The following applies only if I work directly with Psychotherapist and do not use insurance-affiliated platforms:
The following applies only if I work directly with Psychotherapist and do not use insurance-affiliated platforms:
While psychotherapy has been proven to improve the overall sense of well-being for many people, I understand that:
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It doesn’t guarantee positive results.
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The process can be unpredictable, meaning that the presenting problem may be a gateway for uncovering other problems, and the goals of therapy may change over time.
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Emotional healing often entails processing some painful material, therefore, the psychotherapy process is not always comfortable, and sometimes my emotional state may get worse before it gets better.
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There is no clear timeline defined for resolving a particular problem. The length of psychotherapy depends on the specific problem and the specific needs of each individual.
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Even though the field of mental health has a system for diagnosing mental disorders, it doesn’t operate in the same way as the rest of the medical field. There are no precise methods and procedures with highly predictable outcomes in the field of mental health. Therefore, there can be no expectation of a guaranteed outcome.
Scope of Competence Limitations
I understand that Psychotherapist has specialized professional background and expertise in the areas of assessment and treatment of various mental health conditions, which include depression, anxiety, stress, relational difficulties, difficulties coping with life changes, self-esteem issues, symptoms of complex trauma (C-PTSD) and some other conditions.
In addition, Psychotherapist offers a supportive type of counseling for challenging life situations, when mental stress is caused by external circumstances outside of the person’s control rather than the person’s internal psychological processes. Such situations include but are not limited to tragic events, social, economic, or political oppression and discrimination, violation of human rights, social isolation, etc.
I understand that Psychotherapist does not have the expertise to express an opinion about my mental status to any third party for any reason. This includes performing psychiatric or custody evaluations, providing any type of documentation that is intended to be used in legal proceedings, for disability or worker compensation claims; providing letters to patients' employers recommending mental health day offs or special working conditions for patients; providing Emotional Support Animal recommendation letters to patients' landlords and other types of documentation that cover various scenarios.Such documents are generally provided by a physician or a psychiatrist or a professional with specialized expertise in the specific area of interest such as a clinical psychologist.
Involvement in Legal Processing
I understand that if I choose to involve Psychotherapist in any type of legal proceedings, I will compensate for their time at a rate of $250/hr. The time that is subject to compensation includes, but is not limited to the time spent testifying in court/deposition, writing the summary of the psychotherapy records, driving to and from the court/deposition location, and communicating with the attorneys.