The following contains important information about my professional services.

Telehealth Meetings 

I conduct all therapy meetings online using synchronous video conferencing (i.e., telehealth).  I use an encrypted, HIPAA compliant web platform (Zoom) for our meetings and work in a secure, private office space.

I am licensed as a Psychologist in Vermont and New Hampshire and am only able to provide services to clients who are in one of these states at the time of the session. 

Confidentiality

In order to protect my clients, confidentiality is strictly maintained within the legal and ethical limits of the psychological profession according to the Ethical Standards of the American Psychological Association (APA) and HIPAA. A release of information would be requested prior to disclosure of any confidential information with outside persons or agencies. However, there are circumstances in which I am required by law to disclose information without your consent to outside persons. These may include, but not limited to, situations where I believe that a child, an elderly person, or a disabled person is being abused, a client is threatening serious bodily harm to himself/herself or another, or I am informed of any pending illegal activity by a client.

I occasionally find it helpful to consult with other professionals about my work with clients, including supervision from a senior psychologist. These consultations are intended to enable me to provide better services to you. During any consultation/supervision, I make every effort to avoid revealing the identity of my clients. The consultant/supervisor is also legally bound to keep the information confidential. I also video some of my sessions and would only do this with your permission.

When referrals are received from another healthcare provider (e.g., physician, nurse, therapist, etc.) it is professional courtesy to thank them and let them know that I am seeing you. I will ask your permission to correspond with them and to what extent I can share information.

          Telehealth Confidentiality

I have a legal and ethical responsibility to make my best efforts to protect all communications that are a part of our telehealth interactions.  While there are potential benefits and risks of video-conferencing that differ from in-person sessions, confidentiality still applies for telehealth services.  However, the nature of electronic communications technologies is such that I cannot guarantee that our communications will be kept confidential or that other people may not gain access to our communications. For example, confidentiality could be compromised if someone is listening to your conversation from another room or if you are using a public Wi-Fi network.  It is also important for you to protect the privacy of our session on your computer or other device (table or phone), such as having passwords to protect the device you use for telehealth.

Crisis management and intervention

Due to the nature of my practice, I cannot accept clients in therapy who are in a high risk or crisis situation requiring high levels of support and intervention. However, to ensure your safety, I do ask that you identify an emergency contact person (on my Client Information Form) who is near your location and who I would contact in the event of a crisis or emergency to assist in addressing the situation.

Guidelines for Telehealth

• It is important to be in a quiet, private space (no one else in the room) that is free of distractions (including cell phone or other devices) during the session.
• You will need to use a computer or other device (tablet or phone) with a good, secure internet connection (DSL or cable, not public/free Wi-Fi.) and a camera and mic. You will need to make sure that your camera, speakers and mic are all turned on. Use passwords on your computer, phone or tablet you use for telehealth.
• I will send you a link for the meeting the day before the scheduled time. Please login a few minutes before your scheduled appointment so we can resolve any audio or video issues. To insure best quality, close all other applications on your computer or tablet. If you have any difficulties getting connected, please call me at the number provided to you.
• If the session is interrupted and you are not having an emergency, disconnect from the session and I will wait two (2) minutes and then re-contact you via the telehealth platform. If you are unable to reconnect within two (2) minutes, then please call me at the number provided.
• If either of us determines that telehealth is not appropriate, I will assist you in finding a therapist who could meet with you in-person.

Availability

My office hours are Tuesday – Friday, 9:30 AM – 5:00 PM.

Current clients and prospective clients can reach me by email or phone. I generally respond to emails within 24 hours, except on weekends when I will respond when I return on Tuesday. I am often not immediately available by telephone, but try to return calls as quickly as possible. When you call, please leave your name, phone number, and the days/times when you will be available to talk. If you are calling from a cell phone and I do not call back within 24 hours, I may not have received the full message clearly and you should call again.

If you are a current client and are unable to reach me and feel that you cannot wait for me to return your call, you should contact your family physician, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room and ask for the mental health professional on call. If I will be unavailable for an extended time, I will provide you with the name of a colleague to contact.

Insurance and Fees

My fees for services are $150 for a 55 minute session: Meetings longer than 55 minutes are prorated based on this fee. I will provide a “Good Faith Estimate” to all clients directly paying for services.

Please note that I am an in-network provider only for the following insurance carriers:

• Anthem Blue Cross/Blue Shield of New Hampshire
• Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Vermont
• Harvard Pilgrim
• Medicare
• MVP 

For clients who have the above insurance, I will bill the insurance carrier directly. Clients who have coverage with insurance carriers not listed above will be expected to pay for services. I accept payment via check, Venmo or credit card. For insurance reimbursement for these clients, I can submit insurance claims directly to your insurance carrier or I can provide you with a bill (a “Superbill” or standard HCFA 1500 form, whichever will be acceptable for insurance reimbursement), as some insurance companies require you to submit bills directly to them yourself. I suggest that you contact your organization, HR department or insurance agent to find out what billing method your carrier prefers and what portion of the fee they would cover. The reimbursements that you receive from your insurance company can be used to offset the costs of our meetings.

While clients are expected to pay for services at each session, I do understand that some clients will not be able to afford the full fee or need to pay in installments.  I am willing to arrange a reduced fee and/or a payment plan if the fee is unaffordable, and this arrangement needs to be discussed at the outset of therapy.

Record Keeping

I am required by law to keep treatment records. I maintain both hand written and electronic notes and billing records. My written session and billing records/notes are stored in a locked filing cabinet in my office and all electronic records are stored on a password protected, encrypted computer and on a HIPAA compliant cloud-based server.

Cancellation Policy

When making an appointment, please take the time to consider your ability to keep that commitment. Your appointment time is reserved exclusively for you.

• If you believe you will not be able to make your scheduled appointment, I request that you provide a minimum of 48 hours notice. This will give me an opportunity to offer the time to someone else.
• You can cancel or change your appointment up to 24 hours prior to the appointment. If you do not give 24 hours notice or do not show up for your appointment at the scheduled time, you will be charged a $ 50 fee.  Please note that I am not legally able to charge an insurance company for a service I have not provided.  I consider a non-emergency change in plans or a last minute change in your work/family schedule as a cancellation and you will be charged the $50.  
• Please note: I understand that there are unforeseeable and/or unpreventable circumstances, such as personal and family illnesses, that require cancellation of an appointment.  You will not be charged for these cancellations.  If I need to cancel due to medical reasons, I will contact you as soon as possible to make other arrangements.

Termination

Either the client or the therapist may end therapy at any time. Your participation in therapy is voluntary and it is your right to discontinue at any time. If you do wish to terminate, I would appreciate having the opportunity to learn of your reasons at a scheduled meeting.  In addition, when it becomes reasonably clear to me that you are no longer needing the service, are not likely to benefit, or are being harmed by continued service, I am ethically responsible to terminate therapy with you. I will provide you with the names of other competent therapists to address your issues.

If you have any questions please feel free to contact me.