W Michael Rogers, PsyD, PLLC
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Licensed Clinical Psychologist
Your Rights
Client Rights and Responsibilities:

As a recipient of psychological services, you have a number of rights.  You have the right to full information about your psychologist's training, qualifications, and treatment philosophy, as well as an explanation of the fees for services you are receiving.  You have the right to ask questions about your therapy, to refuse any course of treatment suggested by your psychologist, and to terminate therapy at any time, without penalty. You have the right to request access to your treatment records and to request a copy of those records or to request to correct those records.  You also have the right to request in writing that no treatment records be maintained (the retention of certain basic information is required, however; WAC 246-924-354).  You have the right to have your psychologist release appropriate information from your treatment records to another entity, provided you sign a release of information.  You have the right to discuss your treatment with anyone you choose. You have the responsibility to choose a therapist you feel is a good fit for you and for the issues that brought you into therapy.  You have the right to change therapists. 

Confidentiality:

With the few legal exceptions described below, any and all information regarding your treatment, including the fact that you are in therapy, is confidential and will not be released to anyone without your written consent. The following are the legal exceptions to your right to confidentiality:

  • If I have reason to believe that you are in imminent danger of harming yourself or another person, necessary action must be taken to prevent that harm, including--but not limited to--informing friends or family members, contacting police or other officials, or contacting the county designated mental health professional.
  • If I have reasonable suspicion, based on information you provide, that there is a child, vulnerable adult, or developmentally disabled person being abused or neglected, I must inform the appropriate state protective service of that information. In the case of possible child neglect or abuse, I must inform Child Protective Services. It may be important for you to know that if you reveal that you were abused as a child and your abuser still has access to children, I must also inform Child Protective Services.
  • If I am ordered by a court to release your records, I must release those records.
  • Under the Uniform Health Care Information Act of 1992, I do not require written consent to confer with current, prior, or future health care providers for purposes of continuity of care, or to confer with a member of your immediate family. 
  • The competent and ethical practice of psychology requires that I consult periodically with other licensed mental health professionals. Should I consult with a colleague regarding your treatment, I will omit any identifying information (e.g., name, address, employer, etc.), so that your confidentiality is preserved.

Termination:

Ending treatment when you choose is strongly supported.  You are encouraged to talk with me about your thoughts of terminating when you are considering ending therapy, however.  Whether the decision to terminate is a result of feeling that the issues that led you to therapy are resolved, or a feeling that treatment is stalled, or for some other reason all together, it is important that your termination have a good ending. If you are feeling frustrated with the progress of therapy, discussing this feeling can often lead to substantial progress with me, or an informed referral to another professional who may be more helpful to you.