you.
My Responsibilities to You as Your Therapist
I. Confidentiality
With the exception of certain specific exceptions described below, you have the absolute right to the confidentiality of your therapy. I cannot and will not tell anyone else what you have told me, or even that you are in therapy with me without your prior written permission. I may legally speak to another health care provider or a member of your family about you without your prior consent, but I will not do so unless the situation is an emergency. I will always act so as to protect your privacy even if you do release me in writing to share information about you. You may direct me to share information with whomever you chose, and you can change your mind and revoke that permission at any time.
Whenever I transmit information about you electronically (for example, appointment reminders, sending bills or faxing information), it will be done with special safeguards to ensure confidentiality.
If you elect to communicate with me by email at some point in our work together, please be aware that email is not completely confidential. All emails are retained in the logs of your or my internet service provider. While under normal circumstances no one looks at these logs, they are, in theory, available to be read by the system administrator(s) of the internet service provider. Any email I receive from you, and any responses that I send to you, will be kept in your treatment record.
The following are legal exceptions to your right to confidentiality. I would inform you of any time when I think I will have to put these into effect, unless under exceptional circumstances (e.g., safety risk).
1. If I have good reason to believe that you will harm another person, I must attempt to inform that person and warn them of your intentions. I must also contact the police and ask them to protect your intended victim.
2. If I have good reason to believe that you are abusing or neglecting a child or vulnerable adult, or if you give me information about someone else who is doing this, I must inform Child Protective Services within 48 hours and Adult Protective Services immediately. If you are between the ages of 16 and 18 and you tell me that you are having sex with a teacher or a coach, I must also report this to Police Service. I would inform you before I took this action.
3. If I believe that you are in imminent danger of harming yourself, I may legally break confidentiality and call the police or the crisis team. I am not obligated to do this, and would explore all other options with you before I took this step. If at that point you were unwilling to take steps to guarantee your safety, I would call the crisis or Police Service team.
4. If you tell me of the behavior of another named health or mental health care provider that informs me that this person has either a. engaged in sexual contact with a patient, including yourself or, b. is impaired from practice in some manner by cognitive, emotional, behavioural, or health problems, then the law requires me to report this to their licensing board. I would inform you before taking this step.
5. You are involved in a court case and a request is made for information about your counseling or therapy. If this happens, I will not disclose information without your written agreement unless the court requires me to. I will do all I can within the law to protect your confidentiality, and if I am required to disclose information to the court, I will inform you that this is happening.
II. Record-keeping
I keep brief records, noting that you have been here, what interventions happened in session, and the topics we discussed. You have the right to a copy of your file at any time. You have the right to request that I correct any errors in your file. You have the right to request that I make a copy of your file available to any other health care provider at your written request. I maintain your records in a secure location that cannot be accessed by anyone else. I keep all records for ten years after our last session.
III. Other Rights
You have the right to ask questions about anything that happens in therapy. I'm always willing to discuss how and why I've decided to do what I'm doing, and to look at alternatives that might work better. You can feel free to ask me to try something that you think will be helpful. You can ask me about my training for working with your concerns, and can request that I refer you to someone else if you decide I'm not the right therapist for you. You are free to leave therapy at any time.
My Training and Approach to Therapy
I have a Masters of Science degree in Counselling Psychology earned in 2008 at the University of Calgary. I am a licensed Registered Psychologist (#4152) in Alberta since 2014.
My areas of special training and expertise include working with adolescents and adults with issues of personal development, crisis, grief, life transitions, relationship issues, depression, anxiety, as well as individuals from minority groups. My general approach to therapy is Emotion-Focused therapy and Attachment-based developmental approaches. I also have worked extensively from a Cognitive Behavioural and Solution-Focused framework, so may bring elements of this into our treatment plan if it is appropriate. I also am developing my practice as a parent consultant and therapist, using the Neufeld approach of Attachment developmental psychology. I encourage you to ask for further clarification of these approaches, or any of the techniques or assessments I may be using, at any time during treatment with me.
If another health care person is working with you, I will need a release of information from you so that I can communicate freely with that person about your care. You have the right to refuse anything that I suggest. I do not have social or sexual relationships with clients or former clients because that would not only be unethical and illegal, it would be an abuse of the power I have as a psychologist.
Therapy also has potential emotional risks. Approaching feelings or thoughts that you have tried not to think about for a long time may be painful. Making changes in your beliefs or behaviors can be scary, and sometimes disruptive to the relationships you already have. You may find your relationship with me to be a source of strong feelings, some of them painful at times. It is important that you consider carefully whether these risks are worth the benefits to you of changing. Most people who take these risks find that therapy is helpful.
You normally will be the one who decides therapy will end, with three exceptions. If we have contracted for a specific short-term therapy, we will finish at the end of that contract. If, in my own judgment, I'm not able to help you, because of the kind of problem you have or because my training and skills are not appropriate for your issue, I will inform you of this fact and refer you to another therapist who may meet your needs. If you threaten me verbally or physically, or harass myself, the office, or my family, I reserve the right to terminate you unilaterally and immediately from treatment. If I terminate you from therapy, I will offer you referrals to other sources of care, but cannot guarantee that they will accept you for therapy.
I am not available for 24/7 crisis support and am only available during my office hours. If you are in crisis when I am out of the office, out of town or outside of my regular office hours, please call the Suicide Crisis Helpline at 9-8-8 or the Calgary Distress Centre at 403-266-HELP (4357), both available 24/7. If you believe that you cannot keep yourself safe please call 911 or go to the nearest hospital emergency room for assistance.
Your Responsibilities as a Therapy Client
You are responsible for coming to your session on time and at the time we have scheduled. Sessions last for 50 minutes. If you are late, we will end on time and not run over into the next person's session. If you miss a session without canceling, or cancel with less than 48 hours notice, you will be charged for the missed session. You cannot bill these sessions to your insurance. The only exception to this rule is if you would endanger yourself by attempting to come (for instance, driving on icy roads without proper tires), or if you or someone whose caregiver you are has fallen ill suddenly. If you no-show for two sessions in a row and do not respond to my attempts to reschedule, I will assume that you have dropped out of therapy and will make the space available to another individual.
You are responsible for paying for your session at the end of each session. My fee for a session is $220.00/50-minute session. Longer intake appointments are available at 75 minutes, and billed at $330.00. I offer direct billing at most insurance companies that allow psychologists to direct bill. I accept all major credit cards (with an additional 3% transaction fee), as well as e-transfers and cash. If we decide to meet for a longer session, I will bill you prorated on the regular fee. My fees go up according to the fee schedule published by the Psychologists Association of Alberta. If a fee raise is approaching I will remind you of this well in advance.
I am not able to have clients run a bill with me. At 30-days past due a 3% late fee will be added monthly to your bill. I cannot accept barter for therapy. If you eventually refuse to pay your debt, as a last resort, I reserve the right to give your name and the amount due to a collection agency.
Complaints
If you're unhappy with what's happening in therapy, I hope you'll talk about it with me so that I can respond to your concerns. I will take such criticism seriously, and with care and respect. If you believe that I've been unwilling to listen and respond, or that I have behaved unethically, you can complain about my behavior to the College of Alberta Psychologists, http://www.cap.ab.ca/frmPage.aspx?Page=ConcernsMenu.You are also free to discuss your complaints about me with anyone you wish, and do not have any responsibility to maintain confidentiality about what I do that you don't like, since you are the person who has the right to decide what you want kept confidential.