Privacy Policy

Confidentiality

HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) provides safeguards to protect your privacy. Confidentiality is an important part of counseling. In Texas, there are three circumstances that require a counselor, or any other professional, to break a client’s confidentiality. They are: 

• Suspected abuse of a child, elder, or other vulnerable person 
• A threat to harm oneself or others 
• A court order requiring confidentiality to be broken
• Confidentiality will otherwise not be broken unless requested in writing by the client. 

Team approach

Alethia takes a team approach to helping our clients. By signing this, you are approving the therapists of Alethia to coordinate and communicate with one another about your counseling experience in an effort to offer the best counseling help possible. This counseling team includes: 

Licensed Professional Counselors

• Chris Legg, Hanna Weaver, John Marek, Lonna Stewart, Ryan Oakley, and Scott Hersey 

Licensed Professional Counselor-Associates 

• Holli Barron and Bobby Austin who are supervised by Chris Legg, LPC-Supervisor: 903-561-8955 or chris@alethiaetx.com 
• James Ray who is supervised by Josh Berger, LPC-Supervisor, 713.628.8197 or josh@alethiahouston.com  

Graduate Level Practicum Students 

• Chris Ayala, Rachel Bell, and Tyler Forehand who are supervised by Chris Legg, LPC-Supervisor: 903-561-8955 or chris@alethiaetx.com 
• Hannah Ross who is supervised by John Marek, LPC-Supervisor: 903-561-8955 or  john@alethiaetx.com 

All other Alethia Staff 

If you have specific concerns about these communications, please communicate with your counselor about it and your concerns will be respected. 

If a counselee feels that their rights have been violated or wishes to file a complaint, they are encouraged to contact The Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council at 1-800-821-3205 or 333 Guadalupe St. Tower 3 Room 900 Austin, TX 78701. The Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council investigates and prosecutes misconduct committed by marriage and family therapists, professional counselors, psychologists, psychological associates, social workers, and licensed specialists in school psychology. Although not every complaint against or dispute with a licensee involves professional misconduct, the Executive Council will gladly provide you with information about how to file a complaint. Please call 1-800-821-3205 for more information. 

A counselee is entitled to receive information from the therapist about degrees, credentials, methods of therapy, techniques used, duration of therapy, and the fee structure. You may seek a second opinion from another therapist or terminate therapy at any time. In the event that a therapist moves or discontinues practice, all client records are kept confidential. 

Cancellation policy

A session generally runs about 50 minutes long, but it is not uncommon for sessions to run 10-15 minutes late. If you are  unable to make your scheduled appointment time, please note our office reserves the right to charge no-show and late cancellation sessions (24 hours or less) at the normal rates

Method of treatment

The first session typically is used to identify counseling goals and to provide you with other referrals if needed. Many different techniques may be employed by a counselor to help the counselee including direct confrontation, art therapy, journaling, reframing, spiritual insights, and reading. It is important for you to know that counseling is strictly voluntary, and you may end the counseling relationship at will. Note that our therapists, due to licensure restrictions, will seek to avoid dual relationships whenever possible, and will tend to avoid non-therapeutic relationships for some time after the client graduates from counseling. If you are in an emergency, you will need to contact 911 or go to an emergency room. 

We seek also to avoid courtroom situations when possible. Generally, being a witness in a trial virtually destroys the therapeutic relationship. For this reason, the fee for any of the Alethia counselors in legal matters (expert witness, write ups, speaking with attorneys, etc.) is twice the normal hourly rate for that counselor, including preparation and travel, and a retainer will be required in advance. There are many professionals able to be expert witnesses in custody cases, divorces, and other legal situations. If deemed necessary, we can do this, but prefer not to in the case of our clients. 

At our offices, we have many therapists including Licensed Professional Counselors, Licensed Professional Counselor- Associates, Licensed Master Social Workers, and graduate students. Their fees and areas of expertise vary based on status of licensure, experience, and education. You may be referred to one of these as part of the counseling process. 

Although you may end treatment at any time, we recommend that you have at least one face-to-face graduation session with your counselor rather than terminating by phone, mail, or dropping out of treatment without notice. This final session allows time to close the therapeutic process. 

Telehealth

Virtual sessions (via video or phone) may be utilized when agreed upon by both the counselor and the counselee. This method of counseling can be very beneficial as it improves access when factors like sickness, childcare, travel time, and scheduling may otherwise cause you to miss your appointment. Some even feel more comfortable and more willing to speak openly when engaging in therapy from your own home. Risks of telehealth include technical difficulties, less ability to read nonverbal communication, and the counselor’s inability to control privacy in the counselee’s home. The benefits and risks will be considered for each individual as telehealth may not be appropriate for everyone. 

All policies such as scheduling, fees, session length and cancellation remain the same for telehealth sessions as in-person sessions. 

General consent to counseling

You consent to begin counseling, including evaluation, treatment, or referral. You agree to pay for the counseling services, including medical, psychological, or psychiatric consultation fees, or testing charges. Prior to therapy with a minor client who is named in a custody agreement or court order, your therapist will need to obtain and review the current copy of the custody agreement or court order as well as any applicable part of the divorce decree. 

Appointment reminders

You will be sent an email and/or text to confirm your upcoming appointments. 

Credit/Debit Card Authorization

Your credit card information will be stored in our HIPAA-compliant secured server and will be used to charge your account toward any pending payments, including but not limited to office sessions, virtual sessions, no-show fees, and late cancellation fees. Office staff will obtain this information at the start of your treatment. Cards may be charged at the start of each business day. We ask that you give notice at least one day prior to the date of the scheduled appointment if an alternative payment is preferred.