Policies

Confidentiality

I need to know a lot about you in order to effectively help you with your problem(s). You can rest assured I keep all information about my clients strictly confidential (as allowed by the law and including all restrictions). Absolutely NO information about you or your case will be released to anyone without your written authorization and consent. In addition, I do not get involved in litigation and ask that you do not involve me in custody or domestic disputes. I, as your therapist, am interested in the welfare of the whole family. To provide the best possible service I regularly discuss my treatment approaches with other professionals who have special training and experience. The same laws of confidentiality that apply to any of your disclosures to me apply to my consultation with professionals regarding your case. The exceptions to confidentiality are; 1) where there is danger of physical harm to yourself or others, 2) when physical or sexual abuse, or neglect of a minor child or elderly person becomes known, 3) in legal cases where your clinical records are subpoenaed by the court, and 4) when choosing to use insurance, workman’s compensation, SSI or other resources, you must authorize me to disclose information necessary to process the paperwork and discuss any additional charges in advance with this office.

Appointments

For maximum benefit, most clients schedule weekly or bi-weekly therapy sessions. I will arrange our appointments at your convenience and may end up coming to the office solely for you. Therefore if you need to cancel an appointment, I require at least 24 hours notice. Failure to provide this notice generally means someone else is not able to use the appointment time reserved for you. You will be responsible for payment of the full appointment fee unless you experience circumstances both you and I define as an emergency. This will be determined on a case by case basis. Also, your appointments must end at the agreed upon time, even if you arrive late, so I have time to make notes and prepare for my next client. If we start late due to an error on my part you will still receive the full 50 minutes (or more) of session time.

Availability

I am typically able to return calls promptly but you can expect a response within 48 hours. If I have not responded then assume I have not received your message and call again. I do not charge for brief telephone calls less than five minutes. For longer calls I will be glad to schedule an actual phone session for therapy or consultation services. If you choose to contact me by email or text message, I cannot guarantee the response time or your confidentiality. While I make an effort to be available after normal business hours, I do not provide emergency services. In the event of an emergency, please call the emergency room of your local hospital or 911.

Telehealth

Due to the COVID virus, I am now seeing clients via telehealth telephonically and via ZOOM. You can find my Telehealth Consent form HERE.

Regarding Health Insurance

All health insurance policies are not the same. The amount of reimbursement you receive depends on the type and amount of coverage your policy provides. I will be happy to provide a receipt as necessary for self processing of your own insurance claims.

On Fees

My fees are set in accordance with the usual and customary charges given my credentials and experience.

PAYMENT VIA IVY PAY is utilized to confidentially manage your payment information and only needs to be entered one time. After that, your payment method will be charged at the time of session. Alternatives to IVY pay are cash or check payable at start of session.

CHECKS: Please make out your check before the session so that the entire time can be spent on therapeutic material. Please make your checks payable to "Julie Wells." If your check is returned as non-negotiable for any reason, you will be responsible for any and all banking fees I incur, and all subsequent payments will have to be made in cash. You are encouraged to discuss fees with me at any time.

LEGAL/COURT INVOLVEMENT: Please understand that if you are enter into treatment with Julie Wells, you are agreeing not to involve Journey Into Wellness Counseling Services in legal/court proceedings or to attempt to obtain records of treatment for legal proceedings. This prevents misuse of my treatment for legal objectives. The goal is to support you in achieving therapy goals, not to address legal issues that require an adversarial approach.

In situations requiring court involvement, the fee is $750 per hour for court appearances and $750 per hour for preparation for court testimony including, but not limited to, consulting with attorneys, reviewing the file, report/letter writing and time spent traveling to court and waiting to testify. In addition, since an entire day of clients would need to be cleared for attendance at court, a full day of 8 hours @ $750 per hour for each day of court or deposition request will be charged. There are additional fees for parking and mileage. A retainer for court expenses will be due and payable a minimum of two weeks prior to a scheduled court appearance. In the event of a settlement or cancellation of the trial/hearing with less than 48-hour notice, a charge will be levied for those hours originally set aside for the trial/hearing. These services are not reimbursable by your medical insurance.

Grievance Procedure

If at any time you are dissatisfied with your treatment, please discuss your concerns with me directly so we can work together to resolve them. If, after doing so, you would like a referral to a different therapist, I would be happy to assist you. If you ever have serious concerns that are not resolved successfully with me directly, the complaint will be referred to the respective licensing and/or Certification Boards such as the Florida Department of Health.

Policies