This document contains important information about the professional services and business policies at Sarah Carr Psychological Services. Please read it carefully and make note of any questions you might have so you can discuss them with your therapist.
Terms
By signing this document, you agree to the terms listed within.
PSYCHOLOGICAL SERVICES
Psychotherapy is not easily described in general statements. It varies depending on the personalities of the therapist and client, and the particular problems you bring forward. There are many different methods we may use to deal with the problems you hope to address, such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapies (CBT), Exposure Therapies, Solution Focused Therapy, Somatic (body-based) therapist, and trauma-informed body-based experiential therapies. The approach your therapist chooses will be unique to you.
Psychotherapy is not like a medical doctor visit. Instead, it calls for a very active effort on your part, similar to the effort and practice involved in learning any new skill. In order for the therapy to be most successful,
you will need to work on things talked about during your sessions and complete assigned homework.
Psychotherapy can have benefits and risks. Since therapy often involves discussing unpleasant aspects of your life you may experience uncomfortable feelings like sadness, guilt, anger, frustration, loneliness, and helplessness. It is not unusual for clients to get worse before they get better as they are processing these difficult experiences and/or feelings. This is especially true for children; it is typical to see a digression in behaviour before improvements are seen.
On the other hand, psychotherapy has also been shown to have significant benefits for people who go through it. Therapy often leads to better relationships, solutions to specific problems, and a significant reduction in feelings of distress.
LIMITS OF THERAPY
Therapists cannot typically provide emergency services. All services, including phone consultation, are provided by appointment only. Emergency services should be accessed in your community or by visiting your nearest emergency room. If you need help developing a safety plan for these situations, this may be developed during your therapy session.
Therapy will be terminated if there are any verbal or physical threats or acts of violence/harassment towards staff members or their families.
You must inform your therapist of any legal involvement you may have at the time of the initial meeting. If you do not disclose this information at the assessment/evaluation stage then we reserve the right to terminate treatment. Should a legal issue arise during the course of treatment, you must notify your therapist as soon as possible. We will not provide court-related services without prior knowledge and agreement.
In cases where parents are divorced, we require a copy of the Parenting Agreement outlining custody and the right to provide consent. Where joint custody requires both parents to consent to psychological treatment, both parents must sign a copy of the Treatment Agreement for Psychological Services. We reserve the right to terminate treatment if proper consent is not provided. Required documents must be brought to your first session for therapy to proceed.
We reserve the right to terminate treatment after two or more missed or cancelled appointments.
We reserve the right to terminate if we deem therapy to be more harmful than beneficial for the client, keeping in mind that people sometimes become “worse” before they get better.
CONFIDENTIALITY
All information collected is strictly confidential and your privacy is important to us. No information will be released to third parties without your explicit consent, except where required by law or in situations where we are ethically and legally required to disclose information to others without your consent. The reasons a therapist would disclose your information include:
When an individual poses a potential threat or threatens to harm themselves or others, therapists will act to protect the person(s) in danger by informing the police, medical personnel, parents/caregivers, or other relevant individuals who may assist.
Suspicion of or risk of child abuse must be reported (counsellors and psychologists are mandated reporters and required to report relevant information to Child and Family Services).
Suspicion of adult/elder abuse will be reported (physical, sexual, and/or mental cruelty to anyone over 16 at risk of being abused due to physical or mental disability that impedes their ability to care for themselves).
In the event your information is subpoenaed by a judge or court of law in the case of legal proceedings, we will turn over your information.
If services are being paid by a third-party (e.g. insurance), certain information may be disclosed (e.g. dates/time of service, who was present, fees charged). In some cases, third-parties may also request updates as to your psychological status, level of function, and return-to-work issues.
If services are being provided by court order or for insurance reasons such as Workers Compensation, etc., content of sessions may be shared according to the agreement with your referral source.
Your case may be discussed in clinical consultation with other mental health professionals. Clinical case discussion is a standard practice within psychology and ensures you are receiving optimal care. Identifying details will be omitted from such consultations when possible.
A note for clients under 18 and confidentiality: Although parents/guardians have the right to access their child's file, in order to express themselves freely in therapy children and adolescents need to feel there is a reasonable amount of confidentiality. In most cases, we ask parents/guardians to allow their child this confidentiality in order to ensure they feel able to share confidential information (including drug use, lying, or sexual behaviour) knowing this information will remain confidential unless a significant risk of harm to themselves or to others is revealed.
I understand that as a part of my collaborative treatment with Sarah Carr Psychological Services and Aspire Physio, my case will be discussed as part of my treatment. I also understand that information relevant to my work status will be shared with my insurance provider (e.g. WCB).
By signing below I agree that I have read this document and have had sufficient time to be sure that I have considered it carefully and understand it. I agree to abide by its terms during our professional relationship.
