These policies are intended to help set clear expectations and support a professional, respectful therapy experience. Please review them before beginning services.
These website policies provide a general overview and do not replace the formal informed-consent, financial-policy, telehealth-consent, and Notice of Privacy Practices documents provided when services begin.
Appointments and Cancellations
Please provide at least 24 hours’ notice if you need to cancel or reschedule an appointment. Late cancellations and missed appointments may be charged the full session fee unless otherwise required by your insurance plan or applicable law.
Payment and Insurance
Payment is due at the time of service. Clients are responsible for understanding their insurance benefits, including copays, deductibles, authorization requirements, and any services not covered by their plan. Any remaining balance after insurance processes a claim is the client’s responsibility.
Confidentiality and Privacy
Information shared in therapy is confidential and will not be released without your written authorization, except when disclosure is required or permitted by law. Website contact forms and email should be used only for general inquiries – not for emergencies or sensitive clinical information.
Protected Health Information, HIPAA, and Telehealth
Your treatment, billing, appointment, and other identifiable health information may be protected health information under HIPAA. 9-Line Counseling uses reasonable administrative, technical, and physical safeguards to protect that information and limits its use or disclosure to purposes permitted by law, such as treatment, payment, health-care operations, or disclosures authorized by you. Telehealth sessions are conducted through secure technology intended for health-care use; however, clients are also responsible for participating from a private location, protecting access to their devices, and notifying the therapist if privacy cannot be maintained. Ordinary email, text messaging, and website contact forms may not be fully secure and should not be used to send sensitive clinical information. HIPAA applies to telehealth appointments, messages, and related treatment and billing information, and covered providers must use platforms with appropriate communication and data-storage safeguards.
Clinical Records, Releases of Information, and Legal Requests
Clinical records may include assessments, diagnoses, treatment plans, progress notes, billing information, correspondence, and other documentation related to care. Clients generally have the right to request access to records maintained in the designated record set, subject to limited exceptions allowed by federal or Utah law. Separately maintained psychotherapy notes receive additional protection and are generally not included in the ordinary right of access. A written, signed Release of Information may be required before records are sent to family members, attorneys, employers, schools, other providers, or other third parties. The release should identify the recipient, the information to be disclosed, the purpose of the disclosure, and the applicable expiration or revocation terms. HIPAA generally gives clients access to medical and billing records, while separately maintained psychotherapy notes are excluded from that access right and usually require specific authorization before disclosure. Utah law also recognizes patient access to records consistent with HIPAA.
Requests connected to litigation, custody disputes, disability claims, employment matters, criminal proceedings, or other legal cases may involve subpoenas, court orders, privilege, or other legal requirements. A subpoena alone does not automatically mean every requested record should be released. Before responding, 9-Line Counseling may verify the legal validity and scope of the request, seek written client authorization, consult legal counsel, request a protective order, or require a court order when appropriate. Only the information legally authorized or required will be disclosed. Participation in therapy does not guarantee that the therapist will provide opinions, testimony, custody recommendations, disability determinations, or forensic evaluations. Utah law generally prohibits a mental-health therapist from disclosing confidential communications without express written consent, subject to statutory exceptions.
Limits of Confidentiality and Duty to Report
Although therapy is confidential, there are situations in which I may be legally or ethically required to disclose information without your written permission. These may include suspected abuse, neglect, or exploitation of a child or vulnerable adult; a serious and immediate risk of harm to yourself; or an actual threat of physical violence toward an identifiable person. Information may also be disclosed when required by a valid court order or as otherwise permitted or required by law. When possible and appropriate, I will discuss these concerns with you before taking action.
Utah law requires reporting suspected child abuse and suspected abuse, neglect, or exploitation of a vulnerable adult. Utah also imposes a duty when a client communicates an actual threat of physical violence toward an identifiable or reasonably identifiable victim.
Patient Rights
Clients have the right to be treated with dignity, respect, and professionalism; to receive clear information about services, fees, privacy practices, and treatment options; to participate in treatment planning; to ask questions; to request reasonable access to their clinical records; and to raise concerns about care without retaliation. Clients may also request limits on certain uses or disclosures of protected health information, request confidential methods of communication, and file a privacy complaint if they believe their HIPAA rights have been violated. HIPAA provides rights related to access, privacy, and complaints, while Utah law protects confidential communications with mental-health therapists subject to limited legal exceptions.
Clients may file a complaint regarding possible unprofessional conduct with the Utah Division of Professional Licensing. Concerns involving health-information privacy may also be reported to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights. Filing a complaint will not affect a client’s right to receive appropriate care or be treated respectfully. DOPL accepts complaints concerning licensed professionals, and HHS accepts HIPAA privacy and security complaints.
9-Line Counseling may also make reports to DOPL, law enforcement, protective services, or another appropriate authority when reporting is required or permitted by law, including suspected abuse, neglect, exploitation, threats of serious harm, or possible unlawful or unprofessional conduct by a licensed professional. Such reporting is limited to circumstances recognized by applicable law and professional obligations. Utah law specifically directs certain reports involving suspected abuse or exploitation to DOPL or other designated authorities when the alleged individual is a licensed healthcare or mental-health professional.
Accessibility and Accommodations
9-Line Counseling is committed to providing services in a respectful and accessible manner. Clients are encouraged to discuss disability-related accommodations, communication needs, cultural considerations, or other concerns that may affect participation in therapy. Reasonable accommodations will be considered when feasible and clinically appropriate.
Electronic Communication and Social Media
Email, text messaging, voicemail, and website forms may be used for scheduling and general administrative communication. These methods may not be fully secure and should not be used to communicate sensitive clinical information. 9-Line Counseling does not accept social-media connection requests from current or former clients and does not use social media to provide therapy, crisis support, or clinical advice.
Court, Legal, and Administrative Involvement
Therapy is provided for treatment purposes and is not a forensic evaluation. Unless separately agreed upon in writing, services do not include custody evaluations, disability evaluations, fitness-for-duty opinions, legal recommendations, expert testimony, or preparation of reports for litigation. Additional fees may apply for record preparation, consultation with attorneys, depositions, subpoenas, court appearances, or other legal and administrative work not covered by insurance.
Notice of Privacy Practices
9-Line Counseling maintains a separate Notice of Privacy Practices explaining how protected health information may be used and disclosed, how clients may access or amend certain records, and how privacy complaints may be submitted. Clients may request a paper or electronic copy at any time.
Communication and Emergencies
Email, text messages, and the website contact form are not monitored continuously and should not be used for urgent or emergency concerns. If you are experiencing an immediate crisis or believe you may harm yourself or someone else, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department.
Telehealth Appointments
Telehealth sessions are available to clients who are physically located in Utah at the time of the appointment. Clients should join from a private, quiet location with a reliable internet connection and should not participate while driving.
Ending Therapy
Therapy may end when treatment goals have been met, when services are no longer clinically appropriate, or when either the client or therapist decides that another provider or level of care would be a better fit. Whenever possible, we will discuss the decision together and plan appropriate next steps or referrals.
Questions About These Policies
Please contact 9-Line Counseling if you have questions about these policies or how they may apply to your care.