HIPAA and Privacy

My practice uses Simple Practice EHR (electronic health record), which is compliant with all three parts of HIPAA: security, privacy, and breach of notification rules. My practice paperwork, billing, and scheduling are completed and transmitted through the secure portal. There is also a secure messaging area where you can safely email personal health information (PHI) safely.

Confidentiality

You have the right to confidentiality and I am committed to protecting your information.  It is for this reason that I do not approach past or current clients in public, outside of the therapy space.  

Federal privacy rules (regulations) allow health care providers who have direct treatment relationship with the client to use or disclose the client’s personal health information without the patient’s written authorization, to carry out the health care provider’s own treatment, payment or health care operations.  However, before I contact any of your healthcare providers about your care, I request that you sign a medical release of information so that you can fully consent to the contact with an understanding of the purpose of the contact and the type of information that may be shared.

Exceptions to confidentiality are limited to extreme circumstances—threat of serious harm to you or others; suspected child or elderly abuse or neglect; a medical emergency; or a court order.

Documentation

I am required to maintain documentation of all therapy sessions in accordance with professional, ethical, and legal standards. These records serve to track treatment progress, ensure continuity of care, and comply with regulatory requirements.

Confidentiality & Access

  • Therapy records are confidential and securely stored.
  • I do not release records to third parties without your written consent, except as required by law (e.g., court orders, mandated reporting, or situations involving imminent harm).

Insurance Documentation

  • If you are using insurance to cover the cost of therapy, I will provide the necessary documentation (such as session dates, treatment goals, and progress notes) required by your insurance company.
  • You are responsible for understanding the details of your insurance policy, including coverage limits, co-pays, and out-of-pocket costs.

Requests for Records

  • If you request a copy of your records, I will often provide a summary of treatment rather than full session notes to protect therapeutic integrity.
  • Record requests must be made in writing and may take some time to process.
  • Fees may apply for record retrieval, copying, or summaries, in accordance with state guidelines.

Court & Legal Matters

  • My role as a therapist is to provide clinical support, not forensic evaluations. I do not provide letters, evaluations, or testimony for legal matters, including custody disputes.
  • If subpoenaed, I will retain an attorney to help me comply with legal obligations. I may charge fees for preparation and testimony.

If you have questions about your records, privacy, or documentation policies, please feel free to ask.

Social Media

Due to the importance of your confidentiality and the importance of minimizing dual relationships, I do not accept friend or contact requests from current or former clients on any social networking site (Facebook, Twitter, etc).

I believe that adding clients as friends or contacts on these sites can compromise your confidentiality and our respective privacy, while blurring the boundaries of our therapeutic relationship.

If you have questions about this, please bring them up when we meet and we can talk more

Telehealth

To ensure a productive and secure Telehealth session, the following requirements must be met.

  • A device with both audio and video capabilities that will be used throughout the session.
  • Reliable internet and stable Wi-Fi, with a preference for a stationary location. (Telehealth sessions should not be conducted while driving, as this is unsafe and does not provide the reliability needed for a session.)
  • A valid email and/or phone number for receiving session links and reminders.
  • Privacy: A quiet, private space where you can focus on the session without distractions or interruptions.
  • The client must be located in Oregon/Washington and be willing to provide their current location as requested.

If any of these requirements are not met, the therapist may choose to end the session. If this is an ongoing issue, the therapist may determine that a different level or type of care is necessary and provide referrals to other professionals.

Communication

Due to the nature of my work, my primary method of communication with current clients is by text or by email.  While I try to return those messages in a timely manner, I cannot guarantee immediate response. For this reason, I request that you do not discuss therapeutic content and/or request assistance for emergencies. If a true emergency situation arises, please call 911, go to any local emergency room, or call the Multnomah County Crisis Line at (503) 988-4888.  I am not typically available by phone.

Cancellations

As a courtesy, appointment reminders are send out by text and/or email 48 hours in advance. It is your responsibility, however, to keep track of your appointments. 

Please do not reply to the automated reminder text as they come from a non-monitored phone number. Responses to the reminder texts will not constitute a valid cancellation and you will be charged for the missed appointment.

Please text my phone number (503) 516-0573 directly or email at jami@catalystcounseling.org to make any scheduling adjustments.

Please remember to cancel or reschedule at least 24 hours in advance, as this appointment time is made for you and held exclusively for you.  You will be expected to pay the entire fee if your cancellation is less than 24 hours. 

Additionally, insurers will not pay for time that client’s are not present.  If you are late for a session, you will be expected to pay for your missed time on a prorated basis.  You may also lose some of that session time.

Working with Multiple Therapists

To ensure ethical and effective care, I generally do not provide therapy to clients who are actively working with another individual therapist. Having multiple therapists can create challenges in treatment coordination, therapeutic focus, and clinical responsibility.

If you are currently seeing another therapist and wish to work with me (or vice versa), we will discuss whether my services align with your needs and how to ensure continuity of care. In cases where working with more than one therapist is clinically appropriate, I require a signed release of information to facilitate coordination.

Termination of Therapy

Clients have the right to end therapy at any time. Because goodbyes are often overlooked, I encourage you to provide notice so we can discuss any final thoughts or referrals, if needed.

Therapist: I may consider therapy terminated for the following reasons:

  • Attendance: If a client cancels three sessions in a row, no-shows without any contact for two weeks afterward, or if there has not been an attended session for more than six weeks without prior communication, I may consider therapy terminated.
  • Insufficient Progress: If I determine that a client is not sufficiently benefiting from therapy or that the treatment approach is no longer effective, I may recommend a different level or kind of care and provide referrals to other professionals.
  • Changes to Insurance/Availability: If there are significant changes to your insurance, availability, or other factors that impact our ability to continue therapy, I may need to consider ending our work together.
  • Ethical or Professional Concerns: If ethical or professional concerns arise, I may need to end therapy and offer referrals to ensure you receive the support you need.

Termination discussions would ideally occur during a session or via email; however, letters may be sent by mail, especially when sessions or emails are not possible. Sometimes, this process can feel abrupt, especially when it occurs in response to factors outside of our control (e.g., family emergencies, extended travel schedules, etc.). I will do my best to communicate openly with you through this process.

Resuming Therapy:
If clients wish to resume therapy after counseling has been terminated, and I believe it to be clinically appropriate, we will need to complete new paperwork and schedule a new appointment.