Psychological Services

Psychotherapy is not easily described in general statements. It varies depending on the personality of both the therapist and the client and the concerns that the client brings. Several approaches can help with the problems we will work on. Psychotherapy requires a very active effort on your part. You will have to work on things we discuss during our sessions and in between our sessions to be most successful.

Psychotherapy has both benefits and risks. Risks sometimes include experiencing uncomfortable feelings such as sadness, anxiety, anger, and frustration. Psychotherapy often requires discussing unpleasant aspects of yourself, others, or your life. It has also been shown to benefit people undertaking it significantly. It often leads to a significant reduction in feelings of distress, better relationships, the resolution of specific problems or complaints, and greater satisfaction with life. Our first session will involve an evaluation of your needs. I will offer you some initial impressions of what our work might include should you decide to continue. You should evaluate this information and make your own assessment about whether you feel comfortable working with me. Therapy involves a commitment of time and energy on your part, so you should be thoughtful about the therapist you select.

Sessions

If we begin psychotherapy, we usually schedule one 60-minute session per week at a mutually agreed time, although sometimes sessions may last longer if necessary. Once this appointment hour is scheduled, you will be expected to pay for it unless you provide 24-hour advanced notice of cancelation. You will be responsible for the late cancelation fee if you cannot give me a day's notice of cancelation.

Professional Fees

I currently accept BlueCross BlueShield of WNY, Independent Health, Univera, and Medicare. I encourage you to call your insurance company to clearly understand your behavioral health benefits, including copay, deductible, session limit, etc. Your health insurance may cover my fee in full or partly as an out-of-network provider. I will directly submit claims to your insurance company only if I am an in-network provider. Otherwise, I will provide you with statements you can submit for reimbursement after paying for services.

Contacting Me

If you have a concern that needs attention between our sessions, you should contact me at the number or email address provided. Although my preferred method of communication is by email, I am available through cell phone and text. When I am unavailable, my telephone is answered by a confidential voice mail that I monitor frequently. I will make every effort to return your call on the same day, except for weekends and holidays. If it is difficult to reach you, please leave times when you will be available. Always leave your number. To preserve your confidentiality, I will announce myself as "Ryann" to anyone who may answer the phone. If you cannot reach me and feel you cannot wait for me to return your call, you should call your family physician, crisis services, or the emergency room at the nearest hospital. If I am unavailable for an extended time, I will provide you with the name of a trusted colleague whom you can contact if necessary.

Professional Records

The laws and standards of my profession require that I keep treatment records. You are entitled to receive a copy of your records, or I can prepare a summary for you instead. Because these are professional records, they can be misinterpreted and/or upsetting to untrained readers. If you wish to see your records, I recommend you review them in my presence so we can discuss the contents. Clients will be charged an appropriate fee for any professional time spent responding to information requests.

Minors

If you are under eighteen years of age, please be aware that the law may provide your parents the right to examine your treatment records. It is my policy to request an agreement from parents that they agree to give up access to your records. If they agree, I will provide them with general information about our work together unless I feel there is a high risk that you will seriously harm yourself or someone else. In this case, I will notify them of my concern. I will also provide them with a summary of your treatment when it is complete. Before giving them any information, I will discuss the matter with you, if possible, and do my best to handle any objections you may have with what I am prepared to discuss.

Confidentiality

In general, the privacy of all communications between a client and a licensed clinical social worker is protected by law. I can only release information about our work to others with your written permission. But there are a few exceptions.

In most legal proceedings, you have the right to prevent me from providing any information about your treatment. In some proceedings involving child custody and those in which your emotional condition is an important issue, a judge may order my testimony if they determine that the issues demand it.

There are some situations in which I am legally obligated to act to protect others from harm, even if I must reveal some information about a client's treatment. For example, if I believe that a child, older adult, or disabled person is being abused, I may be required to file a report with the appropriate state agency.

If I believe a client is threatening serious bodily harm to another, I may be required to take protective actions. These actions may include notifying the potential victim, contacting the police, or seeking hospitalization for the client. If the client threatens to harm themself, I may be obligated to seek hospitalization for them or to contact family members or others who can help provide protection. These situations have rarely occurred in my practice. If a similar situation occurs, I will make every effort to discuss it with you before taking any action.

I may occasionally find it helpful to consult other professionals about a case. During a consultation, I try to avoid revealing my client's identity. The consultant is also legally bound to keep the information confidential. If you don't object, I will not tell you about these consultations unless I feel they are essential to our work together.

While this written summary of exceptions to confidentiality should prove helpful in informing you about potential problems, it is important that we discuss any questions or concerns that you may have at our next session. I will gladly discuss these issues with you if you need specific advice. Still, formal legal advice may be necessary because confidentiality laws are complex, and I am not an attorney.

I look forward to our work together and will be happy to discuss these and any other issues that are of concern to you at any time.