Policies
Confidentiality
Psychotherapy is a very private process in which information is shared only between you and your therapist. The few exceptions to client confidentiality include: When the client is a danger to him/her/themselves and others, when a client is facing a medical emergency, when there is abuse to a child, elder or someone who is developmentally delayed, if the court subpoenas documents, or orders a therapist to testify, or if you have signed a release of information with other providers. You may revoke a release at any time. In addition, a client may request that someone else attend a therapy session with him/her/them.
Supervision
Therapists often work under the supervision a more practiced therapist. In such cases confidentiality extends to include the supervisor. For Hakomi therapy the supervisor is a Hakomi trainer or teacher. Another type of supervisor may be used for other forms of therapy or relavancy to situation or diagnosis.
Appointment Cancellation
A client can cancel or reschedule a session up to 48 hrs before that session at no charge. When a client cancels within 48 hours of the session the client will be charged one half the session amount. If either no cancellation is made for a session, or the cancellation is on the day of the session the client is charged the full amount for a session. Insurance does not cover missed sessions therefore a client covered by insurance is is responsible for the cost of a session (either half or full depending on time of cancellation) rather than just the copay. Repeat cancellations of appointments may alter cancellation policy and availability. This will be discussed on a case by case basis.
Intimacy
In a professional therapeutic relationship, sexual intimacy between a therapist and client is never appropriate. If sexual intimacy occurs, it should be reported to the Department of Regulatory Agencies, Mental Health Section. Hakomi work may include the use of therapeutic touch, you have the right to refuse physical contact at any time.
Termination
The duration of the psychotherapeutic process varies from person to person. Psychotherapy can be terminated at any point during the therapeutic process. Often it can be helpful to take a break during the therapeutic process to integrate material learned during sessions. At other times it can be beneficial to sit through a difficult period in therapy in order to work through personal issues.
Generally, termination is the clients decision. Cases where the therapist may decide to terminate include If a therapist does deem him/her/themselves able to help the client, either because of the nature of the problem or because of a lack training and skills. Under such circumstances, your therapist will inform the client of this fact and refer the client to another therapist who may meet needs.
Other cases include If there is violence, threats, verbally or physically harrassment of a therapist, the office, or a therapists' family. Portland Community Counseling LLC reserves the right to terminate a client unilaterally and immediately from treatment in the case of harm.
If a therapist must discontinue a relationship because of illness, disability, or other presently unforeseen circumstances, the therapist will ask the client to agree to transferring records to another therapist who will assure their confidentiality, preservation, and appropriate access.
Week Off
This practice values time off as recuperative and therefore I take a week off at the end of each month to either recharge, research or to do something that can't be done in a short time span. This should be considered by each client in case having a therapist who takes a monthly week off does not work for a client.
COVID-Online
Currently all sessions are online. When and how this will change is unclear and will be determined when the policy recommended to therapists by the social work board and other counseling agencies determine that in person sessions are considered safe and recommended.
I am experiencing my own process with Covid and the myriad of social alterations. I therefore do not know if I will continue to do in-person sessions, a mix of in-person and online, or just online sessions. I will determine what my practice looks like as I come out of this social upheaval as things seem to settle and agencies begin to say it is safe to consider in person sessions.
