Practice Policies
SECTION 1: COURT & LEGAL PROTECTIONS
1.1 PURPOSE OF THIS SECTION. Outpatient mental health counseling is not a forensic service. Forensic services are services provided for legal purposes. I must remain uninvolved in your legal disputes. The policies below protect the integrity of your care and the boundaries of our therapeutic relationship.
1.2 IF YOU ANTICIPATE LITIGATION. If you are currently involved in litigation—or expect future involvement—you must inform me early in treatment. This allows us to assess whether therapy is clinically appropriate under those circumstances. If therapy is likely to be used for legal leverage or non-therapeutic purposes, treatment may be discontinued or redirected to a more appropriate service provider.
1.3 NO FORENSIC OR LEGAL SERVICES PROVIDED. This practice does not provide services for legal purposes, including but not limited to:
Child custody evaluations
Parenting capacity evaluations
Fitness-for-duty evaluations
Court-ordered assessments
Emotional Support Animal (ESA) letters
Disability determinations
Immigration evaluations
Recommendations regarding legal matters (e.g., divorce, custody, criminal charges)
“Character references” or letters advocating for a specific legal outcome
These services fall outside the scope of outpatient psychotherapy and are not provided under any circumstances.
1.4 DOCUMENTATION REQUESTS FOR LEGAL PURPOSES. If you are involved in a legal case of any kind (divorce, custody dispute, criminal matter, DWI, work-related case, immigration, etc.), you agree to the following:
I cannot write letters, statements, or reports intended for legal proceedings
I cannot provide documentation expressing opinions, recommendations, or conclusions meant to influence a legal decision
I cannot provide clinical opinions about anyone other than my own client
If your attorney requests such materials, the request will be respectfully declined.
1.5 COURT INVOLVEMENT LIMITS AND RESPONSIBILITIES. Involving a therapist in any legal proceedings is often harmful to the therapeutic relationship, compromises neutrality, and may breach ethical boundaries.
If your attorney or the court requests your records:
A valid, signed Release of Information is required unless a court order/subpoena compels release
Only your clinical record (progress notes, intake forms, treatment plans) may be released
Psychotherapy notes, if created, are not released and are protected by federal law
Records will not be altered, summarized, edited, or rewritten to support a legal position
Before releasing any documents, I will make all reasonable efforts to notify you.
If the practice receives a subpoena:
I will attempt to contact you immediately
You may choose to have your attorney file a motion to quash
If the subpoena is not withdrawn or quashed, I may be legally required to provide information or testify
Testimony will be limited strictly to factual observations from your clinical record
If a subpoena is received with less than ten (10) business days’ notice, you are responsible for all legal and financial consequences impacting the practice related to this obligation
If the practice receives a court order:
Federal and state law require compliance
In all cases, disclosure will be limited to what is specifically ordered
If I am required to appear in court, respond to attorney requests, or produce records, the following fees apply:
Preparation & document review: $250 per hour
Telephone consultation with attorneys: $250 per hour
Depositions: $350 per hour
Court testimony or required court attendance: $1,000 per half-day (4 hours)
Travel time: billed at $150 per hour
Processing record requests/subpoena responses: $50 administrative fee + $0.75/page (if printing is required)
Fees apply regardless of the outcome of the legal matter and are due before releasing materials or appearing in court. All fees are non-refundable as they are considered a rendered service. No exceptions.
SECTION 2: FINANCIAL POLICIES
2.1 PURPOSE OF THIS SECTION. These policies outline your financial responsibilities when receiving services at Arden Way Therapy. Payment for services indicates agreement to these terms.
2.2 CLIENT FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY. You agree to:
Maintain an active, valid payment method
Pay all fees on the same day a service is rendered, unless an alternate arrangement is agreed upon in advance
Pay all non-covered services, missed appointment fees, and administrative fees
Notify the practice immediately of payment method changes
By receiving services, scheduling appointments, or signing the Credit Card Authorization Form, you authorize the following to be charged to the card on file without additional notice:
All session fees
Late-cancel/no-show fees
Administrative fees
Court-related fees
Any outstanding balance
2.3 SESSION FEES. Fees for all services are listed in your Good Faith Estimate and may include:
Intake session
Individual therapy sessions
Late-cancellation or no-show fees
Court-related fees (see Court & Legal Protections section)
Session fees are based on the length of time reserved, not the length of time used. This practice offers the following individual therapy session types:
Brief Session (5–37 minutes): $100
Standard Session (38 minutes or longer): $155
Session type and length must be scheduled in advance. Brief sessions are offered at the therapist’s discretion and are intended for focused, time-limited clinical needs. They are not automatically available and are not intended as a substitute for standard therapy sessions. Requests to shorten a session during the active session will not change the session charge.
A session scheduled at the standard rate will be charged at the standard rate even if the session ends early at the client’s request.
Fees may be adjusted periodically to reflect changes in practice costs or professional standards. Clients will receive a minimum of thirty (30) days’ notice, verbally or in writing, of any fee increase. By continuing to receive services after the effective date, you accept the updated fee.
2.4 NON-REFUNDABLE SERVICES. Mental health counseling is a rendered service, not a product. Therefore:
All payments for sessions already held are non-refundable
Late-cancellation and no-show fees are non-refundable
Court-related fees are non-refundable
This policy applies even if the missed appointment or dissatisfaction with a session was unintentional.
2.5 LATE CANCELLATIONS & NO-SHOW FEES. Late cancellation and no-show fees are outlined in the Cancellation Policy and apply consistently. By receiving services, you acknowledge:
These fees will be charged automatically to the card on file
Insurance does not reimburse missed appointments
These charges constitute a rendered service and are non-refundable
2.6 DISCRETIONARY WAIVERS. The therapist may, at their sole discretion, choose to waive or reduce a fee in limited circumstances. Any such waiver does not alter this policy, create a precedent, or guarantee future waivers.
2.7 OUTSTANDING BALANCES. To maintain continuity of care:
Balances must be paid in full before scheduling future sessions
If a payment method is declined, you agree to update your payment information immediately
Services may be paused or discontinued if a balance remains unpaid for more than fourteen (14) days
2.8 RETURNED OR DECLINED PAYMENTS. If a payment is declined or returned:
You will be notified within 24 hours
You must update your payment method within the following 24 hours
A $25 returned payment or administrative fee may apply
Failure to resolve payment issues may result in cancellation of upcoming sessions.
SECTION 3: DOCUMENTATION PROCEDURES
3.1 PURPOSE OF THIS SECTION. This section outlines how clinical records are maintained, what clients may access, and how record requests are processed. Storage, security, and technology-related procedures are detailed in the Use of Technology Informed Consent.
3.2 TYPES OF RECORDS MAINTAINED. This practice maintains the following clinical documentation in accordance with state and federal law:
Intake documents
Progress notes
Treatment plans
Administrative forms
Billing and payment records
Routine emails, texts, and portal messages may be documented if clinically relevant.
Psychotherapy notes, if created, are kept separately and protected by federal privacy laws. They are not part of the clinical record and are not released. Psychotherapy notes are a therapist’s separate, private written notes that summarize, conceptualize, analyze, or hypothesize about the contents of a counseling session.
3.3 RECORD RETENTION. Per New York Law, the state that your therapist is legally licensed in, records are retained for:
7 years after the conclusion of treatment, or
3 years past the age of 18 for minor clients,
whichever period is longer. After this period, records are securely destroyed according to HIPAA regulations.
3.4 CLIENT ACCESS TO RECORDS. Clients may request access to their clinical records. Upon request:
You may receive a copy of your record or a summary, at the therapist’s discretion
Psychotherapy notes are not released
Requests must be submitted in writing
Requests will be processed within a reasonable timeframe, typically within 30 days
If released records are printed:
a $0.75 per page fee will be charged, as well as any additional costs for mailing or delivery (if applicable)
Fees must be paid before records are released
3.5 RECORD RELEASE TO THIRD PARTIES. Records will not be rewritten, summarized, edited, or altered to support personal, legal, or employment-related goals. Records may be released to third parties only when:
There is a lawful subpoena or court order
A valid, signed Release of Information is provided, or
Only required materials will be released
3.6 CORRECTIONS OR AMENDMENTS TO RECORDS. If you believe that information in your clinical record is inaccurate:
You may submit a written request for correction
A written response will be provided within 60 days
The therapist may decline the request but will document the request and reason
Your written disagreement can be added to the record if a correction is not made
3.7 TRANSFER OF CARE. If transferring care to another therapist, clinically relevant documents will be sent directly to the new therapist upon your written permission.
By continuing with services, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agreed to these Practice Policies.