Upstate Integrative Mind Counseling
Regulate. Integrate. Elevate
Notice of Practice Policies
Updated: 07/16/2026
Practice Policies
The Therapeutic Relationship
Appointments and Attendance
Fees, Payments, and Insurance
Communication Between Sessions
Electronic Communication & Telehealth
Social Media, Online Presence & Professional Boundaries
Emergencies & Crisis Services
Minors, Parents, and Guardians
Minors, Parents, and Guardians
Questions, Concerns & Professional Licensing
Welcome to Upstate Integrative Mind Counseling.
Our goal is to provide compassionate, evidence-based mental health care in an environment that is safe, collaborative, and respectful. The following policies are designed to help you understand how our practice operates, what you can expect from us, and what we ask of you as a participant in treatment.
Every therapeutic relationship is built on trust, communication, and mutual respect. We believe that clear expectations help create a strong foundation for meaningful clinical work. Please review these policies carefully, as they address important information regarding appointments, communication, payment, confidentiality, emergencies, and other aspects of your care.
If you have questions about any of these policies, we encourage you to discuss them with your therapist. We believe that open communication is an important part of the therapeutic process, and we are happy to clarify any concerns before or during treatment.
Therapy is a collaborative process. Our role is to provide a safe, supportive, and evidence-based environment in which you can explore challenges, develop new skills, and work toward your personal goals. Your active participation, honesty, and willingness to engage in the therapeutic process are important factors in successful treatment.
Our clinicians are committed to practicing within the ethical standards of their profession and the scope of their clinical competence. Treatment recommendations are based on current clinical knowledge, professional judgment, and your individual needs. While we strive to provide the highest quality care, no therapist can guarantee specific outcomes, as progress is influenced by many factors, including life circumstances, readiness for change, and engagement in treatment.
Therapy may involve discussing difficult experiences, emotions, or relationships. At times, this process may feel uncomfortable or emotionally challenging. These experiences are often a normal part of meaningful therapeutic work and can contribute to lasting growth and healing.
The therapeutic relationship is a professional relationship. To protect your privacy, preserve healthy therapeutic boundaries, and maintain the integrity of treatment, our interactions are limited to the clinical services we provide. Relationships outside of therapy are avoided in accordance with professional ethical standards.
Treatment is voluntary. You have the right to ask questions, participate in treatment planning, discuss concerns with your clinician, and make informed decisions regarding your care. We encourage open communication throughout the therapeutic process and welcome your feedback as we work together toward your goals.
Your appointment time is reserved exclusively for you. We ask that you arrive on time and be prepared to participate in your scheduled session.
Session length varies depending on the type of service being provided. Standard psychotherapy appointments are generally 53–60 minutes, while extended sessions, assessments, intensives, and other specialized services may be scheduled for longer periods based on clinical need and therapist availability.
If you arrive late for your appointment, your session will generally end at the scheduled time to avoid delaying care for other clients. You will remain financially responsible for the full scheduled appointment.
Cancellations and Missed Appointments
If you need to cancel or reschedule an appointment, we require at least 48 hours' notice.
Appointments canceled with less than 48 hours' notice, or missed without notice, may be charged the full session fee unless the absence is due to circumstances that your clinician determines qualify as an emergency or other extenuating circumstance.
Repeated late cancellations, missed appointments, or inconsistent attendance may interfere with effective treatment. If attendance becomes a recurring concern, your therapist will discuss whether modifications to your treatment plan or scheduling are appropriate.
Group Therapy Attendance
Enrollment in therapy groups represents a commitment to the entire group curriculum rather than individual sessions. Tuition is based on participation in the complete group experience, and missed sessions do not reduce the overall cost of the program.
For your convenience, payment plans may be available for certain groups. Regardless of the payment schedule selected, participants remain financially responsible for the full cost of the enrolled group program.
Because consistency benefits both the individual participant and the group as a whole, repeated absences may result in removal from the group if your therapist determines that continued participation is no longer clinically appropriate.
Upstate Integrative Mind Counseling is an out-of-network practice. This allows our clinicians to provide individualized, evidence-based care without many of the limitations imposed by insurance companies, including restrictions on session length, treatment approaches, and medical necessity requirements.
Payment
Payment is due at the time services are rendered unless other arrangements have been made in advance. We accept a variety of payment methods, including major credit cards and Health Savings Account (HSA) and Flexible Spending Account (FSA) cards when applicable.
Clients are responsible for all fees associated with their care, including any outstanding balances not covered by insurance reimbursement.
Superbills
If you have out-of-network benefits, we are happy to provide a superbill that you may submit to your insurance company for possible reimbursement. Reimbursement is determined solely by your insurance plan and is not guaranteed by Upstate Integrative Mind Counseling.
We encourage you to contact your insurance carrier before beginning treatment to better understand your out-of-network mental health benefits, deductible, reimbursement rates, and any preauthorization requirements.
Single-Case Agreements
In limited circumstances, Upstate Integrative Mind Counseling may pursue a single-case agreement with an insurance company when clinically appropriate and when approved by the insurer. Single-case agreements are considered on a case-by-case basis and cannot be guaranteed.
Outstanding Balances
Clients are expected to maintain a current account balance throughout treatment. If an account becomes significantly past due, we will make reasonable efforts to resolve the balance. Continued services may be delayed, suspended, or terminated until satisfactory payment arrangements have been made, except where prohibited by law or when doing so would compromise client safety.
If it becomes necessary to pursue collection of an unpaid balance, you may be responsible for any reasonable costs associated with the collection process as permitted by applicable law.
Good Faith Estimate
Clients who are uninsured or choose not to use insurance have the right to receive a Good Faith Estimate of expected charges under the federal No Surprises Act.
Fee Changes
Our fees are reviewed periodically and may change over time. Clients will receive reasonable advance notice of any fee changes before the new rates take effect.
Our clinicians understand that questions or concerns may arise between appointments. While we make every effort to respond promptly, clinicians are not continuously available and cannot guarantee an immediate response to phone calls, emails, patient portal messages, or text messages.
Routine communications regarding scheduling, billing, paperwork, or other administrative matters are generally returned within one business day whenever possible. Response times may be longer during weekends, holidays, vacations, or periods when your clinician is out of the office.
Communication between sessions should be limited to brief administrative matters or essential clinical concerns. If your concern requires more than a brief response or involves processing therapeutic material, your clinician will typically recommend scheduling an appointment so that adequate time can be devoted to your needs.
Phone Coaching
Clients enrolled in comprehensive Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Radically Open DBT (RO-DBT), or Coping with Trauma-Related Dissociation programs may have access to phone coaching as part of their treatment plan.
Phone coaching is designed to help clients apply skills in real-life situations—not to provide a therapy session between appointments. Coaching focuses on identifying the appropriate skill, helping you implement it effectively, and supporting generalization of skills to your daily life.
Phone coaching is generally limited to 15 minutes and is available only to clients whose treatment plan includes this service. Phone coaching may be extended for patients who start a comprehensive program and continue with trauma treatment. Availability, hours, and expectations for phone coaching will be discussed with your individual therapist at the beginning of treatment.
Repeated use of phone coaching for issues that are more appropriately addressed during a scheduled therapy session may result in your clinician recommending an appointment instead.
Phone coaching is not intended for emergencies or situations requiring immediate intervention.
Electronic Communication
Email, text messaging, and patient portal messages may be used for scheduling, billing, paperwork, or other administrative purposes. Because electronic communications are not continuously monitored and cannot be guaranteed to be completely secure, they should not be used to discuss sensitive therapeutic material or urgent clinical concerns.
If you are experiencing a mental health emergency or believe that you or someone else is in immediate danger, call 911, contact 988 (Suicide & Crisis Lifeline), or go to your nearest emergency department immediately.
Upstate Integrative Mind Counseling utilizes secure electronic technologies to support communication and deliver telehealth services when clinically appropriate. While we take reasonable steps to protect the privacy and security of electronic communications, no method of electronic transmission can be guaranteed to be completely secure.
Electronic Communication
Email, text messaging, and patient portal communications are intended primarily for scheduling, billing, paperwork, and other administrative matters. Because these forms of communication may not be encrypted at all times and are not continuously monitored, they should not be used to communicate sensitive therapeutic information or urgent clinical concerns.
By choosing to communicate electronically, you acknowledge and accept the inherent privacy and security risks associated with these methods of communication.
Telehealth Services
Telehealth allows clients to receive behavioral health services through secure audio and video technology when clinically appropriate and permitted by law.
By participating in telehealth services, you understand and acknowledge that:
Telehealth is voluntary, and you may withdraw your consent at any time.
You have the right to request in-person services when available and clinically appropriate.
The same standards of confidentiality and professional ethics apply to telehealth as they do for in-person treatment.
Technical difficulties, internet disruptions, or equipment failures may occasionally interrupt a session. If this occurs, your clinician will make reasonable efforts to reconnect or discuss alternative arrangements.
Telehealth may not be appropriate for every clinical situation. Your clinician may recommend in-person treatment or a higher level of care if clinically indicated.
You are responsible for participating in sessions from a private location whenever possible and for taking reasonable steps to protect your own privacy during telehealth appointments.
Licensure Requirements
Mental health services are provided in accordance with the licensing laws of the state(s) in which your clinician is authorized to practice. At the time of each telehealth appointment, clients must be physically located in a state where their clinician is legally permitted to provide services.
Please notify your clinician before any telehealth appointment if you will be traveling or participating from a different state than usual.
Maintaining clear professional boundaries is an important part of effective therapy. To protect your confidentiality and preserve the integrity of the therapeutic relationship, Upstate Integrative Mind Counseling has established the following guidelines regarding social media and online interactions.
Social Media Connections
Our clinicians do not accept friend requests, follow requests, connection requests, or similar invitations from current or former clients on personal or professional social networking platforms (including, but not limited to, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, X, or similar platforms).
Declining these requests is not intended to be unfriendly or dismissive. Rather, it is intended to protect your privacy, maintain appropriate therapeutic boundaries, and reduce the possibility of dual relationships.
Online Interactions
To protect your confidentiality, our clinicians generally will not acknowledge current or former clients in public or online unless you initiate the interaction. Even if we recognize you in the community, we will typically wait for you to acknowledge us first so that you may decide whether you wish to disclose our therapeutic relationship.
Likewise, we ask that clients avoid discussing confidential aspects of their treatment through comments, direct messages, or other public or private interactions on social media.
Reviews and Testimonials
Your privacy is extremely important to us. For that reason, we do not ask current therapy clients to provide public testimonials or reviews regarding their treatment. If you independently choose to post a public review, please understand that doing so may identify you as a client of the practice.
To protect your confidentiality and maintain professional ethics, our clinicians generally do not respond to online reviews, whether positive or negative.
Internet Searches
Except when clinically appropriate or necessary to support your safety or treatment, our clinicians do not routinely search for information about clients on the internet or through social media. If circumstances arise in which obtaining publicly available information is clinically relevant, your therapist will generally discuss this with you whenever appropriate.
Professional Boundaries
Maintaining appropriate therapeutic boundaries is an essential part of ethical mental health care. Questions about these policies or any aspect of the therapeutic relationship are always welcome and can be discussed openly during your sessions.
Upstate Integrative Mind Counseling provides outpatient mental health services by scheduled appointment. Our clinicians are not available to provide 24-hour crisis intervention, emergency psychiatric services, or immediate emergency response.
If you are experiencing a life-threatening emergency or believe that you or someone else is at immediate risk of harm, call 911 immediately or go to your nearest emergency department.
If you are experiencing a mental health crisis and need immediate support, you may also contact the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 988.
If you believe you are unable to remain safe until your next scheduled appointment, please seek immediate emergency assistance through one of these resources rather than waiting for a response from your clinician.
Hospitalization and Higher Levels of Care
There may be times when outpatient therapy is no longer the safest or most appropriate level of care. If your clinician believes you would benefit from a higher level of care, such as inpatient hospitalization, partial hospitalization (PHP), intensive outpatient treatment (IOP), residential treatment, or another specialized program, we will discuss those recommendations with you whenever possible and assist with appropriate referrals.
Crisis Communication
Messages left by phone, email, text message, or through the patient portal are not monitored continuously and should never be relied upon during an emergency.
If you leave a message during a crisis, you should not wait for a return call before seeking emergency assistance.
Safety Planning
For clients experiencing ongoing suicide risk, self-harm behaviors, or other significant safety concerns, your clinician may work with you to develop a personalized safety plan as part of your treatment. A safety plan is intended to supplement—not replace—emergency services and should be used alongside appropriate crisis resources when necessary.
Providing therapy to children and adolescents requires collaboration between the clinician, the minor, and their parent(s) or legal guardian(s). Our goal is to create a therapeutic environment that supports the child's growth while also encouraging appropriate family involvement.
In most cases, a parent or legal guardian has the legal authority to consent to treatment for a minor and may have the legal right to access portions of the minor's treatment record, subject to applicable federal and state laws.
To foster trust and encourage honest participation in therapy, clinicians often maintain a degree of confidentiality with adolescent clients regarding the specific details of therapy sessions. This allows young people to discuss sensitive topics openly and develop the skills necessary for healthy emotional growth.
While we strive to respect a minor's privacy, confidentiality is not absolute. Parents or legal guardians will be informed whenever:
There are concerns that the minor may be at risk of harming themselves or another person.
There is suspected abuse, neglect, or exploitation requiring mandatory reporting.
Disclosure is otherwise required by law.
Sharing information is clinically necessary to protect the health, safety, or well-being of the minor or another person.
Whenever clinically appropriate, we encourage adolescents to share important information directly with their parent or guardian. Your clinician may work collaboratively with the family to facilitate these conversations while maintaining the therapeutic relationship.
Depending on the child's age, developmental level, treatment goals, and applicable law, parents or guardians may participate in portions of treatment through parent consultations, family sessions, skills coaching, or treatment planning.
Questions regarding confidentiality, parental involvement, or access to records are welcome and should be discussed with your clinician at any time.
The goal of therapy is to help you develop the skills, insight, and resources needed to meet your treatment goals. The length of treatment varies depending on your individual needs, progress, and the nature of the concerns being addressed.
Whenever possible, we encourage treatment to end through a planned process rather than an abrupt discontinuation. A planned termination allows you and your clinician to review your progress, discuss relapse prevention strategies, identify ongoing supports, and bring appropriate closure to the therapeutic relationship.
You have the right to discontinue therapy at any time. While you are not required to explain your decision, we encourage you to discuss your reasons with your clinician so that we can support your transition, answer any questions, and, if desired, provide referrals for continued care.
Likewise, there may be circumstances in which your clinician determines that treatment with Upstate Integrative Mind Counseling is no longer clinically appropriate. Examples may include, but are not limited to:
Your treatment needs exceed the scope of services our practice can safely provide.
A higher level of care is clinically indicated.
Repeated missed appointments or prolonged lack of participation significantly interfere with treatment.
Failure to maintain financial responsibilities after reasonable efforts have been made to resolve outstanding balances.
Threatening, abusive, discriminatory, or inappropriate behavior toward clinicians, staff, or other clients.
Requests for services that are outside the clinician's scope of practice or professional ethics.
Other circumstances in which continuation of treatment would be unethical, clinically inappropriate, or prohibited by law.
Whenever clinically appropriate, we will provide reasonable notice before ending services and will make reasonable efforts to assist with continuity of care by offering referrals or recommendations for alternative treatment providers.
Inactive Cases
If you do not attend scheduled appointments or have no contact with the practice for four consecutive weeks, and no alternative arrangements have been made with your clinician, your case may be considered inactive and your chart may be administratively closed.
Closing your case does not prevent you from requesting services again in the future. Should you wish to return to treatment, we will make every effort to accommodate your request based on clinician availability, clinical appropriateness, and any updated intake requirements that may be in effect at that time.
At Upstate Integrative Mind Counseling, we believe that open communication is an important part of effective therapy. If you have questions, concerns, or are dissatisfied with any aspect of your treatment, we encourage you to discuss them directly with your clinician whenever you feel comfortable doing so. Many concerns can be resolved through honest conversation, and we welcome feedback as part of the therapeutic process.
If your concern cannot be resolved through discussion with your clinician, you may also contact the practice owner or clinical director for assistance.
Clients have the right to file a complaint with the appropriate professional licensing board if they believe a clinician has violated applicable laws or professional ethical standards. Filing a complaint will not affect your right to receive appropriate care.
South Carolina
South Carolina Board of Examiners for the Licensure of Professional Counselors, Marriage and Family Therapists, and Psycho-Educational Specialists
South Carolina Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation (LLR)
110 Centerview Drive
Columbia, SC 29210
Phone: (803) 896-4658
Website: https://llr.sc.gov/counselor/
North Carolina
North Carolina Board of Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselors
7-D Terrace Way
Greensboro, NC 27403
Phone: (844) 622-3572
Website: https://www.ncblcmhc.org
Florida
Florida Board of Clinical Social Work, Marriage & Family Therapy, and Mental Health Counseling
Florida Department of Health
4052 Bald Cypress Way, Bin C-08
Tallahassee, FL 32399
Phone: (850) 245-4474
Website: https://floridasmentalhealthprofessions.gov
We are committed to providing ethical, compassionate, and evidence-based care. If you have questions about your treatment, your rights as a client, or our professional responsibilities, we encourage you to speak with your clinician or contact our office.