Integrative Approach Privacy Policy
Issues in therapy are private and are considered legally protected as privileged information. However, there are exceptions to this confidentiality. These exceptions include but are not limited to:
1. If you reveal to Amanda, or if she determines in her professional opinion, your suicidal thoughts and intentions present a real danger, she will do all in her power to keep you safe. Amanda believes there is always ambiguity around suicide and will act in support of those parts of you who wish to live.
2. If you reveal to Amanda, or if she determines that you present a physical danger to someone else, she has a duty to warn him or her.
3. Amanda is legally bound to report the abuse of children and elders.
4. If you are involved or may in the future be involved in litigation of any kind and your mental health becomes an issue before the court, your treatment records may be mandated for disclosure to the court, but only by duly authorized court order.
5. If you ask Amanda to share information for the coordination or continuation of care and sign a Release of Information form.
6. Amanda’s NO SECRETS policy with couples & families:
When Amanda agrees to work with a couple or family (the treatment unit), she considers that couple or family to be the client until or unless that initial contract is changed by mutual consent. She may need to share information learned in an individual discussion with the entire treatment unit that is, the family or the member of the couple, if she is to be effective with the treatment unit. Please know Amanda will not hold secrets since - as you can imagine - this would utterly undermine trust and the healing will be sabotaged. It is very common for her to see different combinations within any treatment period with a couple or family. Seeing one person does not mean that everything that happens will be shared with everyone else, only that Amanda can’t hold onto secrets. If a couple comes to Amanda seeking to repair the marriage “the marriage” is her client. If during therapy it becomes apparent that one partner wants to leave the relationship, this then becomes a conversation until:
a. both parties agree to a separation/divorce and the focus of therapy then becomes a conscious separation/divorce; or
b. both parties agree to continue working on the marriage; or
c. one partner leaves the relationship and the remaining partner establishes new goals for therapy