Privacy Policy & Disclaimer
Your privacy and security is of the utmost importance to me. Here you can read more about your privacy in therapy.
Limits of Confidentiality: What you discuss during your therapy session is kept confidential. No contents of the therapy sessions, whether verbal or written may be shared with another party without your written consent or the written consent of your legal guardian.
The following is a list of exceptions:
Duty to Warn and Protect - If you disclose a plan or threat to harm yourself, the therapist must attempt to notify your family and notify legal authorities. In addition, if you disclose a plan to threat or harm another person, the therapist is required to warn the possible victim and notify legal authorities.
Abuse of Children and Vulnerable Adults - If you disclose, or it is suspected, that there is abuse or harmful neglect of children or vulnerable adults (i.e. the elderly, disabled/incompetent), the therapist must report this information to the appropriate state agency and/or legal authorities.
Prenatal Exposure to Controlled Substances - Therapists must report any admitted prenatal exposure to controlled substances that could be harmful to the mother or the child.
Minors/Guardianship - Parents or legal guardians of non-emancipated minor clients have the right to access the clientsʼ records.
Insurance Providers - Insurance companies and other third-party payers are given information that they request regarding services to the clients.
Legal - If a court of law issues a legitimate subpoena for information stated on the subpoena, I will comply. The type of information that may be requested includes: types of service, dates/times of service, diagnosis, treatment plan, description of impairment, progress of therapy, case notes, summaries, etc.
Other considerations:
Telehealth: Telehealth has potential benefits including easier access to care and the convenience of meeting from a location of your choosing. There are potential risks to this technology, including interruptions, unauthorized access, and technical difficulties. All sessions will be completed via a HIPPA compliant software.
Electronic Communication: I cannot ensure the confidentiality of any form of communication through electronic media, including text messages so I encourage you to only use these methods of communication regarding scheduling or logistical issues. While I may try to return messages in a timely manner, I cannot guarantee immediate response and request that you do not use these methods of communication to discuss therapeutic content and/or request assistance for emergencies.
Social Media: Due to the importance of your confidentiality and the importance of minimizing dual relationships, I will not follow current or former clients on any social networking site (Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, etc). I believe that adding clients as friends or contacts on these sites can compromise your confidentiality and our respective privacy. It may also blur the boundaries of our therapeutic relationship. I do have a professional social media page @cyclebreakerstherapy on Instagram. You are welcome to follow me there, but I will not follow you back. Please understand that you risk breaking your own confidentiality by engaging with my social media accounts. If you decide to unfollow me, I wonʼt be upset. If you have questions about this, please bring them up when we meet and we can talk more about it.
Consultation/Supervision: Occasionally I may need to consult with other professionals in their areas of expertise in order to provide the best treatment for you. Information about you may be shared in this context without using your name and these other professionals are bound by ethical standards for privacy as well.
Contact Outside of Therapy: If we see each other in public, I will not acknowledge you first. Your right to privacy and confidentiality is of the utmost importance to me, and I do not wish to jeopardize your privacy. However, if you acknowledge me first, I will be more than happy to speak briefly with you, but feel it appropriate not to engage in any lengthy discussions in public or outside of the therapy sessions.