Welcome to my practice. I consider my services to be successful when my clients are able to achieve the outcomes they desire, in less time, with less effort and with less pain than trying to get the same results alone or with another therapist.

 

This document contains important information about my professional services and business policies that will allow me, and my clients, to be successful together.

 

Please read it carefully and make note of any questions you may have so that we can discuss them when we meet. Once you sign the agreements page, this document will constitute a binding agreement between us.

By the end of our first meeting, we will have agreed on one or more outcomes for our work together and, if you decide to continue, the first steps in the plan to achieve those outcomes. This plan will include behavioral training, biofeedback, applied behavioral strategies, or a combination of these services. I will provide you with a recommendation about which services I think would be most helpful to you, but you are free to select the services you wish to utilize.

You should evaluate the information I provide to you along with your own assessment about whether I am someone with whom you would feel comfortable working. This work involves a large commitment of time, money, and energy, so you should be very careful about the counselor you select. If you have questions, please discuss them with me whenever they arise.

Therapeutic services with U.Be.Well may not be what you expect if you are expecting traditional therapy. Each session is driven by information you give on the Emotional Checklist. Using this information, I will guide you through the practical use of the specified tools that you will learn about throughout the process. 

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This work requires an active role for you, as well. In order to be most successful, you will have to be willing to work on these skills during and between meetings.

Unlike traditional therapy, U.Be.Well. sessions always end with you feeling lighter than you did when you entered. By utilizing the tools I teach you while we are together, you will learn how to apply these cognitive strategies to adjust your focus when and where you need to.

U.Be.Well utilizes the brilliance of the Biofeedback program, Journey To The Wild Divine.  ​

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This program is a singularly unique exception to the notion that screen time is bad for us!

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Guided through the program by both a U.Be.Well facilitator and Sofia, the Guardian of the Garden in the program, you will learn how to intentionally shift your emotional state at will.  This training program taps into multiple sensory processes allowing the skills you learn from your practice to become automatic quickly.

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Recommended by facilitators: Purchase your own Journey to the Wild Divine and work with a facilitator for 2-3 hours to get your started.  You will be ready to jump in on your own in no time!

 The frequency of our sessions depends on the concerns you are addressing, the outcomes you desire, and the type of service I am providing to you. 

 

Average Duration of Services

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1) Biofeedback sessions are generally scheduled once per week, for 1 hour.

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2) Individual Cognitive Behavioral sessions begin with:  

5 hours of education, broken up into two 2.5-hour meetings held within 24-hours of each other. 

Following meetings are 90-minutes each for one month, two months, or three months depending on course selection.

 

The frequency and duration of those sessions is determined based on demographic information provided in your intake. 

It may be possible to accomplish the outcomes you desire more quickly by meeting more frequently. Please feel free to discuss with me the possibility of meeting more frequently if this is a concern for you.

My standard rate is $250 per 60-minute session.  Returning Clients may purchase packages of meetings to be used within a two-month period. 

 

Fees are expected to be collected in advance for packages, unless a payment plan was previously agreed upon.

 

 

Packages are as follows:

Get Started::5-Weeks = $2800 :: This includes the full suite of Cognitive Behavioral Tools, coaching, and biofeedback.

Booster Package::

3-bonus-weeks = $675

​​5-bonus-weeks = $900
:: This is for those who have worked with me and wish to continue with the CBT, coaching and/or biofeedback.

Biofeedback Bundle:: Increments of 5 hours = $500 or $100/hour :: This focuses on Biofeedback Tools and coaching on real-life application, with limited Cognitive Behavioral influence.

Outside of our meetings, it is my practice to charge my standard rate of $225 per hour, on a prorated basis, for other professional services you may require such as:

report writing, telephone conversations lasting longer than 15 minutes, attendance at meetings or consultations with other professionals you have authorized, preparation of records or treatment summaries, or the time required to perform any other service which you may request of me. 

     

In unusual circumstances, you may become involved in a lawsuit that may require my participation. You will be expected to pay for the professional time required even if I am compelled to testify for another party. Because of the complexity and difficulty of legal involvement, I charge $300.00 per hour for the preparation for, and attendance at any legal proceeding. The time calculated for my attendance at legal proceedings includes travel time door to door and delays which are beyond my control.

You will be expected to pay for services in advance of any services being rendered, unless prior arrangements are made. Payment schedules for other professional services will be agreed to at the time these services are requested. In circumstances of unusual financial hardship, we may be willing to negotiate an installment payment plan.

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Arrears for Payment Plans

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30-Days overdue - In the event that your account is more than 30 days in arrears and suitable arrangements for payment have not been made, a 15% non-payment fee will be added to the remaining balance on your account.

60+ Days overdue - If your account is more than 60 days in arrears and suitable arrangements for payment have not been agreed to, I have the option of using legal means to secure payment, including collection agencies or small claims court. Should such means be necessary, you will be charged a fee, as permissible by North Carolina state law, for the collection or legal services as well as my time in resolving the matter.

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In most cases, the only information that I would release about a client's treatment would be the client's name, the nature of the services provided, and the amount due.

Packages: For any session cancelled with less than 24 hours notice and NOT rescheduled, 1 meeting will be deducted from your purchased package.

Contact your practitioner for information about cancelling complete package

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Non-packages: For any session missed or cancelled with less than 24-hours notice, see rescheduling.

Rescheduling:

Sessions cancelled with more than 24-hours notice can be easily rescheduled by contacting UBeWell directly.

If sessions are rescheduled in the same week, there is no charge associated.

If not, a $150 missed appointment fee will be assessed.

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Sessions Cancelled with less than 24-hours notice.

$250 missed appointment fee will be assessed as I am not able to insert other clients into your time slot.

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Missed Sessions without notification will be billed at normal rates for full amount of time.

Both the law and the standards of the counseling profession require that I keep treatment records. These records always include your contact information, dates and times of appointments and receipts of payment.

 

• I do not keep notes on treatment objectives, homework assigned, although progress being made is always available to me through the BurrisConnect portal.

• You have access to the records I do keep, and if you wish, I can prepare an appropriate summary for you.

• Clients will be charged an appropriate fee for any preparation time or material that is required to comply with an information request.

In general, the confidentiality of all communications between a client and a mental health professional is protected by law, and I can release information about our work together to others only with your written permission. However, there are a number of exceptions.

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In most judicial proceedings, you have the right to prevent me from providing information about your treatment. However, in some circumstances, such as child custody proceedings and proceedings in which your emotional condition is an important element, a judge may require my testimony if the judge determines that resolution of the issue demands it.

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There are some situations in which I am legally required to take action to protect others from harm even though that requires revealing some information about a client's treatment. 

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• If there is evidence a child, an elderly person, or a disabled person is being abused, I must file a report with the appropriate state agency.

• ​​If you reveal information that constitutes misconduct of any health professional, I am required to report the accused party to the state board of health; however your name will not be included in the report unless you agree to it.

• If I believe that a client is threatening serious bodily harm to another, I am required to take protective action, which may include notifying the potential victim, notifying the police, or seeking appropriate hospitalization of the client.

• If a client threatens self-harm, it will be necessary to contact family members or others who can help provide protection from such actions.

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These incidents are relatively infrequent. Should such a situation occur, I would make every effort to fully discuss the situation with the client before taking any action.

While this written summary of exceptions to confidentiality should prove helpful in informing you about potential problems, it is important that you discuss any questions or concerns you may have at the next meeting with me. As you might suspect, the laws governing these issues are quite complex, and I am not an attorney. While it may be beneficial to discuss legal implications, specific legal advice should be sought from a qualified legal professional.

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If you request, information may be provided with relevant portions or summaries of the applicable state laws governing these issues, as well as applicable ethical codes from the American Counseling Association, and/or the National Board of Certified Counselors.

::For Individual Coursework::

     If you are under eighteen years of age, please be aware that the law does provide your parents/legal guardians with the right to examine your treatment records. Please be aware that UBeWell’s policy on working with teens is that the first 2 meetings are always with at least one parent/guardian in order to teach parents the system tools to be able to support you in your use of these tools at home.

 

After these initial meetings, I will provide them only with general information on how your treatment is proceeding.  If I feel that you are in some danger, your parents will be notified of the concern. I will also provide them with a summary of your treatment when it is complete upon their request. Before giving them any information, I will discuss the matter with you and will try to resolve any objections you may have about what is to be disclosed.

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::For Group Coursework::

     If you are under eighteen years of age, please be aware that the law does provide your parents with the right to examine your treatment records. I will provide them only with general information on how your treatment is proceeding unless I feel that you are in some danger, in which case your parents will be notified of the concern. I will also provide them with a summary of your treatment when it is complete upon their request.

 

Before giving them any information, I will discuss the matter with you and will try to resolve any objections you may have about what is to be disclosed.  

     

Parent/guardian/community involvement is crucial for your continued success in mastering the skills you are learning.

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     If you wish to speak to me regarding scheduling, or any other matter, you can call, or text me at 919-756-4548, or email Liz@DitchTheDx.com. If I am unavailable, please leave a message and I will get back to you as soon as possible. If you feel that you cannot wait for a returned call, you should call 911 or one of the crisis numbers listed below. If I am unavailable for an extended period of time, I will provide you with the name of a trusted colleague you can contact if necessary.

Crisis Numbers

911 Medical/Life Threatening Emergency

800-799-7233 Domestic Violence Hotline

919-733-9467 North Carolina Child Protective Services

919-231-4525‎  North Carolina Suicide Prevention Hotline