Psychotherapy & Counselling Services
Heather Church, RP
Policies & Legal Obligations
Privacy & Confidentiality
Consent
All services that I provide are voluntary on the part of the client. You must have provided free (i.e., no coercion or force was imposed upon you to receive the service) and informed (i.e., information about the services you are to receive, risks, benefits and your right to withdraw) consent to receive services. If at any point, you wish to withdraw consent to receive services, you have the right to do so, without fear of reprisal.
In cases where a minor or adult under guardianship are in shared custody of parents/guardians, proof of custody arrangement and mutual consent of custodial adults must be provided at the initial consultation. A copy of this will be made and retained in the client's file.
Minors and adults under guardianship who are not eligible to consent by law still enjoy more benefits from psychotherapy when they are willing participants. For this reason, at the outset of sessions with minors or those deemed unable to consent under the law, I will verify that they assent (i.e., express a willingness) to participation in psychotherapy prior to starting our sessions. If they do not assent to participation, the reasons for declining to participate will be explored. If I decide that participation in the session would violate their autonomy or that participation is under duress for them, I will terminate the session.
Clients are entitled to privacy and confidentiality in receiving their services. There are instances when privacy and confidentiality are required, by law, to be breached.
These include:
-
When the client or someone else is in immediate risk of harm, I required by law to report it to the police.
-
When a minor is suspected or is at risk of being harmed, I am required by law to report it to Children's Aid Society.
-
If any documents or information that I have are subpoenaed (i.e., ordered to be provided to a judge or court), I am required, by law to provide the document(s) or information as requested in the subpoena.
Risks and Benefits
The services provided are intended to be beneficial to the client. Effectiveness of treatment is influenced by a number of factors, including, but not limited to:
-
Goodness of fit (i.e., suitability of the service that I provide to the client's interests and needs),
-
Adherence to the treatment plan (e.g., implementation of the recommendations and/or homework assigned outside of the therapeutic setting, regular attendance in sessions, etc.).
If I feel that our working relationship is not suitable to the needs of the client, I reserve the right to terminate our relationship. If this happens, I will do my best to help the client to identify more suitable services. Similarly, if the client finds that the working relationship is not suitable to their needs or expectations, they are free to terminate it. If they do so and wish assistance identifying suitable alternatives, I will do my best to assist them to do so upon request.
As with any treatment, there is potential risk involved in these services. Examples include, but are not limited to, feelings of discomfort or upset following a session as the client reflects upon issues that were discussed during the session, their own experiences between sessions and other unforeseeable factors. When this upset arises, the client is encouraged to make note of it, reflect on how it relates to what we discussed and bring any insights about the upset to our next session. This is valuable information upon which we can build within our work together.
If at any time, something I have said or done makes the client uncomfortable or upset, I welcome that feedback and do hope that all clients feel safe and respected enough by me to provide that feedback. For further information about standards of practice and how to navigate concerns therein, please refer to the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario: https://crpo.ca/practice-standards/.
If at any time, the client feels we are no longer a good fit or that the client no longer requires my services, this is good news. The reason this is a positive thing is that it indicates that the client has recognised their needs and feels empowered to move beyond our relationship in order to honour and meet their needs. If desired, I will collaborate with the client to identify more suitable therapy options. Alternatively, we can reduce frequency of service or close the file, keeping the option for the client to return on an as needed basis. In short, I celebrate and respect your progress, including your choice to terminate services, keeping the door open should you choose to return at a later date.
I am required by law to retain documents pertaining to clients for ten years from the last point of contact or ten years from when the minor turns 18 years old (where applicable and whichever comes first). Clients are entitled to access their file in their entirety during the course of receiving services and ten years thereafter. Requests should be made in writing so that there is a record thereof. Once ten years has elapsed since the last point of contact, all documents will be destroyed in accordance with regulatory standards.
Accessibility:
I provide my services in a respectful way and welcome people of all identities. With this said, I am limited to provide services in which I have the necessary expertise.
If I have not got the training/competence to meet your needs or if an issue in which I lack training/competence comes up in the process of serving you for needs in which I have got the necessary expertise, I will recommend that you seek services to address the area in which I lack training/competence from someone who does have this expertise.
When this happens, I will, to the best of my abilities and if you consent, help you to identify someone with that expertise. If you choose to work entirely with that person, I will respect that decision. If you prefer to continue to work with me on the issues for which I have expertise, I am happy to do so.
If you consent, I can collaborate with professionals with whom you are working who have expertise in areas in which I lack expertise, in order to ensure your needs are met to the best of my abilities. I will not provide services for which I lack the necessary training/competence.