If You Need to Contact Me
When you call my work number, (805) 617-6002, you will either speak with me directly, or you will get my voice mailbox. This protects your confidentiality. If you get my voicemail, feel free to leave a detailed message.
If you have a behavioral or emotional crisis and cannot reach me immediately by telephone, I recommend that you and your family members call the Santa Barbara County Help Line, the number is easily remembered: 211. (If you wish to dial regularly the number is 1-800-400-1572 or TTY 1-805-899-8108.) The Help Line is staffed by caring individuals who are available 24 hours a day to talk with you and provide assistance during an emergency. The Help Line is equipped to make referrals to appropriate emergency care centers throughout the county and if you live outside the county they can connect you with resources in your area.
About Confidentiality
It is your legal right that our sessions and my records about you are kept confidential (that is, private). I will treat with great care all the information you share with me. In general, I will tell no one what you tell me.
In all but a few rare situations, your confidentiality is protected by state law and by the rules of my profession. The most common cases in which confidentiality is not protected are the following:
If you make a serious threat to harm yourself or another person.
When there is information that leads to a reasonable suspicion of child abuse or abuse of a vulnerable adult.
When court-ordered, or when required in conformity to state or federal laws, information regarding our work together may be released.
If you sign a release of information, such as for your insurance company.
Generally, your health insurance company will receive only my billing statement. This gives the dates of our appointments, my charges, and a diagnosis. It will become part of your permanent medical record. As part of cost control efforts, an insurance company will sometimes ask for more information on symptoms, diagnoses, and my treatment methods. I will let you know if this should occur and what the company has asked for.
If you are concerned about the confidentiality of your insurance records or if any other issues regarding confidentiality are a concern to you, please bring these up in session and we can discuss them to your satisfaction.
Our Appointments
An appointment is a commitment to our work. We agree to meet here and to be on time. I consider our meetings very important. If I am ever unable to start on time, I assure you that you will receive the full time agreed to.
Effective therapy will require your commitment to the appointments we schedule. Scheduled sessions that are missed without adequate prior notice (except for situations that both of us can agree are unpredictable emergencies) will be billed the same as a normal session. I would appreciate it very much if you endeavor to always let me know when you must cancel an appointment at least 48 hours (two days) in advance. If you cancel a session less than 24 hours in advance, I am not usually able to use that therapy hour to see other clients, and thus will need to bill for the cancelled session.
Fees, Payments, and Billing
Payment for services is important in any professional relationship. Clearly defining the financial framework for therapy can be particularly important in keeping our relationship free from unnecessary complications that might otherwise jeopardize the therapeutic goals.
My current regular fees are as follows. You will be given advance notice if my fees should change.
Regular therapy services: For a session of 50-60 minutes, the fee is $ 250.00-300.00 . My general policy is to take payment for each session at the time we meet. I have found that this arrangement helps us to stay focused on our goals, and so it works best. Most patients report that they prefer to make out their checks before the session begins, in order to best utilize the therapy time. Alternative payment arrangements can be discussed and worked out by mutual agreement.
Reports: I will not charge you for making simple reports to your insurance company. I will bill my time for lengthy or complex reports. I will discuss any such situations with you before performing the service.
Other services: Charges for other potential services, such as telephone therapy, hospital visits, home visits, or any court-related services (such as consultations with lawyers, depositions, or attendance at courtroom proceedings) are normally based on the time involved in providing the service at my regular fee schedule.
Health Insurance Coverage and Payments
Many health insurance plans will help you pay for therapy and other services I offer. I am glad to help with your insurance claim forms when necessary. At the same time, your insurance contract is between you and your company. It is important to highlight that it is you, the client – not the insurance company or any other person or company – who is responsible for paying the fees we agree upon.
If You Have Managed Care or Health Maintenance Insurance
If you belong to a health maintenance organization (HMO) or have another kind of health insurance with managed care, decisions about what kind of care you need and how much of it you can receive will be reviewed by the insurance organization or its representative(s). These plans have rules, limits, and procedures that can impact your therapy work.
In order to help you with any health insurance benefits, I will send information about you to your managed care company or to an agent of your insurance company. These companies are increasingly asking for more information about clients and will want to know about your problems, symptoms, family and work life, and so forth. This information will be reviewed by the staff of the insurance and managed care companies, and possibly by your employer. If you are concerned about loss of confidentiality, lack of control over your treatment, or the possible negative impact of a required mental health diagnosis, please bring these issues to my attention and we can discuss treatment and payment options.
Statement of Principles and Complaint Procedures
I abide by the rules of my state license and the American Psychological Association. I provide services to all persons without regard to race, color, age, sex, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, or disability. I am personally committed to advancing the values of equal opportunity, human dignity, and racial, ethnic, and cultural diversity.
If you feel that you have been discriminated against in any way or that I have broken a professional rule (or that any other therapist, past or present, has been discriminatory or violated a professional boundary) please bring this matter to my attention immediately. You may also choose to file a Complaint of Discrimination. Filing a complaint can be a positive reaction to mistreatment. You can be assured that you will not be threatened or suffer any penalty because you file a complaint. In fact, any action attempted against you or any other involved person(s) is prohibited by law.
The state of California’s Department of Consumer Affairs, Board of Psychology, receives and responds to questions and complaints regarding the practice of psychology. The following link offers online guidance: www.psychology.ca.gov/consumers/filecomplaint.shtml. You can telephone the CA Board of Psychology at (866) 503-3221; or you can write the Board of Psychology, 1625 North Market Street, Suite N-215, Sacramento CA 95834.