Patient confidentiality is respected at all levels of communication and is protected by Federal and State Laws.  There are, however, situations in which confidentiality may be compromised and the provider’s professional and legal duty to protect may override the dictates of confidentiality. Briefly, these situations may include a strong indication of imminent danger to self or others or indication of abuse or neglect of another.  Patients under the age of 18 require a parent or legal guardians to receive services.  Please, read HIPPA privacy statements and discuss any concerns that you may have.

The law protects the relationship between a client and a psychotherapist, and information cannot be disclosed without written permission.

Exceptions include:

• Suspected child abuse or dependent adult or elder abuse, for which I am required by law to report this to the appropriate authorities immediately.
• If a client is threatening serious bodily harm to another person/s, I must notify the police and inform the intended victim.
• If a client intends to harm himself or herself, I will make every effort to enlist their cooperation in insuring their safety. If they do not cooperate, I will take further measures without their permission that are provided to me by law in order to ensure their safety.

Your file could be closed under the following circumstances: a) Mutual decision between patient and therapist, b) The patient decides to discontinue services, c) Three of more missing appointments without 24 hours notice. In all cases, your file will be closed until you reopen it by requesting further services. As required by law, any file that remains closed for six years will be destroyed.

All paperwork or letters written on behalf of the patient will be priced based on the hourly rate.

I shall never release any personal information without your previous written consent. If you authorize a release, we will previously discuss its purpose and limits.