Life’s Healing Journey, PLLC

Private Practice Policies

Life’s Healing Journey, PLLC Counseling Services
1710 1/2 25th Street, Snyder, TX 79549
(325)644-8757

PRACTICE POLICIES

APPOINTMENTS AND CANCELLATIONS

The standard meeting time for psychotherapy is 50 minutes. It is up to you, however, to determine the length of time of your sessions. Requests to change the 50-minute session needs to be discussed with the therapist in order for time to be scheduled in advance. As there is no waiting room in the office, please do not arrive more than ten minutes early for your appointment. If you have someone picking you up at the end of session, please ensure they arrive on time at the end of session as clients will be unable to wait in the office beyond their scheduled appointment.

Cash and Venmo payments are accepted for in person appointments only, and must be paid at the beginning of each session. Accounts will be charged through the credit card listed on file on the completed Credit Card Authorization form. Although the therapist appreciates family members offering to help pay for sessions, the card listed on file must match the name of the client being treated. Please make alternative arrangements with family members to reimburse you privately. Please note that if the card is denied or the Authorization form is canceled in writing, then services will be terminated unless a new card and Authorization form is filed. Life’s Healing Journey, PLLC does not accept any insurances, and by signing this form, you agree to pay the full price of the session unless another document has been signed through the client portal detailing any discounted sessions. Life’s Healing Journey has never and will never be Medicaid eligible, as such you certify that you do not currently have, nor have you applied for Medicaid insurance. By signing this form, you agree that you will notify the therapist immediately if you do apply for Medicaid insurance. Life’s Healing Journey, PLLC does not provide refunds.

Cancellations and re-scheduled session will be subject to a full charge if NOT RECEIVED AT LEAST 24 HOURS IN ADVANCE. This is necessary because a time commitment is made to you and is held exclusively for you. If you are late for a session, you may lose some of that session time. If you are more than 15 minutes late to a session, you will be considered a no show and you will be charged for that session.

TELEPHONE ACCESSIBILITY and EMERGENCIES

Please note this is not an emergency service. If you need to contact me between sessions, please leave a message on my voice mail. I am often not immediately available; however, I will attempt to return your call within 24 hours. Please note that Face- to-face sessions are highly preferable to phone sessions. However, in the event that technology is not cooperating with our telehealth session, phone sessions are available. If we are disconnected during a session, please log back in at your earliest ability. If we are still unable to connect, I will attempt to call the number listed on file. If I am still unable to reach you, we will reschedule for another time. If a emergency situation arises, please call 911 or go to your local emergency room. For those near Snyder, TX, the nearest mental health hospitals are Ocean’s Behavioral Hospital in Abilene, Scenic Mountain Hospital in Big Spring, and Rivercrest Hospital in San Angelo. Clients are also able to call 24/7 mental health hotlines such as 988 or text home to 741741.

SOCIAL MEDIA AND TELECOMMUNICATION
Due to the importance of your confidentiality and the importance of minimizing dual relationships, I do not accept friend or contact requests from current or former clients on any social networking site (Facebook, LinkedIn, etc). I believe that adding clients as friends or contacts on these sites can compromise your confidentiality and our respective privacy. It may also blur the boundaries of our therapeutic relationship. If you have questions about this, please bring them up when we meet and we can talk more about it.

ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATION

I cannot ensure the confidentiality of any form of communication through electronic media, including text messages, voice mails, and emails. If you prefer to communicate via email or text messaging for issues regarding scheduling or cancellations, I will do so. While I may try to return messages in a timely manner, I cannot guarantee immediate response and request that you do not use these methods of communication to discuss therapeutic content and/or request assistance for emergencies. If there is an emergency, please call 911 immediately or go to your local emergency room. Additional assistance available by calling 988 for 24/hour crisis response, or by texting HOME to 741741 for text crisis response.

LEGAL PROCEEDINGS

Please note that the therapist is not qualified or ethically/legally able to provide any recommendations or evaluations on child custody, mental stability, disability or other work related recommendations. By signing this form, you agree that you will not subpoena the therapist’s records or ask the therapist to testify in court, whether in person or by affidavit, or to provide letters or documentation expressing their opinion about parental fitness, custody, visitation arrangements, disability, work from home, or other types of cases. However, please note that your agreement may not prevent a judge from requiring the therapist’s testimony, even though the therapist will not do so unless legally compelled. If the therapist is required to appear as a witness or to perform any work related to any legal matter, the responsible party for your therapist’s participation agrees to reimburse, in advance, the therapist for any time spent traveling, speaking with attorneys, reviewing and preparing documents, testifying, being in attendance, and any other case related costs. Please note that the rate for any form of legal work is $500 per hour with a minimum of $3,000 down before services begin that is nonrefundable.

TERMINATION

Ending relationships can be difficult. Therefore, it is important to have a termination process in order to achieve some closure. The appropriate length of the termination depends on the length and intensity of the treatment. I may terminate treatment after appropriate discussion with you and a termination process if I determine that the psychotherapy is not being effectively used or if you are in default on payment. I will not terminate the therapeutic relationship without first discussing and exploring the reasons and purpose of terminating. If therapy is terminated for any reason or you request another therapist, I will provide you with a list of qualified psychotherapists to treat you. You may also choose someone on your own or from another referral source.

Should you fail to schedule an appointment for three consecutive weeks, unless other arrangements have been made in advance, for legal and ethical reasons, I must consider the professional relationship discontinued. Although I welcome clients to reach back out again in the future, please note that if it has been over three months since you have been seen or if the paperwork has been changed during that time, you will be asked to complete the paperwork again.

GOOD FAITH ESTIMATES

Full fee sessions are $100 per session for individuals and $150 per session for couples. Due to the nature of counseling sessions, every case is unique and the therapist is unable to determine how many sessions each case will need. In the beginning of treatment, it is recommended that clients attend one session per week. As the client progresses through treatment, the client can discuss with the therapist about moving to every other week, once a month, or as needed based the client’s progress. Client’s can discuss these options at any time with the therapist. Sessions are billed every night after the session has ended. If the card is denied or there is a balance on the client’s file, it must be paid prior to the next session.

COMPLAINTS

The Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council investigates and prosecutes professional misconduct committed by marriage and family therapists, professional counselors, psychologists, psychological associates, social workers, and licensed specialists in school psychology. Although not every complaint against or dispute with a licensee involves professional misconduct, the Executive Council will provide you with information about how to file a complaint.

Please call 1-800-821-3205 for more information.

Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council
1801 Congress Ave., Ste. 7.300
Austin, Texas 78701
(512) 305-7700

Form Updated 8/24/23

BY SIGNING BELOW I AM AGREEING THAT I HAVE READ, UNDERSTOOD AND AGREE TO THE ITEMS CONTAINED IN THIS DOCUMENT.