Service Agreement

Service Agreement

Mystic Roots Therapy, LLC is a private practice Licensed Independent Clinical Social Workers (LICSW) LICSWs are mental health practitioners trained to provide psychotherapy services to individuals, couples, families, and groups. LICSWs are licensed to diagnose and treat mental and emotional disorders within the context of marriage, couples, individuals, and family systems. An LICSW’s scope of practice is outlined as follows:

• LICSWs can diagnose mental disorders;

• LICSWs can provide psychological treatment for individuals, families, and groups;

• LICSWs cannot administer or interpret psychological tests;

• LICSWs cannot diagnose or treat physical conditions; and,

• LICSWs cannot prescribe medication.

Psychotherapy Services:

Psychotherapy varies depending on the therapist, the client, and the client’s particular situation and goals. Many different methods may be used to deal with particular situations, goals, and objectives. LICSWs help clients process their reactions to changes and circumstances in their lives. The goal is to help people develop strategies and skills to alter their behavior and cope with difficult situations. LICSWs use a variety of techniques when working with clients.

Benefits and Risks:

Psychotherapy can have benefits and risks. Just as medications sometimes cause unexpected side effects, counseling can stimulate painful memories, unanticipated changes in your life, and uncomfortable feelings like sadness, guilt, anger, frustration, loneliness, and helplessness. In some cases, clients’ symptoms become worse during therapy, occasionally necessitating hospitalization. In addition, therapy services require a commitment of your time as therapy provides the greatest benefit when appointments are attended regularly, at the frequency your therapist recommends.  Finally, therapy requires a financial commitment as the client is responsible for ensuring payment of services. The benefits of therapy can include a higher level of functional coping, solutions to specific problems, new insights into self, more effective means of communicating in relationships, symptomatic relief, and improved self-esteem. However, there are no guarantees as to what each client will experience.

What to Expect:

Your initial appointment is an intake appointment. At your intake appointment, you and your therapist will discuss the current situation that led you to seek therapy services, your goals for therapy moving forward, scheduling, and anything you feel may be relevant to your care.

Mystic Roots Therapy, LLC Policies:

Each participant has the responsibility to maintain accurate contact information and is required to update contact information with staff as changes occur.

Mystic Roots Therapy, LLC requires an HSA card or credit card to be put on file to cover any possible co-payments, cancellation fees, or fees deemed as patient responsibility by insurance carriers.

Mystic Roots Therapy, LLC reserves the right to not provide services, including copying, refaxing, and emailing, until the client’s balance has been paid. Mystic Roots Therapy, LLC will secure the services of a collection agency to collect outstanding balances, if necessary.

No party may video record or take pictures of Mystic Roots Therapy, LLC staff.

If the therapy session is conducted via Zoom, screen recording or recording using a separate device is strictly prohibited. If Mystic Roots Therapy, LLC becomes aware of any recording of Zoom sessions, service will be terminated.

Sessions:

Mystic Roots Therapy, LLC typically schedules 53-minute therapy sessions. At times, it may be appropriate to meet more or less than once per week if that is consistent with the agreed-upon treatment plan.

Mystic Roots Therapy, LLC will provide therapy sessions in-person at our office OR telehealth sessions via Zoom. Mystic Roots Therapy, LLC utilizes the Zoom Business Agreement to ensure HIPAA compliance. Virtual therapy sessions allow the therapist and client to engage in services without being in the same physical location. If you participate in a virtual therapy session, it is your responsibility to ensure that you are in a private, quiet space. It is your responsibility to notify your therapist of any other persons in the location, on or off camera, who can hear or see your therapy session.

Telehealth sessions may not always be possible. Disruptions of signals or problems with the internet’s infrastructure may cause broadcast and reception problems (e.g., poor picture or sound quality, dropped connections, audio interference) that prevent effective interaction between consulting clinician(s), patient, or care team. Assessing and evaluating threats and other emergencies can be more difficult when conducting telehealth sessions than in traditional in-person treatment.