Service agreement

By signing below I acknowledge that I have read, understood and agreed to the terms and conditions as set out below, and specifically that:

-all disputes arising out of this agreement are subject to the laws of Canada and claims must be made in a Canadian jurisdiction.

-that the services Shulamit provides are supportive only and do not constitute psychotherapy. (See definition of psychotherapy at the bottom of this page.)

​-The work I undertake with Shulamit may be a more or less comfortable process at times, and my success depends on my own commitment to resolving the issues I have identified and accomplishing the goals I have set for myself.

-If Shulamit is concerned that she cannot provide the support I need or want, she may refer me to another qualified professional.

Terms and Conditions

CONFIDENTIALITY

Shulamit practices under the auspices of a regulatory college and Canadian law. I acknowledge that she therefore extends privacy and safety protection to all clients undertaking work in a 1-to-1 context with her. This means she keeps confidential the information I share with her, and can only share it with my written consent.

However, after discussion with me, she may disclose it in any of the following circumstances: if there is an imminent danger to me or another adult; risk to any person under 16 years of age; when ordered to do so by a court.

To provide me with the best possible support and to comply with the requirements of her regulatory college and the law, Shulamit keeps a record of our sessions and communications.

Shulamit participates in supervision where she may share aspects of our interactions with colleagues.

Shulamit has a professional will and has designated a colleague who will address my immediate needs in the event that she suddenly becomes incapacitated or dies. If this occurs, Shulamit’s designate will have access to my files and will be contacting me.

 

FEES

Fees are set at the time of booking your first appointment.

Payment is required no later than 48 hours prior to the beginning of a support period, unless you have made arrangements for a payment plan, in which case payment is required as outlined in the plan.

If payment is not received 48 hours in advance or in accordance with the parameters of the payment plan, support services will be considered cancelled, and Shulamit will contact you to discuss how to proceed.

CANCELLATION

If you are late, it will shorten the time of the session.

If you cancel your appointment with less than 48 hours’ notice, you may receive a request for payment.

Due to high demand for services, cancellations are discouraged. You may ask to reschedule your appointment with 48 hours’ notice, subject to availability within the support period, if any.

Shulamit will make every effort to accommodate rescheduling cancelled appointments, within the boundaries of her established office hours and the support period.

If your appointment cannot be rescheduled within those parameters, Shulamit will invite you into a discussion to find a mutually acceptable solution.

*** Telephone voice mail at 613-868-9642 is the only acceptable means for notice of cancellation. ***

SECURE VIDEO SESSIONS

Please ensure you are in a private area where you will not be interrupted for the duration of the session.

During a virtual session, technology mail fail. Difficulties with hardware, software, equipment, and/or services supplied by a 3rd party may result in service interruptions.

If something occurs to prevent or disrupt any scheduled appointment due to technical complications, Shulamit will call you at the number on your file. Please make sure you have that phone with you. We may also reschedule if there are problems with connectivity.

PARAMETERS OF SUPPORT

Shulamit applies therapeutic, coaching and somatic tools and processes to support your mental and emotional wellbeing and personal growth as a business owner. The services provided are for the support of your mental and emotional wellbeing and do not constitute the provision of psychotherapy.

IMPLEMENTATION SUPPORT

Implementation support is for use at your discretion, as needed, to communicate with Shulamit.

Implementation support is a way to get Shulamit’s input relatively quickly, and is best used for shorter messages and less detailed situations.

Messages should be in the range of approximately 3 minutes. If you find yourself consistently recording messages of 6 minutes or more, this is a good indicator that the topic would be best addressed in a live session. You are welcome to book additional live sessions at the rate of $250/session, using the booking link provided previously.

The 1.5-hour time parameter is a guideline. It includes your message length, the length of Shulamit’s response messages and Shulamit’s prep time in order to respond which is not reflected in the total length of messages sent and received.

If you are using a voice message to process a situation, or to provide an update, it is helpful to contextualize your message with something like, “I just want to put this here so that you are aware. No action required.”

Typically, clients use implementation support as
-a container to vent,
-to ask for mindset support
-to request skills coaching
related to work in sessions with Shulamit.

If your requests for voice message support exceed a total of approximately 1.5 hours per 30-day period, or relate to issues not appropriate for voice message support, Shulamit will invite you into a discussion about what form of support could better meet your needs.

Implementation support logistics
● Implementation support is available up to an approximate total of 1.5 hours per 30-day period.
● This includes your message length, the length of Shulamit’s response messages and Shulamit’s prep time in order to respond.
● Unused implementation support time does not carry forward.
● You’re free to message when it’s convenient for you.
● Shulamit will respond within 24 hours, from Monday to Thursday during business hours.
● If you message Shulamit on weekends or on Canadian civic or Jewish holidays, please plan for a response of up to two business days.
● Shulamit’s availability is subject to change (e.g., vacations). If this is the case, you will be advised in advance.

COMMUNICATION

Shulamit does not provide urgent or emergency support. In an emergency, please call 911 or go to the nearest hospital emergency department. For immediate support, please call your local crisis line.

Telephone messages will receive a response within 24 hours (or the next business day on weekends and civic and Jewish holidays).

Text Messages

The business phone number 613-868-9642 cannot receive text messages.

Email

Shulamit accepts ONLY TELEPHONE VOICEMAIL for notice of cancellation.

Please be aware that email is not secure or confidential. All emails are retained in Internet service provider logs, can be read by system administrator(s) and may be mined for data. Any email correspondence we may have may become part of our record of communication and be archived in your file.

​Because email is neither secure nor confidential, it is best not to discuss content related to your sessions by e-mail. Therefore, if you do so, Shulamit will only acknowledge receipt. However, Shulamit will address it with you at your next session.

Social Media

Please be aware that Shulamit does not respond to communication from clients via social media platforms. Friending, following, messaging or adding clients on social media sites can compromise privacy. Please note that Shulamit’s accounts and pages are not monitored in real time and are administered by a third party. Comments may be deleted to preserve confidentiality.​

If you do communicate with Shulamit through social media, she will address it in session with you. Social media messages, as well as emails and all other written correspondence may become part of our communication record in order to meet professional standards.

COLLECTION, USE AND DISCLOSURE OF PRIVATE INFORMATION

In addition to the confidentiality provisions mentioned above, the collection, use and disclosure of your client records is governed by the Ontario Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act, and the Ontario Personal Health Information and Protection Act, 2004.

Records are only disclosed to the person to whom the records relate, in accordance with a signed consent from the person to whom the records relate, in accordance with a Court Order or police warrant, or on request by another authorized individual (for example, a confirmed estate trustee). Shulamit retains paper records for seven years after your last appointment and then shreds them. Electronic records are archived immediately upon file closure.​

RELATIONSHIP AND CONFLICT

In order to protect privacy and foster an environment of trust and safety, we may discuss and make an agreement about the kinds of interactions we may encounter outside sessions.

Transparency and open communication are among my highest values, so I welcome feedback. I hold all human needs as precious; I am striving to meet them in every moment, and I believe you are too. In my experience, honesty about needs (met and unmet) opens the door to connection and repair.

If, after providing me with feedback, you still have unmet needs, please invite me into a facilitated conversation with you so that you can receive support in expressing your needs and getting heard in the way you would like. You are free to choose the facilitator or I can recommend some resources.

If you reside in Ontario, you can have recourse to the Ontario College of Social Workers. For more information call  416-972-9882 (toll-Free: 1-877-828-9380) or see http://www.ocswssw.org/complaints-discipline/cd_complaints/

Otherwise, all disputes arising out of this agreement are subject to the laws of Canada and claims must be made in a Canadian jurisdiction.

DEFINITION OF PSYCHOTHERAPY

By definition in the Regulated Health Professions Act, the controlled act of psychotherapy involves five elements: i) Treating, ii) by means of psychotherapy technique, iii) delivered through a therapeutic relationship, iv) an individual’s serious disorder of thought, cognition, mood, emotional regulation, perception or memory that, v) may seriously impair the individual’s judgement, insight, behaviour, communication or social functioning.