ONLINE THERAPY
It is my expectation that you will benefit from online therapy as all or part of your
Counseling or coaching experience, but there is no guarantee. Online Therapy is conducted using interactive audio and/or video and/or email. Online based services as care may not be appropriate for your need. If I assess that face to face is more appropriate, I will offer an appointment or provide referrals.
Janee V. Henderson, LPC reserves the right to terminate the online therapy and/or refer clients seeking online therapy to other services and/or providers at any point, even after the therapy relationship has started if we deem the client to be not suitable for online therapy, or if we determine that the client challenges are outside the scope of our core competencies.
To ensure the safety and well-being of our clients, and to provide the exceptional care that our clients are accustomed to, we will not accept clients who are suicidal, are struggling with substance abuse, minors or those that require close monitoring for our online therapy services.
When should I seek traditional mental health treatment rather than internet therapy?
1. If you are having thoughts of harming yourself (e.g. suicidal thoughts) or harming someone else (e.g. violent thoughts toward others) or psychotic symptoms. Please call 911 or 1-800-SUICIDE, which is the National Suicide Hotline.
2. If you are in an abusive or violent relationship.
3. If you have been seriously depressed.
4. If you have serious substance abuse dependence.
5. If you are a minor (under 18 years old).
Communication:
The client should be aware that misunderstandings are possible with telephone, text-based modalities such as messaging, and real-time internet chat, because nonverbal cues are relatively lacking. Even with video chat software, misunderstandings may occur due to connection problems causing image delays or less than optimal image quality. Counselors are observers of human behavior and gather much information from body language, vocal inflection, eye contact, and other non-verbal cues. If you have never engaged in online counseling before, please have patience with the process and clarify information if you think your counselor has not understood you well. Also, please be patient if your counselor asks for periodic clarification. All sessions and messaging are in English.
Using asynchronous (not in "real time") communication such as email or messaging entails a delay in responses. The counselor will make every effort to respond to message requests within a 24-hour period. It is understood that when communicating by internet or other electronic means, disruptions in service or other technical difficulties will likely occur from time to time. The counselor might not immediately receive an online communication or might experience a local backup affecting internet connectivity. Should a disruption occur at a time of crisis, the patient agrees to immediately phone me at 832-429-8512. If the client is in a state of crisis or emergency, the counselor recommends contacting a crisis line or an agency local to the client. Clients may utilize the following crisis hotlines: 1-800-SUICIDE or 1- 800-273-TALK (For the deaf or hard-of hearing: 1-800-799-4TTY).
Potential benefits and limitations:
The potential benefits of receiving mental health/coaching services online include both the circumstances in which the counselor considers online services appropriate and the possible advantages of providing those services online. For example, the potential benefits of video chat include the convenience for clients to potentially receive counseling/coaching from anywhere once an internet signal and necessary hardware is secured. Text-based chat has many of the same advantages of convenience, feeling reduced scrutiny from the counselor, having time to compose a response, and being able to refer back to the chat log for reference. The benefits of using asynchronous messages may include (1) being able to send and receive message at any time of day or night; (2) never having to leave messages or voicemails; (3) being able to take as long as one likes to compose a message, and having the opportunity to reflect upon it; (4) automatically having a record of communication to refer to later; and (5) feeling less inhibited than in person.
There are various risks related to electronic provision of counseling services related to the technology used, the distance between counselor and client, and issues related to timeliness. For example, the potential risks of message based counseling may include (1) messages not being received and (2) confidentiality being breached through unencrypted email, lack of password protection or leaving information on a public access computer in a library or internet café. Messages could fail to be received if they are sent to the wrong address (which might also breach of confidentiality) or if they just are not noticed by the counselor. Confidentiality could be breached in transit by hackers or Internet service providers or at either end by others with access to the client’s account or computer. People accessing the internet from public locations such as a library, computer lab, or café should consider the visibility of their screen to people around them. Position yourself to avoid others’ ability to read your screen. Using cell phones can also be risky in that signals are scrambled but rarely encrypted.
Safeguards:
Your counselor has selected an account with zoom.us or wecounsel for chat/ messaging and video communications to allow for the highest possible security and confidentiality of the content of your sessions. In order to benefit from these safeguards, the client is required to download, register and utilize the chat and video software from zoom.us or wecounsel.com. Your personal information is encrypted and stored on a secure server in compliance with HIPAA regulations. For ease of use, Janee V. Henderson, LPC can assist you in downloading skytherapist or wecounsel. The client is responsible for creating and using additional safeguards when the computer used to access services may be accessed by others, such as creating passwords to use the computer, keeping their email and chat IDs and passwords secret, and maintaining security of their wireless internet access points. The counselor and client will also choose a password in the first session to be exchanged at the beginning of all subsequent distance sessions in order to verify the identity of the client. Please discuss any additional concerns with your counselor early in your first session so as to develop strategies to limit risk.
LIMITATIONS ON CONFIDENTIALITY:
Information about the diagnosis, evaluation, or treatment of a client with Medicaid coverage and most private health insurance plans is usually confidential information that this office may disclose only to the authorized people. Only the client may give written permission for release of any pertinent information before information can be released to another person or agency. Confidentiality will be maintained in all other respects. Therapist will take all precautions to ensure online therapy is confidential, but client is informed that transmission could possibly be disturbed or distorted by technical failures, or interrupted or accessed by unauthorized persons.
Information about the client will only be released with his or her expressed and written permission with the following exceptions:
Records:
The counselor will maintain records of online counseling and/ or consultation services. These records can include reference notes, copies of transcripts of chat and internet communication and session summaries. These records are confidential and will be maintained as required by applicable legal and ethical standards according to the American Counseling Association. The client will be asked in advance for permission before any audio or video recording would occur on the counselor’s end. In regards to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) of 1996, I have been made aware of how my medical information may be used and disclosed and how I can get access to this information.
SCHEDULING APPOINTMENTS
An appointment can be scheduled by contacting either your therapist directly or online at www.janeevhenderson.com.
APPOINTMENT LENGTH:
Individual, couples, and family therapy are billed on the basis of a 50 minute hour. If an appointment runs longer, you will be charged for the additional time. The charge will be determined and prorated on the basis of each additional 15 minutes of time. The first session involves assessment and usually lasts for one to one and one-half hours. Therapist will discuss with you any further assessment or testing that they feel is appropriate and necessary. The fees for these services will also be discussed at this time.
MISSED APPOINTMENTS:
A missed appointment occupies a significant portion of our professional time and may reflect an issue that we ought to discuss. Importantly, a missed appointment keeps us from someone else in need. Therefore, except in the case of an acute emergency, we require a 24 hour notice of any cancellation; otherwise, your provided bank account will be charged $105 for the visit. A session will be considered missed if you are more than 15 minutes late for a scheduled appointment.
In addition, you will be held financially responsible for these charges. For missed appointments a card on file will be charged within 48hrs of the missed appointment unless prior contact has been made. If your card is not able to be successfully charged the balance must be paid prior to new session being scheduled.
If our office is closed, leave a message on the voicemail or send an email to inform us of your cancellation so the time may be used appropriately.
FEES:
Payment for professional services are due ONE HOUR PRIOR to scheduled online sessions. Any other arrangement is considered a special arrangement and must be discussed in advance with your therapist. Delinquent accounts may be referred to a collection agency. An insurance receipt is available for your convenience in submitting your insurance claim. Additional copies can be made for you on request.
ASSESSMENT AND/OR TESTING:
Testing is billed on the basis of the type of test and the amount of time necessary to administer, score, analyze, interpret, and to report the results in written form. You will be provided with information about the type of test and the cost prior to testing. If during the evaluation process it is discovered that additional testing is required to make a final diagnosis, you will be informed before any additional procedures are initiated. The written report, if requested, is generated after payment in full for testing services is received.
REPORTS:
Reports not included in assessment and/or testing fees will be billed as a separate procedure. Requests for such reports and the fees will be discussed with you in advance.
COURT:
In the case that the therapist is sent a subpoena on your behalf or you would like for therapist to come to court. Court fees are as follows: $300 for 3 hours, which is to be paid prior to the court date. If the court duration is longer than 3 hours, then an invoice will be sent for the additional hours at the rate of $100/hour.
BASIC RIGHTS FOR ALL CLIENTS
CONSENT FOR COUNSELING/COACHING:
I, the undersigned do hereby voluntarily agree to group, individual, family counseling services to be provided by a licensed professional counselor in good standing with the Texas State Board of Professional Counselors and the Missouri State Board of Professional Counselors. I am aware that the practice of counseling is not an exact science. As a consequence, I acknowledge that no guarantee has been made to me concerning the result of any evaluation or treatment that may be rendered. Further, I understand that evaluation and treatment may involve discussion of personal events in my own history that, at times, can be discomforting.