Informed Consent for Therapy Agreement
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Please read through the following informed consent agreement. What follows is a basic understanding
between client and therapist. In general, what are listed below are the responsibilities and obligations of your therapist, and some expectations of you as the client. This document also contains important information about our professional services and business policies. Do not sign the informed consent unless you completely understand and agree to all aspects. If you have any questions, please bring this form back to your next session, so you and your therapist can go through this document in as much detail as is needed. When you sign this document, it will represent an agreement between us.
Psychotherapy
• Voluntary Participation: All clients voluntarily agree to treatment, and accordingly may terminate any time without penalty. Therapy involves a large commitment of time, money, and energy, so you should be thoughtful about the therapist you select. In the first couple of sessions, you should be deciding whether your therapist is right for you. If you feel it is not a good match, then your therapist will be happy to assist you in finding a new therapist.
• Client Involvement: All clients are expected to show up to appointments on time, prepared to focus on and discuss therapy goals and issues, and will not attend while under the influence of mood-altering chemicals. All clients are expected to be open and honest so your therapist can assist you with your goals. Therapy is not like a medical doctor visit. Instead, it calls for a very active effort on your part. For therapy to be most successful, you are encouraged to work on things we talk about both during our sessions and at home. Inconsistent attendance can negatively affect your therapy progress.
• Therapist Involvement: Your therapist will be prepared at the designated time, (barring emergencies), and will be attentive and supportive in meeting the therapy goals and do everything possible to assist you in achieving a greater sense of self-awareness and work toward helping you resolve problem areas.
• Guarantees: Although many people do get better in therapy, some do get worse. Accordingly, your
therapist makes no guarantee of results. It is not possible to guarantee results such as: becoming happier, saving marriages, becoming less depressed, and so forth.
• Risks of Therapy: Just as medications sometimes causes unexpected side effects, therapy can stimulate painful memories, unanticipated changes in your life, and uncomfortable feelings like sadness, guilt, anger, frustration, loneliness, and helplessness. In some cases, client’s symptoms can become worse during the course of therapy, occasionally necessitating hospitalization. Another risk of therapy is that throughout the process of therapeutic change it is not uncommon for clients to reach a point of change where they may feel they are different and no longer able to be the same person they were upon entering therapy. At times these feelings can be unsettling.
• Benefits of Therapy: The benefits of therapy can include: a higher level of functional coping, solutions to specific problems, new insights into self, more effective means of communicating in relationships, symptomatic relief, and improved self-esteem.
• Alternatives to Traditional Therapy: can include life coaching, stress management, peer self-help groups, and support groups.
• Credentials and Qualifications: Therapists at Elevate Life Solutions hold a variety of degrees in the field of social work and or psychology such as: Master’s in psychology, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, or Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker. In each case your therapist is licensed by the state of Massachusetts to provide psychotherapy.
• Therapy Approach & Theory: Your therapist generally uses a therapy approach that includes a Cognitive Behavioral, Solution Focused, Acceptance and Commitment therapy and Motivational Interviewing. Your therapist focuses largely upon client responsibility in therapy, building a relationship with clients, creating a nurturing environment conducive to change and problem solving, exploration of past events and how they continue to affect you today, analysis of underlying belief systems and their relation to inadequate functioning or hindrance to change, and implementation of specific emotional, cognitive, and behavioral techniques designed to aid in change toward specified goals.
• Colleague Consultation: In keeping with standards of practice, your therapist may consult with other mental health professionals regarding care and management of cases. The purpose of this consultation is to ensure quality of care. Your therapist will maintain complete confidentiality and protect your identity by not using real names or any identifying information.
• Meetings and Length of Therapy: Once we have agreed to work together, we will usually schedule one appointment every week at a time we can agree upon. Session length is 50 minutes. Because our meetings are your time, you are expected to come to each session with a sense of what it is you would like to discuss or work on during that particular session. Length of therapy is quite variable based on client motivation, number and severity of issues to resolve, and work efforts outside of therapy sessions. On average, many people feel they have obtained what they were looking for in 10-25 sessions. For some it is fewer and for others it may go longer.
• Confidentiality and Privilege: The information and content shared in therapy will remain confidential, except as noted in the next section: Exceptions to Confidentiality and Privilege. Your information will not be shared with anyone without your written consent. Your information is also privileged, which means that your therapist is free from the duty to speak in court about your counseling unless you waive that right, or a judge orders it.
• Exceptions to Confidentiality and Privilege: As a mandated reporter in the state of Massachusetts your therapist is legally obligated to violate confidentiality under the following circumstances:
When the therapist has reason to suspect that the client has been, or is currently, involved in the
abuse or neglect of child, When the therapist has reason to suspect that the client has been, or is currently, involved, in the abuse or neglect of vulnerable disabled or elderly adults, if a client is pregnant and taking street drugs, If the client reports sexual misconduct by another therapist, if a client is a serious danger to themselves, i.e., if suicidal, If a client is a serious danger to someone else, i.e., if homicidal, and If the courts order copies of records
• Ethical Guidelines: Your therapist follows the National Association of social Workers (NASW) ethical guidelines
• Medical Records: The laws and standards of our profession require that we keep treatment records. You are entitled to receive a copy of the records unless we believe that seeing them would be emotionally damaging, in which case we will send them to a mental health professional of your choosing. Because these are professional records, they can be misinterpreted and/or upsetting to untrained readers. We recommend you review them in your therapist’s presence so we can discuss the contents. All client records include: an intake sheet filled out prior to therapy, a chronological listing of appointments and fees, a copy of signed releases, copies of any correspondence regarding your case, a copy of the signed informed consent packet materials, and a copy of all therapist notes. All
records will be maintained by your therapist in a secured area for a period of seven years from the time-of-service termination. As a client you have a right to access your records. You also have a right to contest material in your records and it will be noted in your record. You do not have a right to alter your records or dictate information be removed. You have the right to access and view your record, but you do not own the records, they are property of Elevate Life Solutions.
• Disputes and Complaints: Any disputes or complaints that cannot be resolved between the client, therapist, and Elevate Life Solutions can be directed to the Board of Social Work.
• Professional Fees: All clinicians will perform an initial diagnostic session which is more expensive. Follow up therapy sessions are less expensive.
• Health Insurance: We are not in network with any health insurance provider. You may seek reimbursement directly with your insurance provider.
• Phone Availability: We are often not immediately available by phone. Because of other obligations, we are currently only returning phone calls in the early morning and evening. We will also not answer the phone when we are with a client. When we are unavailable, you are able to leave us a voice message and we will make every effort to return your call the same day you have called, with the exception of weekends and holidays. If you are difficult to reach, we encourage you to leave us times when you will be available. We also encourage the use of 911 or 988 for emergencies.
• Emergency & Interruption of Therapy: In the event of any mental health or substance abuse emergency, we encourage you to call 911 or 988. When we are on vacation or plan to be unavailable for a brief period of time, we will provide you with the name and number of another therapist you can contact with questions or come in to see as needed. In the event of a longer interruption of therapy we will make appropriate referrals as needed.
• Termination: Either the client or the therapist may end therapy at any time. Your voluntary involvement allows you to discontinue at any time. If your therapist feels you are no longer benefiting from therapy or your therapist feels there is a conflict in values they may discuss termination. If you desire additional therapy your therapist will provide you with a referral competent to address your issues.
• Billing and Payments: You will be expected to pay for each session at the beginning of our meetings, unless we have agreed on other arrangements. Keep in mind that it is you that is responsible for full payment of fees. My signature below indicates that I understand and agree to pay the full amount for therapy sessions 24 hours prior to each scheduled session.
• Cancellation, No Show or Late Arrival: In general, all clients must provide the therapist a minimum of 24 hours notice in the event of a cancellation, which does not include weekends. This means if you have an appointment at 1:00 pm on Monday, you will need to have cancelled by 1:00 pm on the Friday prior. Clients will be charged for appointments that are not canceled at least 24 hours in advance and for all no shows. Insurance companies do not pay for missed appointments; therefore, you will be responsible for the full amount charged. Clients arriving late will not be provided an extension of time beyond what they were scheduled so as not to disrupt another client appointments. No reduction in fees will result from shortened sessions due to a client’s late arrival. Additionally, if a client misses two appointments, your therapist has the option to terminate services and refer you to another agency for services.
• Account Balance Maximum: Whenever a client’s account reaches an outstanding balance of $500 and no payments have been made or received toward the account, additional services will be suspended.
Services will remain suspended until client begins making payment toward their account. If no payments are made, services will remain suspended and/or clients may be referred to alternate providers for services.
• Collections: If your account has not been paid for more than 60 days and arrangements for payment have not been agreed upon, we have the option of using legal means to secure payment. This may involve hiring a collection agency or going through small claims court. In most collection situations, the only information released regarding a client’s treatment is his/her name, the nature of the services provided, and the amount due. Accounts turned over to collections may be subject to future requirements such as providing a retainer for future services.
Elevate Life Solutions: Informed Consent Agreement
As the client, my signature below indicates that I have been provided a copy of the Informed Consent for Therapy Agreement. My signature below confirms my understanding of all the rules and responsibilities of both the client and the therapist, in addition to understanding the financial terms and agreements. My signature constitutes my agreement and compliance to this document. I, as well as my clinician, will abide by the stipulations listed herein.