CHILD PSYCHOTHERAPY POLICIES
Welcome to my practice! Below are some details about my practice policies. Please read carefully.
Play is how children learn about and explore their worlds and in therapy it is often their main mode of communication. Through play therapy I will help your child communicate his or her inner world so I can better assess what treatment goals to implement. I will help your child put words to his or her thoughts and feelings and help you manage your own emotions in order to be more attuned to your child.
Consultation and Assessment Process: When meeting with a new family, the first step is an initial assessment and consultation with any caregiver(s) present in order to obtain a developmental and family history as well as details about your child and family’s current functioning. I will then meet with the child three times in order to engage and assess. The last step is to have a follow up session with caregivers (s) to share impressions, decide if to move forward, and set intentions for therapy.
Parent’s Role in Therapy: Parents are a vital part of the therapy process. It has been my experience that semi-regularly scheduled meetings with parents lead to adolescents making greater strides. Children under 10 yo may benefit from parents having a greater involvement because they often struggle to bring important information about their functioning into session. This will be discussed during the assessment process. I request that parents of younger adolescents meet with me on a regular basis, ideally every 6 weeks. I understand that due to a myriad factors including availability and need, the frequency of sessions will vary. I will do my best to provide appointment times that are convenient for families including later evening and morning appointments.
Confidentiality: Everything your child shares with me remains confidential unless (1) They are a harm to themselves and/or others; (2) they are in danger, (3) they give me permission to share information. What parents share with me in session is used to enhance your child’s therapy. Although I won’t share the exact details, themes and issues brought up in parent sessions may be discussed with your adolescent.
Waiting Area: In order to ensure everyone’s privacy and due to the nature of the waiting area, please try to arrive no more than 5 minutes before your session time. If you step out during the session, please make sure you are back 5 minutes before the end of your child’s session. They may not be left unsupervised. Food and Drink: I ask that patient’s do not eat in the therapy office. Patients are welcome to bring water and other non-clear drinks if they are careful. If eating in the waiting area, please be mindful of crumbs and clean up after yourself.
Cancelling Sessions: Please cancel sessions a minimum of 48 business hours before the session via voicemail at (646) 783-8514. If your child feels comfortable canceling the session, wonderful! If not, parents are asked to take responsibility for this. Some patients prefer having cancellations in writing, so if you would like to email in addition, please do so. But remember, a voice message is required to cancel especially if it is close to the appointment date.
Attendance: Clients are expected to attend roughly 90% (this allows for approximately 4 to 5 cancellations per yea not counting therapist vacations) and are encouraged to reschedule if possible rather than cancel to make the most of the therapy experience. A “rescheduled” session means it is in addition to the regularly scheduled weekly session. This policy encourages consistency in attendance and a respect for the weekly time I carve out for each of my clients. It also shifts the dynamic of patients feeling as though they need permission to cancel a session to an agreed upon decision. As I know this can be more challenging for youth due to school vacations, I am open to discussing on an individual basis how to handle extended absences during the summer months.
Communication: I am available by PHONE (646) 783-8514 and EMAIL bazlcsw@gmail.com Email is not confidential, so please do not put any personal information in communications. If you are looking for a faster response, please call as I check voice mail regularly and email intermittently. Once I have started seeing patients for the day I typically don’t check email until I am finished. Although I am reachable by phone and email, I ask that since parent interactions are a major part of the therapy, that most of the work happens during scheduled appointments. Please be mindful that I am working with a number of families and can guarantee my full attention and care better when it is not a rushed conversation crammed in the middle of a busy day.
PLEASE NO TEXTING. The phone number provided is a google voice number and “texts'' get sent to an email address that goes unchecked. Voice mails are checked. This is a conscious choice because although I understand that in a social context they are convenient, but they are not something I use professionally in part because: (1) they are not HIPPA compliant, (2) It is easy to send the text to the wrong number which violates confidentiality, (3) they are easy to misinterpret and misunderstand. I am happy to discuss this further on an individual basis if needed.
Finances and Payment: Invoices are sent on the 1st of the month and I ask that you submit payment within 3 business days. If you need an accommodation on this issue, please discuss with me directly. This helps me keep my billing system running efficiently. Unless agreed upon, payments that are 10 days overdue are considered “late”. Payments that are consistently late will be considered a clinical issue and brought up in a parent session. Payment forms accepted are Zelle Quickpay,cash, check and ACH routing. To use Zelle please search for me through my email address: bazlcsw@gmail.com. (NOT PHONE NUMBER) Sorry no other electronic forms of payment accepted (aka no venmo, paypal). If you would like to use a credit card you will be responsible for the additional 3% (plus .30) per transaction. The credit card authorization form gives me permission to charge your card if the therapy ends without the bill being settled. If you are sending a check please send it to my office address.