What are your qualifications and what kind of counseling do you do?

• I have worked as a psychotherapist for more than 25 years.

• I have a Master’s Degree in counseling, and four additional years of training in Bioenergetic Analysis with the Connecticut and New York Institutes for Bioenergetic Analysis. Bioenergetic Analysis is one of the earliest of the modern mind/body/spirit therapies, which utilizes breath, energy, and movement.
• I was a Connecticut certified alcoholism and addictions counselor from 1988 to 2001 and became licensed as a substance abuse counselor by the CT Mental Health Department in 1998 (Lic. #000104). I worked for 4 years in the late 1980’s as a family counselor and a substance abuse counselor at residential treatment facility in Sandy Hook CT called Eagle Hill. I also ran an intensive outpatient treatment program at Meridian Center in Stamford from 1990 to 1992.
• I have hundreds of hours of experience and special training in working with people who are survivors of trauma and with people who have dissociative disorders.
• I am also trained in the use of altered states of consciousness in helping people heal. Altered states of consciousness include visualization, meditation, and light trance work.
• I am trained in Thought Field Therapy, a wonderful adjunct to on-going psychotherapy as well as a short-term treatment for some specific problems and behaviors.
• I have a strong spiritual base in my own life and this spills over into my practice of psychotherapy. I believe therapy to be a journey of the spirit, however, rest assured there is no pressure on you to believe any particular set of beliefs nor is it necessary that you be a believer at all.

Is our work together kept confidential?

• I keep minimal records of the specifics of the therapy we do together. This protects you from any eventuality in which my records might be subpoenaed. I am the only person who has access to your file, billing statements, or intake form.
• I consult with other health professionals and receive supervision from a number of colleagues, however they would only know your name if you have given me permission to share it.
• I will not share information about you without written permission from you, however, there are some situations in which I am required by law to divulge information with or without your permission. These situations involve suicidal or homicidal threats and child abuse.
• Members of your family have no access to information without your permission, even if they are paying for your therapy.
• I am not available to go to court for you. If you are in divorce or custody proceedings or are a survivor of childhood abuse who wishes to sue the abuser and you want the testimony of a psychotherapist, I am not the right person for you.

What about the therapy itself?

• I expect you to be involved with your therapy and on time for sessions. You are purchasing a service with your time and money and it is to your advantage to participate fully.
• The goals of therapy will be agreed upon and understood by both of us. If you’re ever unsure of our goals or unsure of why we are doing something, you have the right ask questions.
• You have options if you think the therapy isn’t working. If you have a problem, you can take any of the following steps to resolve it:
  – First, decide if it is a counseling problem or a money problem. If it’s a money problem, speak to me about it directly and I’ll try to help you work it out.
  -If it’s a counseling problem, or if you’re angry or upset with me for any reason, tell me about it. I want to know if something isn’t working, or if you’re having a problem I might not be aware of.
  – If, for some reason, you and I are unable to solve the problem together, we have the option of asking for help from one of my supervisors.- If we still can’t resolve the problem, it is your right to ask for referrals and terminate the therapy.

What about telephone calls and crises?

• You can’t always reach me. I don’t carry a pager. Nor am I available at midnight or on weekends, so it’s very important that you have other support in addition to me. If you don’t have a support system, I’ll help you build one. There is secure voice mail at (203) 255-5055. If you should have an emergency, you can leave word there and specifically ask that I call you, which I will do as soon as I can. At any time, if you are in serious crisis and feel at risk, go directly to the emergency room of the hospital nearest to you.
• If a telephone call is longer than 10 minutes, it becomes a telephone session and you’ll be charged for the time in quarter hour increments.

What about money and insurance?

• Unless otherwise arranged, individual, couple, and family sessions are fifty minutes long. You are expected to pay at the beginning of each session; a check is fine unless we have made some other arrangement. Please arrive with the check already written. No credit cards are accepted.
• If a check bounces, there will be a charge of $25. If it happens a second time, you’ll be expected to pay for the sessions in cash.
• I do not belong to any insurance networks, therefore it is up to you to handle any insurance claims you might make. On request, I will prepare a monthly statement for you, which you may submit to your insurance company for out of network coverage (something for you to consider is how much private information you’re willing to put into the computers of insurance companies).

What if I have to reschedule or cancel an appointment?

• If you discover you have to reschedule an appointment, notify me right away and I’ll try to accommodate you.
• 24 hours notice is required to cancel an appointment, otherwise, you’ll be charged for the missed session.
• If you have an emergency, I will try to reschedule your appointment within the same week but, if we cannot do so, you’ll be charged for the missed session.