Thank you for considering me to provide you with counseling, psychotherapy, and or consultation.  When you telephone, you will likely get my 24-hour answering device.  Please leave your name, number, and good times to reach you.  It is helpful if you say what issues or questions you have.  As we arrange a first appointment, I will give you directions to my office if you need them.  When you arrive, please look for a clipboard with some brief forms and my business card attached.  Sit down to complete them, and I will come from my office to get you at the appointed time.

A standard therapy session is 45 minutes long, usually once a week.  If alternative time or frequency segments serves you better, we will arrange what is most fitting for you.  Please be prepared to pay for services at the time they are rendered:  I accept cash, checks and major credit cards.   I will expect my fee in full, and you will be given a receipt with copies for your records and for your insurance claim.  As I am not a "preferred provider," please check with your insurer to learn how much of my fee they will reimburse you and how many sessions they allow.  It will be your responsibility to file your insurance claims.

If you are unable to keep an appointment or must reschedule it, please give me as much notice as possible so that I can re-allocate my time.   You will be charged one-half of the fee for appointments not cancelled 24 hours in advance.   My answering device is on around the clock so that you can leave me a message and information at any time.  Only I will listen to the message.   Sometimes it will be several hours before I can return calls, so if you feel you are in an emergency, you may also want to call a Hotline at 472-4357 or 471-2255 (U.T.), or 911.   If you need an extended phone consult, it will be billed at a prorated session fee.

I will ask you to complete a background questionnaire and sign consent to treatment.  In some cases, we may agree that some assessment devices would be useful, for which there would be a separate fee, and I will inform you of such costs.   These are all tools to help me work more efficiently and effectively with you.   (There is no charge for the background form.)

If you have previously been in therapy, it may be useful to have your records released to me.  If so, you can sign a form which I will mail to your previous therapist.  If you are new to therapy, please feel free to ask me how therapy proceeds and about my training and specializations.

I generally take 3 – 5 weeks off each year for vacation and continuing education.  I will let you know well in advance of such absences, and I will arrange for a trusted colleague to provide emergency coverage to you.

CONFIDENTIALITY is very important for people seeking professional services.  My professional and personal ethics require me to keep all that we discuss in therapy and my records  of our meetings private and secure.  If you want me to provide information to anyone, I will require a signed release form from you.  Generally the law also protects your confidentiality, but there are rare exceptions.   Legally I am required to report suspected child/elder abuse and threats of bodily harm to the proper authorities.  Also, if you are involved in some legal action and your records are subpoenaed, I may have to submit them to the court.   Since I do not support any violation of your privacy, I will advise you of the situation and do all I can to resist disclosure, within the bounds of the law.  The law also permits insurance carriers and managed care programs limited access to your records when you sign their release of information to authorize reimbursement for services.