Right to Terminate Treatment
- You have the right to terminate treatment at anytime with no financial, legal, or moral obligations, assuming all previous sessions have been paid in full.
In most circumstances, it is best to have a concluding session where therapist and client can discuss the proper course for ending. - Counseling is meant to be helpful and productive, but it is not for everyone. Counseling is not a guarantee for success, and in rare circumstances, due to the nature of therapy, some issues can become temporarily worse.
Right to Choose a Therapist
- You have the right to choose a therapist that best meets your needs and fits your level of comfort. You are always free and welcomed to seek a second opinion from another mental health professional.
- You have the right request the credentials, training, and education of your therapist.
Right to Raise Questions about Counseling and the Counseling Process
- You have the right and are encouraged to ask questions about your treatment at any time. Your individual experience and input about the counseling process can be a very helpful avenue for discussion within the treatment, and I would love the opportunity to talk with you about this as we progress.
- Some frequently asked questions are:
- If I am unhappy about our work or with you, what can I do about it?
- How long does therapy last and what are the chances it will be successful?
- Is there a different therapeutic treatment you can offer me?
- What are the risks associated with counseling?
- Based on what you know about me, what are the realistic goals I can achieve by working with you?
Right to Privacy and Confidentiality
- There is a legal privilege protecting the confidentiality of the information you share with me. There are select circumstances where I am permitted or requited by law to disclose this information without either your consent or your authorization. These circumstances are rare in my practice. If any of these circumstances do arise, I will make an effort to discuss this circumstance with you before I take action. If I determine disclosure is the reasonable course of action, I will limit my disclosure to what is necessary. The select circumstances where disclosure may occur without your consent or authorization are:
- If you have previously signed a Release of Information allowing me to disclose information to individuals or institutions at your voluntary discretion.
- If I believe you are going to cause harm to another person, if another person may cause harm to you, or if you may harm yourself, I may be required to contact the appropriate authorities to provide for the safety of you or another person.
- If I know or suspect that a child, elderly person, or disabled person has been abused or neglected, the law requires that I file a report with the appropriate governmental agency
- If there is a court order requiring the release of certain information
- If a client brings a lawsuit or complaint against me, I may disclose relevant information pertaining to that client in order to defend myself.
- I am required by applicable federal and state law to maintain the privacy of your health information. I am also required to notify you about my privacy practices, legal obligations, and your rights concerning your health information (also called “Protected Health Information” or “PHI”). I must follow the privacy practices that are described below (which may be amended from time to time).
- Pursuant to the Federal Healthcare Information Portability and Privacy Act (HIPAA), I keep information about you in what is called Case Notes.
- Case Notes are made up of your name, contact info, diagnosis codes, and treatment plans (this information is what most clients use for billing purposes to provide to their insurance carriers.)
- My Case Notes also include a brief, shorthand summary of each counseling session, and these are strictly my property and not available to anyone. Upon your written request, I can provide an overall summary of this information to be given to other professionals for your benefit, or as required by a court of law.
- Case Notes may not be disseminated to anyone without your explicit knowledge and permission, except for provisions described above.
- You are entitled to this information as a current or former client.
- A detailed account of all the rules, rights, and obligations of professionals under the HIPAA provisions can be found by clicking (here) (http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/hipaa/understanding/consumers/index.html), which will take you directly to the United States Department of Health and Human Services website pertaining to this specific information.
- At your request, I can provide you a written summary of these HIPAA provisions.
- On occasion, I seek consultation from colleagues as well as a licensed supervisor to discuss your treatment and for the purposes of improving my work with you. All information is shared confidentially and remains so.
Privacy Policy
SECTION 1 – WHAT DO WE DO WITH YOUR INFORMATION?
When you browse our website, we also automatically receive your computer’s internet protocol (IP) address in order to provide us with information that helps us learn about your browser and operating system.
This information we collect may include the content you view (including but not limited to the products you purchase or your location information associated with your IP address). We use this information to serve you relevant advertisements (what we call “Retargeting”).
Email marketing (if applicable): With your permission, we may send you emails about our services and other updates.
SECTION 2 – CONSENT
How do you get my consent?
When you provide us with personal information, including your email address, you are providing us with consent to contact you via the information you provide.
How do I withdraw my consent?
If after you opt-in, you change your mind, you may withdraw your consent for us to contact you, for the continued collection, use or disclosure of your information, at anytime, by contacting us at 1414 17th Avenue South, Nashville, TN, 37212
SECTION 3 – DISCLOSURE
We may disclose your personal information if we are required by law to do so or if you violate our Terms of Service.
SECTION 4 – THIRD-PARTY SERVICES
In general, the third-party providers used by us will only collect, use and disclose your information to the extent necessary to allow them to perform the services they provide to us.
For all third-party providers, we recommend that you read their privacy policies so you can understand the manner in which your personal information will be handled by these providers.
Once you leave our website or are redirected to a third-party website or application, you are no longer governed by this Privacy Policy.
Links
When you click on links on our website, they may direct you away from our site. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of other sites and encourage you to read their privacy statements.
SECTION 5 – YOUR COMPUTER COOKIES
As you browse www.nashvillecounselor.net, advertising cookies will be placed on your computer so that we can understand what you are interested in. We will then present you with retargeting advertising on other sites based on your previous interaction with www.nashvillecounselor.net. The techniques our partners employ do not collect personal information such as your name, email address, postal address or telephone number. You can visit this page (http://www.networkadvertising.org/choices/) to opt out of partners’ targeted advertising.
SECTION 6 – CHANGES TO THIS PRIVACY POLICY
We reserve the right to modify this privacy policy at any time, so please review it frequently. Changes and clarifications will take effect immediately upon their posting on the website.
QUESTIONS AND CONTACT INFORMATION
If you would like to: access, correct, amend or delete any personal information we have about you, register a complaint, or simply want more information contact our Privacy Compliance Officer by mail at the address below.
[Re: Privacy Compliance Officer]
1414 17th Avenue South, Nashville, TN 37212
