Dr. Bob Porter, Ph.D.
Licensed Psychologist,
Florida PY6542
INFORMATION
ABOUT MY PRACTICE
Psychological
Services and Life-Transition Coaching
Confidentiality and Medical
Records
Fees
and Insurance and Billing
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This
document contains information provided, in printed form, to all clients.
Welcome to
my practice. This document contains important information about my
professional
services and business policies. Please read it carefully and write down
any
questions you might have so that we can discuss them today or at our
next
meeting. When you sign this document, it will represent an agreement
between
us. Most importantly, it will represent
that you have taken the time to read it and that we have taken time to
review
the details and get your questions answered.
Psychotherapy is not
easily described in general
statements. It varies depending on the personalities of the
psychologist and
patient, and the particular problems you bring forward. There are many
different methods I may use to deal with the problems that you hope to
address.
Psychotherapy is not like a medical doctor visit. Instead, it calls for
a very
active effort on your part. In order for the therapy to be most
successful, you
will have to work on things we talk about both during our sessions and
at home.
Psychotherapy can have
benefits and risks. Since
therapy often involves discussing unpleasant aspects of your life, you
may
experience uncomfortable feelings like sadness, guilt, anger,
frustration,
loneliness, and helplessness. On the other hand, psychotherapy has also
been
shown to have benefits for people who go through it. Therapy often
leads to
better relationships, solutions to specific problems, and significant
reductions in feelings of distress. But there are no guarantees of what
you
will experience.
Our first few sessions
will involve an evaluation of
your needs. By the end of the evaluation, I will be able to offer you
some
first impressions of what our work will include and a treatment plan to
follow,
if you decide to continue with therapy. You should evaluate this
information
along with your own opinions of whether you feel comfortable working
with me.
Therapy involves a large commitment of time, money, and energy, so you
should
be very careful about the therapist you select. If you have questions
about my
procedures, we should discuss them whenever they arise. If your doubts
persist,
I will be happy to help you set up a meeting with another mental health
professional for a second opinion.
Coaching, in general, is
a term applied to situations
in which people desire to learn new skills or behaviors and utilize
another
person as a knowledge resource, as a motivational support, and as a
guide to a
path for change. For example, there are
exercise coaches, nutrition coaches, computer skills coaches, and so
forth. Teachers, mentors, trainers, and
so forth are often referred to as coaches.
Psychotherapists are not often thought of as coaches, but they
can be
considered Life-Transition Coaches.
Life-transition Coaching involves
a guided change in thought and behavior designed to achieve some
psychological
or behavioral goal. The life-transition
coach aids the client in moving through the transition from one life
circumstance to another. Examples of
life transitions are the birth of a child, loss of job, job change, or
job
promotion, marriage, divorce, death of a loved one, major surgery,
going back
to school, financial challenge, coming out, retirement, starting
grand-parenting, and so forth.
Life-Transitions coaching
can be a part of
psychotherapy (and often is), but coaching does not necessarily
involve
psychotherapy. For example, coaches who
are not licensed therapists will often refer their clients to
psychotherapists
for help with issues interfering with life progress.
I incorporate
Life-Transition Coaching into my clinical
practice and find that my coaching benefits from the skills required of
me as a
clinical psychologist and psychotherapist.
My coaching also benefits from over 25 years of university and
medical
school teaching and administration, as well as from my own life
experiences.
One difference between
psychotherapy and
life-transition coaching is that psychotherapy usually (but not always)
begins
with the definition of a psychological or behavioral issue or problem,
which
can be referred to as a “diagnosis.”
The
diagnosis becomes the target for therapeutic intervention.
In coaching, on the other hand, the client
and coach begin with psychological or behavioral goal and together
devise and
execute a strategy to achieve that goal.
In psychotherapy, the
problem is usually defined in
terms of the patient’s difficulty in coping with events of life that
other
people find less challenging. In psychotherapy, therefore, the
therapeutic
interactions of patient and therapist are designed to seek the source
of difficulty
and to help the client develop a new awareness and new coping skills
and/or to
unlearn maladaptive behaviors. The same
may be true of life-transition coaching.
However, in
life-transition coaching, the client and coach
define a goal in terms of personal growth and behavior enhancement. A goal is usually defined within a
particular domain and ordinarily involves a targeted set of skills or
motivational changes that allow the person to move from one way of
functioning
to a higher, more effective, or more satisfying level of functioning.
In my practice,
life-transition coaching is a form of
psychological consulting, in which the client is aided in developing
her or his
own psychological or behavioral goal, helped in planning the path to
that goal,
and supported in following that path.
Such coaching is almost always included in my psychotherapy
practice. Some clients may prefer,
however, to focus on life-transition coaching as their personal
objective.
Coaching is not covered
by health insurance --- or by
the rules of HMOs.
I charge the same fee for
both coaching and
psychotherapy. When doing coaching work
with a client we work together to develop a schedule of meetings, phone
calls,
and email contacts, reading assignments and “homework” assignments. For example, we might meet face-to-face
twice a month, with 5, 30-minute phone consultations, and weekly email
correspondence regarding assignments.
Because of greater use of
electronic communication
rather than face-to-face meetings, coaching Fees are paid monthly, in
advance,
and are based on the agreed upon, anticipated contact time. I ask for a three-month to six-month
coaching commitment, depending upon your individual circumstances;
however, you
may decide to discontinue coaching at any time, if you feel it is not
working
for you. In which case I would refund fees is direct proportion to the
number
of calendar days of the month remaining. You and I might also decide
that
incorporating psychotherapy into your personal development, with me or
another
therapist, may be appropriate.
From a practical of view,
my coaching practice is
incorporated into my clinical practice as a psychological service and
the same
rules of confidentiality and personal records apply. This not only
assures
confidentiality of your records to the extent provided by law, but also
makes
clear that you are receiving services in the context of my professional
role as
a psychologist. Therefore, with the exception of advance fee payment
and the
different modes of contact, the same conditions regarding records,
consent to
treatments, billing and payments, and other conditions noted below
apply to
coaching.
MEETINGS
An initial
consultation may take up to 60 minutes. During that time you and I
can discuss the general nature of issues you feel that work with me
might help. We will go over this document
and discuss
various psychotherapy or life-transition coaching options.
I may suggest alternative sources of help
you might consider. I will always do so
if I feel I cannot provide the services you need. If you complete intakd forms online before your meeting, it will save considerable time. Go to forms HERE.
You are under no
obligation to continue to see me
after the initial consultation. I also
do not provide diagnoses or detailed evaluations during the initial
consultation because the process of determining exactly what issue may
be
addressed in our work, and how we might go about that would require one
or more
evaluation sessions.
If you elect to continue
seeing me, I normally
conduct an evaluation that will last from 2 to 4 sessions. During this
time, we
can both decide if I am the best person to provide the services you
need in
order to meet your treatment or life-change goals. If psychotherapy is
begun, I
will usually schedule one 50-minute session (one appointment “hour” of
50
minutes duration) per week at a time we agree on, although some
sessions may be
longer or more frequent. Coaching times may, as noted above, occur less
frequently, may occur electronically, or may have shorter durations.
Once an appointment time
is scheduled, you will be
expected to pay for it unless you provide 24 hours advance notice of
cancellation or if we both agree that you were unable to keep the
appointment
due to circumstances beyond your control.
PROFESSIONAL FEES
My usual and customary 50-minute session fees vary depending upon the time and type of services provided. Ask about discounts for cash, charge or credit payments. Ask about payment plans.
In addition to weekly appointments, I charge this amount for other professional services you may need; if I work for periods of less than one hour, I will break down the hourly cost in 10 minute increments. Other services include report writing, telephone conversations lasting longer than 10 minutes, attendance at meetings with other professionals you have authorized, preparation of records or treatment summaries for you, and the time spentperforming any other service you may request of me.
If you become involved in
legal proceedings that require my participation, you will be expected
to pay
for my professional time even if I am called to testify by another
party. Because
of the complexities of legal involvement, I charge $450 per hour for
preparation
for, and attendance at, any legal proceeding.
BILLING AND PAYMENTS
You will be expected to
pay for each session at the
time it is held, unless we agree otherwise or unless you have insurance
coverage that requires another arrangement. We do take credit cards and checks. Payment schedules for other
professional services will be agreed to when they are requested. In
circumstances of financial hardship, I may be willing to
negotiate a
payment installment plan.
If your account has not
been paid for more than 60
days and arrangements for payment have not been agreed upon, I have the
option
of using legal means to secure the payment. This may involve hiring a
collection agency or going through small claims court. If such legal
action is
necessary, its costs will be included in the claim. In most collection
situations, the only information I release regarding a patient’s
treatment is
his/her name, the nature of services provided, and the amount due.
INSURANCE REIMBURSEMENT
In order for us to set
realistic treatment goals and
priorities, it is important to evaluate what resources you have
available to
pay for your treatment. If you have a health insurance policy, it will
usually
provide some coverage for mental health treatment. I will fill out
forms and
provide you with whatever assistance I can in helping you receive the
benefits
to which you are entitled; however, you (not your insurance
company) are
responsible for full payment of my fees. It is very important
that you
find out exactly what mental health services your insurance
policy
covers. In many cases, the
coverage for therapy is NOT the same as for other medical procedures. For example, you may have a different co-pay
amount or a different level of deductible for mental health services.
You should carefully read
the section in your
insurance coverage booklet that describes mental health services. If
you have
questions about the coverage, call your plan administrator. Of course I
will
provide you with whatever information I can based on my experience and
will be
happy to help you in understanding the information you receive from
your
insurance company. If it is necessary to clear confusion, I will be
willing to
call the company on your behalf; however, keep in mind that
confidentiality
issues may arise. In most cases it is most effective for you to call
yourself.
Due to the rising costs
of health care, insurance
benefits have increasingly become more complex. It is sometimes
difficult to
determine exactly how much mental health coverage is available.
"Managed
Health Care" plans such as HMOs and PPOs often require you to see
certain
therapists and obtain detailed authorization before they provide
reimbursement
for mental health services. These plans are often limited to short-term
treatment approaches designed to work out specific problems that
interfere with
a person’s usual level of functioning. It may also be necessary to seek
approval for more therapy after a certain number of sessions. While a
lot can
be accomplished in short-term therapy, some patients feel that they
need more
services after insurance benefits end. In fact, some managed-care plans
will
not allow me to provide services to you once your benefits end. If this
is the
case, I will do my best to find another provider who will help you
continue
your psychotherapy.
You should also be aware
that most insurance
companies require you to authorize me to provide them with a clinical
diagnosis. Sometimes I have to provide additional clinical information
such as
treatment plans or summaries, or copies of the entire record (in rare
cases).
This information will become part of the insurance company files and
will
probably be stored in a computer. Though all insurance companies claim
to keep
such information confidential, I have no control over what they do with
it once
it is in their hands. In some cases, they may share the information
with a
national medical information databank. I will provide you with a copy
of any
report I submit, if you request it.
Once we have all of the
information about your
insurance coverage, we will discuss what we can expect to accomplish
with the
benefits that are available and what will happen if they run out before
you
feel ready to end our sessions. It is important to remember that you
always
have the right to pay for my services yourself to avoid the problems
described
above [unless prohibited by the contract].
Please ask to see my About Health Insurance brochure
if you
have questions about confidentiality, and what your options are, when
using
insurance.
I have a Business Office that will check your coverage with you and provide you exact costs for services under your insurance plan. Click HERE to go to page with contact information regarding the Business Office or call them directly at 727-412-8000..
CONTACTING ME
I am often not
immediately available by telephone.
While I am usually in my office between 8 AM and 8 PM, M-Th, I probably
will
not answer the phone when I am with a patient. If you leave a message,
I will attempt
to call you at the end of the day.
Please let me know if there is a time after which I should NOT
call you
back in the evening. When I am
unavailable, my telephone is answered by voice mail.
My voice mail is a service provided by my telephone company and
may be considered to be reasonably confidential and secure, since I am
the only
person who accesses the recorded messages.
Sometimes I may have my
phone forwarded to another
phone if I am expecting an important call.
If you call me and someone you do not know answers the phone, I
suggest
you simply ask for Dr. Porter. You do
not have to provide any additional information if you do not wish to
so. I will
make every effort to return your call on the same day you make it, with
the
exception of weekends and holidays.
If you are difficult to
reach, please inform me of
some times when you will be available. If you are unable to reach me
and feel
that you can’t wait for me to return your call, contact your family
physician
or the nearest emergency room and ask for the psychologist or
psychiatrist on
call.
It is not my policy to
discuss your participation in
psychotherapy or coaching with anyone but yourself except in some
well-defined
circumstances (see Confidentiality below).
Therefore, if I call you and talk to someone other than you, I
will ordinarily only state that I am Bob or Dr. Bob Porter and that I
am
returning a call. Please do not ask
your family or friends to discuss your appointments or circumstances
with me on
the phone. If you would like them
to talk to me, please bring them to a session.
If I will be unavailable
for an extended time, I will
let you know when I am leaving and will provide you with the name of a
colleague to 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 that you review them in my
presence
so that we can discuss the contents. I will be happy to send the
summary or
copy to another mental health professional who is working with you, but
only at
your written request. Patients will be charged an appropriate fee for
any
professional time spent in 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
only 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, law protects
the privacy of all
communications between a patient and a psychologist, and I can only
release
information about our work to others with your written permission. But
there
are a few exceptions. (Web
link
to Confidentiality and Psychotherapy Information.)
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 he/she determines that the
issues
demand it.
There are some situations
in which I am legally
obligated to take action to protect others from harm, even if I have to
reveal
some information about a patient’s treatment. For example, if I believe
that a
child, elderly person, or disabled person is being abused, I must file
a report
with the appropriate state agency.
If I believe that a
patient is threatening serious
bodily harm to another, I am required to take protective actions. These
actions
may include notifying the potential victim, contacting the police, or
seeking
hospitalization for the patient. If the patient threatens to harm
himself/herself,
I may be obligated to seek hospitalization for him/her 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 fully
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 make every effort
to avoid
revealing the identity of my patient. 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 that it is important to our
work
together.
It is important for you
to know that it is not
ethical for me to date or otherwise socialize with my present or former
patients and clients. However, whereas
you and I may never meet outside of our professional contact, it is
possible
that we might find ourselves in social or personal contact in the
community. In those cases, I will
ordinarily not
initiate interaction with you, primarily in order to allow you to
maintain the
confidentiality of your therapy or coaching.
I will engage you in social interactions and other
non-social
business, however, if you initiate interaction or it is required by the
situation (as examples: someone introduces us to one another in a
social
gathering, or I am making a purchase from you in a store).
You, of course, are not prohibited from
discussing your therapy or coaching with anyone with which you wish to
do so.
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 meeting. I will be happy to discuss these issues with you if
you need
specific advice, but formal legal advice may be needed because the laws
governing confidentiality are quite complex, and I am not an attorney.
Your signature on the
Consent to Psychotherapy or
Life-Transition Coaching indicates that you have read the information
in this
document and agree to abide by its terms during our professional
relationship.
