Disclosure Statements
PSYCHOTHERAPY INFORMATION & DISCLOSURE STATEMENT
Therapy is not easily described in general statements due to the variances in presenting problems and personalities, as well as the rapport and trust developed between counselor and client. Additionally, there are virtually an endless number of interventions and approaches which can be utilized to deal with problems the client wishes to address. Psychotherapy requires an active effort from the client and therapist alike. To be most effective and successful the client will have to work both during sessions, and at home.
Therapy is a relationship that exists within certain boundaries. These boundaries create safety and support clients in making changes that they desire, and becoming empowered. As a client in psychotherapy, you have certain rights and responsibilities that are important for you to know about, as well as limitations to those rights. As a therapist, I have corresponding responsibilities to you.
Risks and Benefits
Psychotherapy has both risks and benefits. Risks sometimes include experiencing uncomfortable feelings such as sadness, grief, guilt, anxiety, anger, frustration, loneliness, and helplessness. Psychotherapy has been shown to be very beneficial to those who embrace the process. Psychotherapy often leads to a significant reduction of distress, better relationships, and resolutions of specific problems. However, it must be stated that there are no guarantees about what will happen.
My Responsibilities to you as your Therapist
Confidentiality
The following are legal and ethical exceptions to your right to confidentiality:
If I have good reason to believe that you will harm another person, I must attempt to inform that person and warn them of your intentions. I must also contact the police and ask them to protect your intended victim.
If I have good reason to believe that you are abusing or neglecting a child or vulnerable adult, or if you give me information about someone else who is doing this, I must inform Child Protective Services within 48 hours and Adult Protective Services immediately.
If I believe that you are in imminent danger of harming yourself, I may legally break confidentiality and call the police or the county crisis team. I am not obligated to do this, and would explore all other options with you before I took this step. If at that point you were unwilling to take steps to guarantee your safety, I would call the crisis team.
With the exception of the aforementioned specific situations, you have the absolute right to the confidentiality of your therapy. Should I need to violate your confidentiality for any of the above stated reasons, I will notify you. I cannot share information about our sessions, or your status as my client, with anyone without your prior written permission. Under the provisions of the Health Care Information Act of 1992, I may legally speak to another healthcare provider (namely my supervisor, varies by location) who must also keep confidentiality. At your direction, I can share information with whomever you choose, and you may revoke that permission at any time.
You are also protected under the provisions of the Federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). This law ensures the confidentiality of all electronic transmission of information about you. Whenever I transmit information about you electronically (i.e., sending bills or faxing information), precautions will be taken to safeguard your confidentiality.
If you elect to communicate with me by email at some point in our work together, please be aware that email by nature carries certain risks of inadvertent confidentiality violation. All emails are retained in the logs of respective internet service providers. While under normal circumstances no one looks at these logs, they are, in theory, available to be read by the system administrator(s) of the internet service provider. Any email that I receive from you and any subsequent responses from me will be printed out and kept in your treatment record.
Couples Therapy
Although not a legal exception to your confidentiality, the following is a policy that you should be aware of: If you and your partner decide to have some individual sessions as part of the couples therapy, what you say in those individual sessions will be considered to be part of the couples therapy, and can and probably will be discussed in our joint sessions. Do not tell me anything you wish to be kept secret from your partner. I will remind you of this policy before beginning such individual sessions.
Record Keeping
I keep records noting only that you have been here, what interventions happened in session, and the topics we discussed. Under the provision of the Health Care Information Act of 1992, you have the right to a copy of your file at any time. You have the right to request that I correct any errors in your file. You have the right to request that I make a copy of your file available to any other healthcare provider at your written request. I maintain your records in a secure location that cannot be accessed by anyone else.
Diagnosis
If a third party such as an insurance company is paying for part of your bill, I am normally required to give a diagnosis to that third party in order to be paid. Diagnoses are technical terms that describe the nature of your problems and their duration. If I do use a diagnosis, I will discuss it with you. All of the diagnoses come from the Diagnostic Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fifth edition (DSM-5).
Other Rights
You have the right to ask questions about anything that happens in therapy. I am always willing to discuss how and why I have decided to do what I am doing, and look at alternatives that might work better. You can feel free to ask me to try something that you think will be helpful. You can ask me about my training for working with your concerns, and can request that I refer you to someone else if you decide that I am not the therapist for you. You are free to leave therapy at any time.
My Training and Approach to Therapy
My name is Bethany Vashand I am an LPC (Licensed Professional Counselor) and a Nationally Certified Counselor (NCC) at Oconee Center for Behavioral Health in Watkinsville, GA. I graduated Magna Cum Laude from Liberty University with my Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology and Christian Counseling. I have a Master of Arts degree in Marriage and Family Therapy also from Liberty University. I am trained in individual, couples, and group therapy in a number of different counseling approaches.
In my view, counseling is an opportunity for a counselor to come alongside someone in their journey and provide them with compassion and a safe space to express themselves while receiving unconditional positive regard. I subscribe to the notion that I am to love others like Jesus loves them, and that is what unconditional positive regard means to me. The therapeutic relationship can be tremendously helpful and meaningful. There will be times that, as a counselor I may need to challenge certain behaviors or ideas a client may have that are hindering their progress towards their goals, damaging their relationships, or keeping them stuck or hurting. My personal and professional integration of my faith manifests only to the degree that a client is comfortable with it, which allows me to comfortably work with Christian and non-Christian clients. I adhere to an eclectic approach to counseling because I firmly believe that not all interventions and approaches are effective with every client. Counseling should be a personalized experience, and thusly I prefer to draw from whichever approach is best suited to my client and their needs. In order to determine a client’s needs, we must dig into their biopsychosocial and spiritual history to obtain a full and clear picture of where they are in their life at this moment. I consider the therapeutic alliance between a counselor and a client to be similar to that of a team in which a goal is set and we then work together using our joint strengths to achieve that goal.
I can be reached between sessions with questions or concerns at 706-521-4138 (talk or text) or by email at info@bethanykline.com . My appointment schedule varies depending on the location. Please advise, that the phone number provided above is not an emergency number and phone calls or text messages may not be returned immediately. If you are experiencing an emergency or believe that you cannot keep yourself or someone else safe, please call 911 or go to the nearest hospital emergency room for assistance.
What is Confidentiality?
Confidentiality is defined as a state of intimacy or keeping secret or private. As a counseling client, you have the right to confidentiality in all disclosures except the following:
I have good reason to believe that you will harm another person.
You disclose the neglect or abuse of a child or vulnerable adult.
I believe that you are in imminent danger of harming yourself.
With the exception of the aforementioned specific situations, you have the absolute right to the confidentiality of your therapy. You will be notified if at any time I violate your confidentiality.
I cannot share information about our sessions, or your status as my client, with anyone without your prior written permission. Under the provisions of the Health Care Information Act of 1992, I may legally speak to another healthcare provider (namely my supervisor, varies by location) who must also keep confidentiality.
I can share information with whomever you choose, at your request and you may revoke that permission at any time.