Practice Policies

Appointments and Cancellations

Appointments are scheduled in advance, at a cadence we agree on, based on your goals, treatment needs, and our mutual availability. Payments for each appointment will be made through Headway by debit or credit card or ACH transfer.

You may cancel appointments in advance without charge, as long as notice is received far enough in advance. For appointment no-shows or cancellations with less than 24 hour notice you may be charged a $90 fee. Please reach out to us directly for my latest policy on the cancellation cutoff period and fees.

Assessments

Please complete all assessments sent to you. Your therapist will discuss the assessments and symptoms indicated, during sessions.

Availability and After-Hours Emergencies

Providers check for voice mail messages during normal business hours. Messages left outside of normal hours of operation will be picked up the next business day.

We do not provide crisis messaging or other crisis services. If you are experiencing suicidal or homicidal thoughts, are in a mental health crisis call 988, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department.

Contacting Your Therapist

Therapists are often not immediately available by telephone. Your therapist will not answer their phone when with clients or otherwise unavailable. At these times, you may leave a message with your contact information and the best time to reach you, on our confidential voicemail, text, or email and we will return your call. The best way to reach your therapist is by email. It may take a day or two for non-urgent matters. We will make every attempt to inform you in advance of planned absences, and provide you with the name and phone number of the mental health professional covering the practice. If there is a need to cancel an appointment at the last-minute, your therapist will reach out as soon as possible and reschedule, or have a member of our staff connect with you.

Telehealth Sessions

All telehealth clients must have an emergency contact person and their contact information on file.Your therapist will need to know if you are attending appointments for a different address to stay compliant with state regulations regarding Telehealth services. Attend telehealth session as you would attend an office visit. Please make sure you are appropriately dressed and on time for your visit. Telehealth visits may only take place if you are in a quiet, private space with no other people, no distractions, and doing no other activities. Your telehealth session will not be conducted while you are driving, smoking, vaping, or drinking alcohol.

Discharge Process

There are several reasons why we may eventually end our professional relationship. You may decide you would prefer to work with a different provider. Your therapist may reach the conclusion you would be better served working with someone else. Regardless of the case, the therapist will first discuss with you the reasons for discharging, and if you request, provide you with a list of other qualified providers.

Please note that ongoing failure to pay for treatment, attend sessions, or communicate with your therapist in a respectful and timely manner can also result in discharge from our practice.

External Service Providers

Whyte Counseling Services, LLC utilizes HIPAA Compliant service providers to enhance services and empower counselors to concentrate on therapeutic services. Headway, Rula, or Theranest may be utilized for scheduling, billing, and record management. Upheal may be utilized to for automated notes and anonymous analytics from client conversations. Psychology Today Sessions, Upheal, Doximity, Google Meet, and Zoom may be utilized for virtual appointments and sharing information.

Whyte Counseling Services, LLC has signed Business Associate Agreements (BAA) with each service provider to ensure that they adhere to regulations such as the HIPAA Security Rule and Privacy Rule. This ensures that electronic health information (ePHI) is safeguarded through appropriate administrative, physical, and technical measures, ensuring its confidentiality, integrity, and security.