Disclaimers & Policies

Emergency & Crisis Disclaimer

I provide psychotherapy services by appointment only and do not offer crisis or emergency support. If you are in distress or need immediate help, please reach out to a crisis service in your area.

If you're unsure where to turn, Ontario 211 (call 211 or visit 211ontario.ca) can help connect you with the right support.

Client Rights

As a client you have the following rights:

You have the right to ask questions about the therapy process at any time.
You may withdraw your consent and discontinue therapy at any point without penalty.
You have the right to access your personal health records.

Cancellation Policy

Your appointment time is reserved just for you. A late cancellation or missed visit leaves a gap in my schedule that could have been filled by another client. As such, I require 24 hours notice for any cancellations or changes to your appointment. Clients who provide less than 24 hours notice, or miss their appointment, will be charged the following cancellation fee: 50% of the session fee for the first missed appointment and 100% of the session fee for subsequent missed appointments.

Communication

For non-urgent communications, you can reach me at my email vanessakrause.rp@gmail.com. Please be aware that email communication comes with some risks to privacy. With that in mind, please keep personal details limited. I choose to practice healthy boundaries and will check and respond to emails within the following office hours: Monday 1pm-5pm Tuesday 11am-4pm Wednesday 1pm-5pm Thursday 11am-4pm Friday 11am-4pm

Substance/Alcohol/Drug Impairment During Session

The efficacy of our work together is dependant on your ongoing consent. Using mind-altering substances before or during our appointment can affect willful consent and may negatively affect treatment outcomes. If substance dependence is a foreseeable issue for you during our appointments, please let me know so we can work together to ensure our time together is productive and consensual.

Record-Keeping

I maintain records of our sessions in accordance with CRPO and Personal Health Information Protection Act (PHIPA) standards. Records are retained for 10 years following the end of our work together. If you wish, you may request access to your records by submitting a written request to me.

Fees and Billing

Payment for sessions can be made via etransfer or credit card. If paying by etransfer, fees are due within an hour after our session ends. If paying by a credit card on file, fees will be automatically charged after the session.

For immediate support:

Talk Suicide Canada – Call 1-833-456-4566 or text 45645
Here 24/7 (Waterloo Region & Ontario-wide services) – Call 1-844-437-3247
Distress Centre of Greater Toronto – Call 416-408-4357 or text 45645
In an emergency, call 911 or go to your nearest hospital.

Confidentiality

Your privacy and confidentiality is of utmost importance to me. All personal information shared during sessions will remain confidential, except in the following circumstances:

If I reasonably believe there is a legitimate, serious or imminent risk of harm to yourself or others.
If child abuse or neglect has been reported, I am required to contact the appropriate authorities.
If your health records are subpoenaed by a court of law.
If there is a medical emergency, I will involve appropriate emergency services for assistance.
If you share information that would lead me to believe a registered healthcare worker has sexually abused you or another client, I have a duty to report them to their respective governing body.

If I must break confidentiality for any of the above reasons I will contact you when/if possible.

I store all my client's personal health information securely and in compliance with the Personal Health Information Protection Act (PHIPA).

Virtual and In-Person Appointments

Start Time

Clients are expected to arrive on time for their appointments. Sessions will end at the scheduled time and be billed accordingly, regardless of late arrival.

Location and Privacy

When engaging in virtual therapy sessions, clients are responsible for ensuring they have adequate internet service and a private, secure location to maintain confidentiality.

Backup Plans for Technical Issues

If there are technical issues during a virtual video session, a backup communication method (ie. secondary secure video link or phone call) will be used.

Client File Status & Termination

If you have been inactive for 60 days or more (meaning you haven't booked a follow-up appointment) your status will be set to “discharged” in my system. If clients wish to resume counselling or psychotherapy services following their discharge, they will need to complete an updated consent form and undergo an additional initial session in order to resume normal sessions. At this point, sessions will be subject to any updates or changes in fees. Clients will be notified via email following 60 days of inactivity that their status will be changed to discharged.

Return to Homepage