Of all the administrative requests clients can make, a request for clinical records is the most regulated when it comes to fees. Under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), a covered entity can charge reasonable cost-based fees for providing medical records to patients (see 45 CFR 164.524(c)). In…
Counseling Blog
Electronic Health Records (EHR) and in Today’s Private Counseling Practice While some counselors today are reaching for their pens and notepads, others are reaching for their laptops. With the help of Electronic Health Record (EHR) and Practice Management (PM) software, counselors are trashing their metal filing cabinets and announcing that…
Should Counselors in Private Practice Specialize? A question I’m often asked by counselors is whether they should specialize. That is, should they focus their counseling practice in a specific area? It’s a hard question to answer, as even successful business people disagree. In this column, I’ll describe four ways that…
Forms For Private Counseling Practice I’m just starting a private practice and I’m looking for all the necessary forms to give my clients. Where should I look? Any other suggestions are welcome about…
Counselors are Doomed:Client Privacy and PHI in the Electronic Age Last week, my wife, daughter and I visited the Smithsonian National Museum of American History, in Washington, DC. In taking a history tour of U.S. presidents, an exhibit about Richard Nixon stood out. On display was a metal filing cabinet…
Good Morning– I am trying to get clarity as to the distinction between counseling “records” and counseling “notes”. Specifically, I am looking for a simple, easy-to-use format for maintaining…
Should I Grow My Solo Therapy Practice Into A Group Therapy Practice? Benjamin Franklin is known for his strict schedule. His personal notes show that he was asleep at 10 p.m., awake at 5 a.m. — and he spent most of his waking hours working, or reviewing his tasks. Starting…
Know if Going It Alone Will Work for You I often talk about the benefits of starting a private practice. However, owning your own business isn’t for everyone, and working for a counseling agency is not an inferior alternative. Listed below are 4…
What If The Owner Of A Counseling Practice Becomes Ill? Are there any publications available to help counselors develop contingency plans for their practices should they become ill or physically impaired? Thank you for your help. Janet Black Greetings Janet,…
Is Asking for Client Reviews or Testimonials Ethical? Hello, I am coming to you because I have been so confused regarding client…
Counselors have run cash practices since the beginning of psychoanalysis. Today, however, a wave of change is occurring wherein clients are, more…
Life coaches have seemingly done a bit of magic, making dollars appear out of thin air. And everyone’s thrilled, except for counselors,…
