Privacy Policy

In general, the law protects the confidentiality of all communications between a patient and a counselor/therapist and I can only release information about your treatment to others with your written permission. However, there are some situations in which I am legally entitled or even required to release patient’s protected health information without their authorization. In the following situations, I must take action to protect people from harm, even though that requires revealing some information about a patient’s treatment. If I believe that a child, an elderly person, or a disabled person is being abused, I must file a report with the appropriate agency. If I believe that patients are threatening serious bodily harm to themselves or to another, I am required to take protective actions that may include contacting authorities, family members, or others who can help provide protection. In some situations, I may also be compelled by the courts to release patient records. If you are utilizing your insurance to cover the cost of your counseling services, it may be necessary for me to provide confidential health information for the purpose of:

• Verification of insurance benefits/obtaining authorization for treatment
• Submission of claims/reimbursement of service

Although held as confidential by those who receive it, the confidentiality of this information cannot be guaranteed by me once it has been transmitted to third party payer sources.