These policies guide our services and business practices.

Counselor License Credentials 

Counselors in Ohio are required to practice only within subject areas for which they have appropriate training, education, experience and supervision. The standards of practice for counselors in Ohio are linked here. 

License 

Ohio Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor E.2404878 Link to the Ohio license verification website.  

Education 

• BA Psychology, Ursuline College, Pepper Pike OH 
• MS Criminal Justice, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI
• MA Community Counseling, John Carroll University, University Hts., OH
• Yoga instruction 200 hour teacher training, Awaken Yoga School; continuing study in meditation and yoga practices, Brahmarishi Yoga School. Yoga Alliance E-RYT 200 YACREP 
• Trauma informed yoga seminars including Street Yoga and Yoga Unchained certifications. Mindful Leadership certificate from Case Western Reserve University executive education program. 
• Continuing education in counseling, 30 hours every renewal period covering a variety of topics related to counseling best practices, including three hours in ethical practice for every renewal period.

Areas of Competence 

Education and experience in the following areas: helping clients manage transitions and life changes including building healthy relationships and  family connections, job and career path goals, and personal challenges or transitions, substance use treatment support, support for survivors of violence and sexual assault, stress management, resilience skills, wellness, grief, general mental health , and trauma-informed methods and practices. 

We provide services for reaching personal and wellness goals, helping to build self-awareness skills, adopt self-regulation techniques, explore patterns in relationships, and build skills for overcoming challenges that may occur during life adjustments, transitions, or everyday stress. 

State of Ohio Counseling, Social Work, Marriage and Family Therapy Board Resources

Link to Ohio Client Bill of Rights 

Link to Ohio Counselor, Social Worker and Marriage and Family Therapist Board Website 

Link to Ohio license verification lookup website

Link to Ohio Counselor and Social Worker Code of Ethical Practice 

Limits of Services and Assumption of Risks:

Therapy sessions carry both benefits and risks. Therapy sessions can reduce the amount of distress someone is feeling, improve relationships, and/or resolve other specific issues. However, these improvements and interventions suggested cannot be guaranteed for any condition due to the many variables that affect these therapy sessions. Experiencing uncomfortable feelings, discussing unpleasant situations and/or aspects of your life are considered risks of therapy sessions. In the event that a client's needs do not match the services provided by Flex Counseling & Wellness, we will make every effort to provide suggested clinicians or agencies that may better suit a client's current symptoms and clinical needs. 

Impaired Practice

Counselors and coaches working on behalf of Flex Counseling & Wellness do not practice while experiencing mental, emotional or other impairments that prohibit the ability to provide professional and competent services for clients. In the event that an impairment develops that has the potential to impact current or former clients, all efforts will be made to work through a referral and clinical transition plan. In the event that the counselor or business practices of Flex Counseling & Wellness are unable to be sustained, client records will be transitioned to an alternate provider. Ohio counselor standards for avoiding impaired practice are linked here. 

Counseling Compact 

Coming soon! The counseling compact is an interstate compact among states allowing professional counselors licensed and residing in a compact member state to practice in other compact member states. Right now, we offer professional counseling only in Ohio. Once the counseling compact is finalized, we may offer counseling in other states - so check back! In the meantime, wellness coaching may be a good fit for you, depending on your personal goals. Find out more by visiting the link to the counseling compact site

Services Offered 

· Individual counseling using a HIPPA compliant, secure software system (i.e. TherapyNotes), available to clients in Ohio. 

· Community discussion groups 

· Professional consulting on stress management and wellness programs. 

· Education webinars and in-person seminars on mental health, stress management, wellness, mindfulness, yoga and meditation practices. 

Payment and Appointment Policies 

Payment for self-pay clients is due in full at the time of service. 

If you bill through insurance, fees may vary depending on your insurance policy coverage. If you choose to bill your insurance as an out of network provider, a detailed superbill will be provided to you. 

Schedule of fees* 

Individual counseling* - $150 per hour 

Individual coaching*  - $100 per hour

Individual counseling diagnostic interview* - $175

Discussion groups  - Drop in - $20 per group; discounts may be available

Professional education or consulting - $250 per hour 

Webinars - prices range for online courses based on duration, number of participants, and complexity from $20-$2500.

Public speaking engagement  - custom pricing

*Discounts may be available for services purchased as packages. When a client is using insurance, the amount paid may vary based on the client's coverage. 

Payments

All payments are due at the time of service, unless an agreement is made to bill through your insurance company. All co-payments are due at time of service. 

Payments accepted in the form of credit cards processed through the client portal on the secure therapy management software system. 

Electronic payments are accepted based on client's preferences, such as Zelle, Venmo, Paypal or other electronic payment systems. 

Requirements for Ohio counselors regarding payment for services are linked here. 

Cancellation Policy

Cancellations for individual counseling or coaching sessions may be made by phone, text or online up to 48 hours prior to the appointment time. 

Any cancellation within 48 hours, or appointment no show, will be subject to a $50 fee the first time and the full session charge for any subsequent instances. The counselor reserves the right to waive the fee in certain circumstances. 

The late fee or no show fee will be automatically charged to your card on file, no exceptions.

Group fees and webinar fees are collected only for those groups that a person attends. There are no refunds for group or webinars, however you may receive credit for a future group or webinar. 

Professional service provisions will be outlined in a service agreement before consulting or professional services are rendered. 

At times, discounts, incentives and packages may be made available. 

All fees are subject to change. Existing clients will receive notification 30 days in advance, if fees are adjusted. Note, insurance billed fees are subject to the insurance company’s guidelines, notification processes and other processes. 

Teletherapy

The services offered by Flex Counseling and Wellness are offered via a teletherapy platform, which means that engagement with a coach or counselor and the client is done in an online or remote manner. The counselor or coach will evaluate whether this form of engagement is appropriate for potential clients in the initial intake assessment interview. 

In the event that it is determined that the services offered by Flex Counseling and Wellness are not appropriate for a client, including teletherapy services, a referral will be made to other providers who may be better suited for the client. Note that teletherapy requires access to functional electronic equipment such as a personal computing device, mobile device, functioning internet connection and the ability to communicate via electronic devices. 

Reasonable accommodations shall be made where feasible for clients with disabilities. Verbal or written communication using an electronic device are requirements for receiving teletherapy services. 

Ohio counselor standards for teletherapy and electonic services are linked here. 

Clear and appropriate boundaries help to build trust and support open communication, and are keys to establishing a healthy therapeutic relationship with a counselor or coach. 

Counselors, social workers, or marriage and family therapists must avoid multiple relationships and conflicts of interest with any client/consumer-of-services, ex-clients, family members of clients or ex-clients, or other persons encountered in professional or non-professional setting, which are not in the best interest of the client and might impair professional judgment or which increases the risk of client/consumer-of-services exploitation. Requirements for avoiding multiple relationships for counselors in Ohio are linked here.

Maintaining Professional Relationships

To ensure appropriate boundaries are maintained, counselors and coaches will not begin an individual support relationship with anyone with whom a multiple relationship may exist. Examples include establishing a counseling or coaching relationship with the counselor's personal friends, relatives and acquaintances, or any client or ex-client's friends, relatives or acquaintances. This extends to establishing a counseling or coaching relationship with the counselor's colleagues, peers or other professional acquaintances. 

In addition, if the counselor uncovers a previously unknown relationship exists, they shall take steps to ensure that the relationship does not have the potential to negatively impact the client. In the event that potential harm may come from the relationship, the counselor will work with the client by providing appropriate referrals. 

Avoiding Sexual Relationships

Under no circumstances shall a counselor or coach working on behalf of Flex Counseling & Wellness pursue or engage in a sexual or romantic relationship with a current or former client, or with clients' relatives or other individuals with whom clients maintain a close personal relationship. 

In the event that a sexual or romantic relationship is uncovered after a professional relationship has been established, an appropriate referral and transition plan will be enacted for the client.  Requirements for avoiding sexual relationships for counselors in Ohio are linked here.

Confidentiality

What you discuss during your therapy session is kept confidential. No contents of the therapy sessions, whether verbal or written may be shared with another party without your written consent or the written consent of your legal guardian. 

Limits of Confidentiality:

The following conditions may require information about the client to be disclosed. Any information disclosure will occur pursuant to applicable local, state, and federal laws. The mandatory reporting requirements for counselors in Ohio are linked here.

Duty to Warn and Protect

If you disclose a plan or threat to harm yourself, the therapist shall take action to secure crisis intervention services, including possible intervention by legal authorities. In addition, if you disclose a plan to threat or harm another person, the therapist is required to warn the possible victim and notify legal authorities.

Abuse of Children and Vulnerable Adults

If you disclose, or it is suspected, that there is abuse or harmful neglect of children or vulnerable adults (i.e.the elderly, disabled/incompetent), the therapist must report this information to the appropriate state agency and/or legal authorities.

Minors/Guardianship

Parents or legal guardians of non-emancipated minor clients have the right to access the clients’ records.

Insurance Providers

Insurance companies and other third-party payers are given information that they request regarding services to the clients.

The type of information that may be requested includes: types of service, dates/times of service, diagnosis, treatment plan, description of impairment, progress of therapy, case notes, summaries, etc.

In the event that insurance billing is part of the payment arrangement between the counselor and client, the counselor agrees to provide necessary information to the insurance provider to ensure adherence to provider regulations. The client agrees to allow for release of necessary information to properly process insurance claims. In the event the client chooses to remove permission to release records, a self-pay agreement will be enacted. 

In the event that it is necessary to coordinate care with another healthcare provider, the client will sign a release of information document if the client wishes information to be disclosed to the other provider. The release will specify what information may be disclosed, and to whom, along with the timeline during which the disclosure applies.

Special considerations for group sessions: 

What happens in group, stays in group. By participating in a group session, attendees agree not to disclose who is in group and what they share. 

 Data storage and retention processes 

· Data will be stored using a cloud-based, HIPPA compliant software program. 

· All data storage procedures and timelines will adhere to legal and professional standards for record keeping. Requirements for Ohio counselors regarding record keeping are linked here. 

· In the event that Flex Counseling & Wellness is unable to continue service provisions, records will be transferred to an alternate clinical practice. 

· All data will be maintained in a confidential manner, pursuant to all applicable Federal, State and Local laws.

Policy for the secure storage, recovery, and destruction of data

Client case notes and personal information will be housed on a secure, cloud-based, software system, currently Simple Practice. 

The software vendor has service level, privacy and data retention processes. 

Artificial intelligence may be used to transcribe sessions, using a HIPPA compliant and secure software program.

Data Breach Procedures 

In the event that there is a data breach, the notification procedures as outlined by the process below. Processes are subject to change pursuant to local, state and federal laws.

Notification: Breaches Affecting Fewer than 500 Individuals

If a breach of unsecured protected health information affects fewer than 500 individuals, a covered entity must notify the Secretary of the breach within 60 days of the end of the calendar year in which the breach was discovered. (A covered entity is not required to wait until the end of the calendar year to report breaches affecting fewer than 500 individuals; a covered entity may report such breaches at the time they are discovered.) 

The covered entity may report all of its breaches affecting fewer than 500 individuals on one date, but the covered entity must complete a separate notice for each breach incident. The covered entity must submit the notice electronically by clicking on the link below and completing all of the fields of the breach notification form.

Submit a Notice for a Breach Affecting Fewer than 500 Individuals

If you have any questions, you may call HHS OCR toll-free at: 1-800-368-1019, TDD: 1-800-537-7697 or send an email to OCRPrivacy@hhs.gov.

Link to HIPPA Rules and Regulations

Testing and Assessments 

In the event that testing or assessments are used with clients, all data and information will be maintained in a confidential manner. Where possible, data collected will not include client identifying information. In the event that the client provides consent to submitting identifying information, the information will be used only for targeted research or progress measurement, and the usage will be clearly communicated in advance. Any data collected or instruments used will  align with the standards provided for Ohio counselors that are linked here. The client may revoke permission to use information, provided it is feasible. 

Research and Publications 

In the event that any research is conducted by Flex Counseling and Wellness, all standards for human subjects research, including ensuring cultural competence and maintaining confidentiality of participants' data shall be applied. Informed consent and permission for clients' data to be used for research purposes will be collected prior to any data collection activities. A client may revoke permission for data to be included in research, provided such revocation is feasible. Ohio requirements for counselors participating in research are linked here. 

Link to US Health and Human Service Summary of HIPPA Regulations  

Link to Ohio Client Bill of Rights 

Link to Ohio Counselor, Social Worker and Marriage and Family Therapist Board Website 

Link to Ohio license verification lookup website

Link to Ohio Counselor and Social Worker Code of Ethical Practice  

The HIPPA Notice of Privacy document contains information regarding your protected health information including uses, disclosures, releases and exceptions. All clients will receive a copy of this information at least once per year, and will sign and acknowledge the document as a condition of receiving services. 

By participating in any yoga or other wellness activity provided by Flex Counseling and Wellness, LLC, you expressly acknowledge that you have carefully read the Yoga Participation agreement and fully understand its contents. You acknowledge that you voluntarily participate in the physical movements demonstrated and you assume any risk you may incur as a result of your voluntary participation. You acknowledge that you agree to stop participation any time you experience personal discomfort. If you determine that a paid physical activity is not appropriate for you, contact your instructor to discuss exchanging for an alternate service.