The therapeutic relationship is very unique because it is very intimate, deeply personal and also contractual.

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Ethical concerns about the 15 minute consultation

In my 13 years in the mental health field I have found that the 15 minute consultation raises some ethical concerns for me as trauma informed psychotherapist:

1. I5 minutes is not enough time for us to develop a trusting and respectful therapeutic relationship or assess if my particular implementation of the therapeutic models  work for your current situation

2. The 15 minutes time limit pressures prospective clients to share traumatic material that can be potentially destabilizing

3. At the end of the consultation, some clients have parts that feel they need to make a decision out of fear of losing a potential slot

 

An ethical Alternative

I respect your time, energy, wellbeing and desire to really get to know you and assess whether I have the appropriate skill set and resources to support you at this time. 

1. Complete an secure online intake questionnaire for the service you are interested in eg outpatient psychotherapy for individual, romantic partners etc

2. I will review your intake form and if the outpatient level is appropriate you will receive a Good Faith Estimate (GFE/Federal No Suprises Act) and email and indicating you have access to my calendar to schedule an intake session. If outpatient care is not indicated at this time given the severity of your symptoms I will provide recommendations and rationale. 

3. The first 4 sessions are an assessment period in which we will develop a treatment plan that will identify problem areas, set measurable goals, discuss interventions, establish frequency of sessions and really get a feel of if we are a good fit.

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