Confidentiality & Privacy Policy

The law protects the relationship between a client and a psychotherapist, and information cannot be disclosed without written permission. All therapeutic interactions are subject to Healthcare privacy laws (HIPAA). Your privacy is very important to us. We will likely discuss sensitive and personal issues in our sessions and at no time will that information be disclosed without your written permission. This means we will not be able to talk to family members, partners, parents, etc. without formal releases of information.

Exceptions include:

Suspected child abuse or dependent adult or elder abuse, for which we are required by law to report this to the appropriate authorities immediately.

If a client is threatening serious bodily harm to another person/s, we must notify the police and inform the intended victim.

If a client intends to harm himself or herself, we will make every effort to enlist their cooperation in ensuring their safety. If they do not cooperate, we will take further measures without their permission that are provided to me by law in order to ensure their safety.

Please give at least 24 hours notice for cancellations. Late cancellations may result in a missed appointment fee. Sessions are typically 55 minutes.

Valerie and Julia are not available 24 hours a day. All voicemails will be returned within 24 hours. Text messages are acceptable only for scheduling and basic questions. If you find yourself in crisis and need immediate assistance outside of normal business hours, then you can call the Georgia Crisis and Access Line, which can be reached at 1-800-715-4225. If you need more support and access to your counselor, then we can work on referring you to a clinic that has that level of support.

We do not accept friend requests via social media from current or former clients on my personal social media accounts. This is to protect your privacy as well as maintain respectful therapeutic boundaries. Please use voicemail, text or email as primary means of communication. I do maintain a Facebook page and blog for Cedar Creek Wellness, but this is for promotional and general information purposes. These platforms are not secure. Please do not share your personal information via these platforms.

If you are using health insurance benefits, please note that you are authorizing release of health information to the insurance company.