Confidentiality

All information shared in session will remain confidential, meaning that only I (Mary Worden) and my clinical supervisor (Mandy Fair) will have access to this information. The exceptions to this rule are in the case of child, elderly, or disabled abuse. In these circumstances, I would be required to report to the appropriate authorities.

In order to protect your confidentiality, I will not approach clients outside of therapy. This means that if we see each other while in public, I will not approach you first.

Cancellation and No-Show Policy

If you need to cancel a session please do so at least 24 hours before the next scheduled appointment. Failure to cancel without a 24 hour notice will result in being charged the same fee as your usual scheduled appointment.

Any no-show will also result in being charged the usual session fee. If you show up more than 15 minutes late for your scheduled therapy appointment, I will consider that a no-show as therapy cannot be conducted effectively in under 35 minutes.

Supervision

As an LMFT- Associate, I am required to meet weekly with an LMFT-Supervisor. My supervisor is Mandy Fair, LMFT-S. I will meet with her to discuss cases, continue my growth as a therapist, and ensure I am providing quality care. If you ever have any reason to contact her, her contact information can be found here.

Crisis

I am not a crisis care hotline nor a crisis care provider. If you are in a state of crisis (ie. suicidal thoughts, homicidal thoughts, self harm, abuse, etc) please use appropriate crisis care. Lists of appropriate providers and hotlines can be found here.

Social Media Policy

In order to maintain professional boundaries and a good therapeutic relationship, I will not accept any follow requests from clients on any form of social media.

Collaborating with Other Providers

If you or your family are receiving treatment from other providers, there may be times when collaboration would be helpful or needed. If so, please use the client portal to fill out a Release of Information.

For the safety of client records and confidentiality, both I and the other provider will need a Release of Information in order to discuss your case.

Secrets Policy

In most circumstances, I operate under a “no secrets policy.” My client is the relationship, and therefore, my keeping secrets on behalf of one partner can be detrimental to the therapeutic relationship. If something is shared with me that is not yet known to the other person in the client family/couple, I will likely work to prepare and empower the clients for their disclosure of the secret. Exceptions to this policy would be if I felt that doing so would risk the safety of a client.

Telehealth Expectations

Telehealth sessions will be held to the same expectation as in-person sessions. Therefore, all the previously stated policies will apply to telehealth cases. If there is a problem sustaining wifi connection, please discuss this with me and we may reconsider using tele-services.