POLICIES
PRACTICE POLICIES
Consent
When rendering services to children under the age of 18, I would need to seek informed consent from both parents and/or legal representatives.
I would also seek informed assent from the child.
Confidentiality
When you seek private psychological therapy or assessment, only two individuals know everything that happens in each session. One of these persons, of course, is you. The other person is the psychologist treating you.
As a Health Care practitioner I hold information that is private and sensitive. The National Health Act (Act No. 61 of 2003) provides that this information must not be given to others, unless the patient consents or the health care practitioner can justify the disclosure. This would only be when it is considered that you are a danger to yourself or others, or if ordered to do so by a court of law. Where abuse or neglect of a child or elderly person is suspected, this would also need to be reported to the relevant authorities.
If you wish information given to others (e.g. insurance carriers, physicians, etc.) this will be done only on your written authorization.
Termination of service
If the time should arise, after a period of therapy, that either you or I feel that you are not receiving any additional benefit, we will discuss this. You have the right to terminate treatment at any time. If you choose to do so, I will offer to provide you with names of other qualified professionals whose services you might prefer.
Complaints
If at any point you feel unhappy with the way in which I have treated you, please talk to me about it. I will listen to your criticism respectfully and I will take it seriously. If you believe I have behaved unethically you can contact the HPCSA and they will review the services I have provided.
SOCIAL MEDIA POLICY
Social Media is a wonderful tool that helps people get informed and engaged. I use social media for my practice, and I have created a social media policy to better inform you how I use social media in my practice.
Friending:
To respect your privacy and confidentiality, I do not accept friend requests on my personal Facebook page from current or former clients on any social networking site.
Following:
I sometimes post psychology news on Twitter. I have no expectation that clients will want to follow my Twitter stream. You are welcome to use your own discretion in choosing whether to follow me.
Note that I will not follow you back. I mainly follow other health professionals on Twitter and I do not follow current or former clients on blogs or Twitter. If there are things from your online life that you wish to share with me, please bring them into our sessions where we can view and explore them together, during the therapy hour.
Interacting:
Please do not use messaging on Social Networking sites such as Twitter, Facebook, or LinkedIn to contact me. If there were an emergency, I would not be able to respond timely as I do not check these accounts regularly. The best way to interact with me is by email or phone. If you post on my wall it may also create the possibility that these exchanges become a part of your legal medical record and will need to be documented and archived in your chart.
Business review sites:
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If you should find my listing on any of these sites, please know that my listing is NOT a request for a testimonial, rating, or endorsement from you as my client. The Health Professions Council of South Africa Code of Ethics says it is unethical for psychologists to solicit testimonials. You have a right to express yourself on any site you wish.
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If you do post a review, I cannot respond on any of these sites, whether it is positive or negative. I urge you to take your own privacy as seriously as I take my commitment of confidentiality to you.
Email:
I prefer using email only to arrange or modify appointments. Please do not email me content related to your therapy or assessment sessions, as email is not completely secure or confidential. If you choose to communicate with me by email, be aware that all emails are retained in the logs of your and my Internet service providers. While it is unlikely that someone will be looking at these logs, they are, in theory, available to be read by the system administrator(s) of the Internet service provider.
Text:
Sometimes clients text me to request an appointment time or to let me know if they are running late to an appointment. Please know that text is not always secure. I am fine with brief texts related to your appointment only.
If you have questions or concerns about any of these policies and procedures or regarding our potential interactions on the Internet, do bring them to my attention so that we can discuss them.
