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Answers to Frequently Asked Questions:
- How long are the sessions?
Sessions are 45 minutes.
- Are sessions confidential?
Federal and state laws protect your confidentiality. You may waive confidentiality through signing
a document for a specific release of information. Patients who are using their health insurance
for payment will be asked to sign a confidentiality waiver for their health insurance plan.
Mental health professionals are allowed to breach confidentiality if a patient is threatening to
harm himself/herself or someone else. Professional ethics and case law require that professionals take steps to prevent the loss of life or injury to another person. In addition,
health professionals and other professionals in California are required by law to report
cases of suspected child abuse and neglect.
In the event of a court case, a judge may order a psychotherapist to turn over information on a
patient. However, the judge generally will only order the release of information directly related
to the court case.
All of these scenarios are unlikely, but, I have experienced each one of them at some point
in my career, so it is important for patients to understand the limits of confidentiality.
- Do you prescribe medication?
No. Only a medical doctor (MD) or a nurse practitioner (NP) is allowed to prescribe medication.
If you need to be evaluated for psychiatric medication, I will provide a referral to a psychiatrist.
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