Consent for Services

Welcome to my therapy practice. This document outlines the policies and guidelines I follow. Please make sure you read through this entire document and understand the terms.

In your first session, we will spend some time going through the key points highlighted below to make sure you both have an understanding of how we can work together considering these terms. The below list is not a substitute for all policies included in the following pages. I welcome any questions in our first meeting and any time following.

Summary of Policies

Confidentiality:

I have the utmost respect for your privacy and will keep all information about your treatment confidential unless one of the situations listed in the Statement of Confidentiality section occurs.

Process of Therapy:

Therapy is not a treatment that can be predicted. However, one of the greatest predictors for “success” in therapy is a connection with your therapist. Therefore, you’re encouraged to discuss any concerns along the way and I will let you know if I think I may not be the best fit for your needs.

Appointments:

At the end of each session, we will make sure to have the following session scheduled. All cancellations require 24-hour notice or you will be billed for the full session.

Communication:

The most secure form of communication is by phone or voicemail. If you need to reach me outside of your session time, I encourage you to call the listed phone number. Please let me know if you prefer to use text or email for communication regarding appointments.

Payment:

I accept PayNow or Credit Card as payment for services. All payment is due at the time of service. You may receive a receipt for your payments upon request.

If, at any time, you are having difficulty paying your fee please discuss it with me as soon as possible.

Statement of Confidentiality:

Trust is an important aspect of the therapeutic relationship. Your confidentiality is of utmost importance for maintaining this trust. However, there are times when I am legally and ethically required to break confidentiality.

In such circumstances, I only disclose the least amount of information necessary to meet legal and ethical guidelines. If this occurs, and if it is safe for me to do so, I will inform you of any breaches of your confidentiality as soon as possible.

Below are situations in which I am required to release information to a necessary entity:

1. If you may be a danger to yourself or to another identified person or persons
2. If there is suspicion of abuse of any child under the age of 18 (this includes the involvement of children under the age of 18 in pornography or sexually explicit materials)
3. If there is suspicion of abuse of any dependent and/or elder adult
4. By order of a judge or at the request of a subpoena.

Please also note that if you choose to use your insurance for payment or reimbursement, your insurance company will be able to access your treatment records.

Process of Therapy

Scope of Practice

I am a registered counsellor governed by the Singapore Association of Counselling. My scope of practice is limited to therapeutic services and I am not a medical professional. My priority is to ensure you receive the appropriate services and this means I may need to refer you to adjunctive or other services if I feel that may be necessary and outside my scope of practice.

 

Risks and benefits of therapy:

I cannot guarantee that you will see improvement in your relationships or emotions as a result of working together. Therapy requires multiple things in order to be considered “successful.” These include involvement from you and a comfortable connection between you and your therapist, as well as clear expectations for what may be possible as a result of the work together.

I encourage you to discuss your goals, expectations and concerns at all points during our work together. We will continue to discuss how the treatment is working for you throughout and if at any time I feel that treating you may be detrimental then I will recommend you discontinue treatment and provide you with appropriate referrals.

There are times when therapy may bring up unexpected emotions or reactions to relationships. Some things we discuss may surprise you as you learn more about yourself and gain insight. It is possible that you may actually start to feel “worse” before feeling you have attained your goals. If that is the case, it’s important we discuss these feelings along the way.

It is also possible that as a result of working together, you may wish to adjust how you interact with people in your life. That may mean engaging in some relationships more or disconnecting from other relationships. It is important you discuss any concerns about these things if they arise.

Course of treatment:

We will spend the first 1-4 sessions deciding if you are a good fit and determining your needs. You will identify your goals and revisit these goals throughout working together, as these often change over time.

Once we mutually agree that your goals for treatment have been met we will determine an appropriate timeframe for ending work together. Many clients prefer to do this slowly by reducing the number of sessions and some return periodically during stressful times later in life. Please know this process will be very transparent and we will work together to determine what is best for you.

Medications:

Therapists are not medical providers and do not provide medical advice or prescriptions for medication. However, we do coordinate care with applicable medical professionals and may ask about basic medication compliance. I will always let you know before communicating with any other professionals and request you provide their contact information. Any changes in your medication should always be first discussed with and approved by your prescribing physician.

Appointments

Cancelled appointments:

All cancellations require 24 hour notice by phone or you will be billed for the full session. I may choose to make exceptions for extenuating circumstances.

Missed appointments:

All missed appointments (no show, no cancellation) will be billed at the agreed-upon regular session rate and will be due prior to your next session.

If I do not hear from you after a missed appointment and have a reason for concern, I may reach out to your identified emergency contact to ensure your well-being.

Late appointments:

All sessions begin at the scheduled time and last 60 minutes. If you arrive late, we will meet 60 minutes after your scheduled session time.

Please note that multiple missed/cancelled appointments and late arrivals may require us to discontinue treatment. In this circumstance, we will discuss the situation in person, online, or by phone.

Communication

Our main form of communication outside the office will be via email. If you are distressed and feel the need to call outside of your regular meeting time, please know that I am available Monday-Friday during typical business hours. I will return your call within one business day.

E-Mails:

Email is a popular, yet insecure form of communication. When you send an email it has the potential to be seen by many people prior to reaching its destination. For this reason, I will never discuss anything clinical with you via email and ask you to refrain from doing so, as well. I will never send you an email that contains extensive amounts of what is considered Personal Health Information (PHI). These include things such as social security number or health insurance member ID.

Email may be appropriate for communication regarding appointments, but please be aware the above warning still applies. If you would like to use email communication, please discuss it with me further.

Mobile Phone:

If you have a mobile phone that provides alerts on your home screen, consider who may easily see notifications of our contact. This means how you enter my name in your phone as a contact and which form of communication you would like to have (email, text, etc.). You may also choose to turn off certain notifications in your settings for increased privacy.

Whatsapp:

Texting uses similar communication to email and is also, therefore, not secure. For this reason, I will never discuss anything clinical with you via text and ask you to refrain from doing so, as well. I will never send you a text message that contains extensive amounts of what is considered Personal Health Information (PHI). These include things such as identification numbers or health insurance member ID.

Texting may be appropriate for communication regarding appointments, but please be aware the above warning still applies. If you would like to use texting, please discuss it with me further.

Social Media

I maintain social media accounts for the promotion of my practice and the education of the public. These accounts serve to offer encouragement and resources. They are not a substitute for treatment by a licensed mental health professional and nothing shared should be interpreted as a personal message.

I do not interact with clients via social media. If you choose to follow an account and reach out to me via that method, I am unlikely to reply using the social media platform. Instead, I encourage you to reach out via phone or in session.

Court Policy

Please be advised that should I be requested to write a letter on any court-related matter, I will NOT be stipulating in writing or in person as to an opinion. As your therapist, I may only provide observations and feedback (fact-based information). At no time will I make a recommendation in regards to custody or any other court-related matter.

If a court order (subpoena) is served and is requesting that I be present in person and/or there is a request for records, I will request your consent before turning over confidential information. We will discuss exactly what has been requested by the court and there is no guarantee that the information will be kept confidential. This information includes mental health history, current status and inclusive records and may not be in your best interest. The therapist-client relationship does not render me, as your therapist, as an advocate. I will withhold any opportunity to engage in a dual relationship in this way.

Fees:

Should I be ordered by the court to write a letter to the court, the time shall be billed at your regular hourly rate.

Should I be court-ordered to appear in court, the fee stipulation is as follows:
● SGD$750 per day (this includes travel to and from court)
● Regular hourly rate for preparation

I hold the right to waive these fees, depending upon circumstances and at my discretion.

I will not be on call for court-related matters at any time. Should a case be trailed, I will be paid in full for each day as it hinders my ability to be available to other clients.

All court fees must be received by PayNow or Credit Card 14 days prior to the court date. Should the court calendar the hearing for another date, I must be re-issued a court order with the new court hearing date.

Should I be on vacation, the party initiating the court order must take reasonable steps to avoid imposing undue burden or expense on a person subject to the subpoena.

Consultation Disclosure

There are times when I consult with other mental health professionals about cases. During these discussions, I will make sure to disclose as little information as possible in order to protect your confidentiality. If I feel there is an instance when consultation may require more information and may be helpful for our work together, I will talk with you beforehand about how to proceed.

I may also consult with other professionals about your case (for example, teachers or social workers). However, I will never consult with other professionals without your prior and written consent.

Collateral Involvement

At times it is helpful to involve important people in your life during the counselling process. If this is something that we both feel may be helpful, we will discuss how much information you may be comfortable disclosing and in what way. For all adult clients, I will never speak with any of your family members about your treatment, or even confirm whether or not you are a client, without first having your written consent. Exceptions include any circumstances listed above in the Statement of Confidentiality.

Medical Records and Your Right to Review Them

As a mental health professional, I keep records of our work together. This includes notes on sessions, meetings, phone calls and any other communication with or about you. Unless I feel it would be significantly harmful to you, you are able to access your records at any time.

I require 5 days of notice prior to allowing you to view your records. If you would like a copy of your records, I require 15 days of the notice and will charge a fee of SGD$1.00 per page, plus postage fees if you would like your copies mailed.

Oftentimes, clients request copies of records with the intent of securing a treatment summary for an outside entity. Requesting a summary from your therapist is often in your best interest, as it protects your confidentiality. This is often preferable to giving someone access to your entire treatment record.

If that is the case, I am happy to provide such a summary, billed at your regular hourly rate. I require 10 business days to prepare your summary.