If you would like for Mind Over Matter Professional Counseling, PLLC to write a letter or complete a treatment progress report for a third party or organization such as a Professional State Board, Job, probation officer, attorney, or any other individual or organization, for any reason, please let us know on the first visit otherwise we will not be able to accommodate your request. We will provide an evidence-based treatment plan to you and the third party by the third visit. We will report your progress based on this treatment plan. A letter will be provided that reflects progress toward goals according to your treatment plan. If you have been meeting the goals and objectives indicated on your treatment plan, the report will reflect this. If you have not been engaging as minimally indicated on your treatment plan, an unfavorable report will be provided.

Informed Consent & Agreement For Psychotherapy Services


Introduction. This document is intended to provide you with important information regarding your treatment. Please read the entire document carefully and be sure to ask me any questions that you may have regarding its contents before signing it. You may have questions about me, my qualifications, therapy, or anything not addressed here. It is your right to have a complete explanation for any questions you may have, now or in the future. Please feel free to ask questions or share any concerns that may arise. Although I know this may be uncomfortable at times, your openness and honesty will allow me to better serve you.

Information about Your Therapist. Whenever you wish, I will discuss my professional background with you and provide you with information regarding my experience, education, and professional orientation. You are free to ask questions at any time about these details, and anything else related to your therapy or other concerns. 

Mind Over Matter Professional Counseling, PLLC. is owned by Ericka L. Ferrias, M.Ed, LPC, NCC (License # 72940) 

Fees. The fee for service is $125 per 50 minute therapy session of any type excluding group therapies and $75 for 30 minute therapy session of any type excluding group therapies.  I reserve the right to periodically adjust the fee. You will be notified of any fee adjustment in advance. Fees are payable at the time that services are rendered.
If there is a need for telephone contact, with you or a third-party, other than for scheduling purposes, you understand that you are responsible for payment of the agreed-upon fee (on a pro rata basis) for any calls lasting longer than 10 minutes.

Appointment Scheduling and Cancellation Policies. Sessions are typically scheduled to occur one time per week at the same time and day if possible. I may suggest a different amount of therapy depending on the nature and severity of your concerns. Your consistent attendance greatly contributes to a successful outcome. Scheduled appointment times are reserved especially for you. If an appointment is missed, or canceled with less than 24 hours notice, you (not your insurance company) may be charged the full fee (self-pay) for that missed session. Exceptions may be made if you are sick or have an unavoidable emergency.

Insurance. Please inform me if you wish to utilize health insurance to pay for services. I will discuss the procedures for billing your insurance. Although I am happy to assist your efforts to seek insurance reimbursement, I am unable to guarantee whether your insurance will provide payment for the services provided to you. The amount of reimbursement and the amount of any co-payments or deductible depends on the requirements of your specific insurance plan.

You should be aware that insurance plans generally limit coverage to certain diagnosable mental conditions, which then become part of your medical record. You should also be aware that you are responsible for verifying and understanding the limits of your insurance coverage. You are responsible for obtaining prior authorization for treatment from your insurance carrier. Please discuss any questions or concerns that you may have about this with me.

If for some reason you find that you are unable to continue paying for your therapy, please inform me. I will help you to consider any other options that may be available to you at that time.

Delinquent Accounts. You understand that you are responsible for all charges incurred and that services must be paid in full at the time of each visit, unless other arrangements have been made in advance. Should your account become delinquent, you agree to pay interest at 2.5% per month, and if it becomes necessary for the account to be referred for collection action, you agree to pay the actual balance due plus any collection expenses of 30-50% of any balances owing, and any attorney's fees.

Risks and Benefits of Therapy. Psychotherapy is a process in which we will discuss a myriad of issues, events, experiences and memories for the purpose of creating positive change so that you can experience your life more fully. It provides an opportunity to better and more deeply understand oneself, as well as any problems or difficulties you may be experiencing. Psychotherapy is a joint effort between both the therapist and client. Progress and success may vary depending upon the particular problems or issues being addressed, as well as many other factors. Participating in therapy may result in a number of benefits to you, including, but not limited to, reduced stress and anxiety, a decrease in negative thoughts and self-sabotaging behaviors, improved interpersonal relationships, increased comfort in social, work, and family settings, increased capacity for intimacy, and increased self-confidence. Such benefits may also require substantial effort on your part, including an active participation in the therapeutic process, honesty, and a willingness to change feelings, thoughts and behaviors. There is no guarantee that therapy will yield any or all of the benefits listed above.

Participating in therapy may also involve some discomfort, including remembering and discussing unpleasant events, feelings and experiences. The process may evoke strong feelings of sadness, anger, fear, anxiety, etc. There may be times in which I will challenge your perceptions and assumptions, and offer different perspectives. The issues presented by you may result in unintended outcomes, including changes in personal relationships. Sometimes a decision that is positive for one family member is viewed quite differently by another. You should be aware that any decision on the status of your personal relationships is your sole responsibility. During the therapeutic process, many people find that they feel worse before they feel better. This is generally a normal course of events. Personal growth and change may be easy and swift at times, but may also be slow and frustrating. You should discuss with me any concerns you have regarding your progress in therapy. Due to the varying nature and severity of problems and the individuality of each patient, I am unable to predict the length of your therapy or to guarantee a specific outcome or result.

Discussion of Treatment Plan. It is my intention to provide services that will assist you in reaching your goals. Within a reasonable period of time after the initiation of treatment, I will discuss with you my working understanding of the problem, treatment plan, therapeutic objectives and my view of the possible outcomes of treatment. Sometimes more than one approach can be helpful in dealing with a certain situation. During the course of therapy, I will draw on various treatment approaches according, in part, to the problem that is being treated and my assessment of what will best benefit you. These approaches may include but are not limited to behavioral, cognitive, and/or psycho-educational techniques.

I believe that therapists and patients work together in the therapeutic process. You have the right to agree or disagree with my recommendations. If you have any unanswered questions about any of the procedures used in the course of your therapy, their possible risks, my expertise in employing them, or about the treatment plan, please ask and you will be answered fully. If you could benefit from any treatment that I do not provide, I have an ethical obligation to assist you in obtaining those treatments.

Termination of Therapy. The length of your treatment and the timing of the eventual termination of your treatment depend on the specifics of your treatment plan and the progress you achieve. It is a good idea to plan for your termination, in collaboration with me. I will discuss a plan for termination with you as you approach the completion of your treatment goals. You may discontinue therapy at any time. If you or I determine that you are not benefiting from treatment, either of us may elect to initiate a discussion of your treatment alternatives. Treatment alternatives may include, among other possibilities, referral, changing your treatment plan, or terminating your therapy. It is best to discuss this in a planned termination session if at all possible.

Professional Consultation and Collaboration with Other Professionals. Professional consultation is an important component of a healthy psychotherapy practice. As such, I regularly participate in clinical, ethical, and legal consultation with appropriate professionals. During such consultations, I will not reveal any personally identifying information regarding you or your situation.

In order to provide quality services, I often need to collaborate with other professionals, such as your physician, psychiatrist, past therapists, and/or other mental health professionals. You will be asked to complete a release of information authorizing these exchanges; in some cases, I may not be able to provide services without this.

Records and Record Keeping. I may take notes during session, and will also produce other notes and records regarding your treatment. These notes constitute my clinical and business records, which by law, I am required to maintain. Such records are the sole property of the therapist. Should you request a copy of my records, such a request must be made in writing. I reserve the right, under Texas law, to provide you with a treatment summary in lieu of actual records. I also reserve the right to refuse to produce a copy of the record under certain circumstances, but may, as requested, provide a copy of the record to another treating health care provider. I typically maintain records for ten years following termination of therapy. After ten years, your records may be destroyed in a manner that preserves your confidentiality.

Confidentiality. The information disclosed by you is generally confidential and will not be released to any third party without written authorization from you, except where required or permitted by law. Exceptions to confidentiality include, but are not limited to, situations where you pose a threat of serious harm to yourself or someone else; cases involving suspected child, elder or dependent adult abuse; cases in which I am court-ordered to testify or produce records; or as outlined in the "Notice of Privacy Practices" (copies available on my website and in the waiting room). For minors, I must take steps to inform a parent or guardian of what you have told me (only in the aforementioned exceptions, and how serious I believe this threat to be. I must make sure that you are protected from harming yourself.

If you participate in marital or family therapy, I will not disclose confidential information about your treatment unless all person(s) who participated in the treatment with you provide their written authorization to release such information. However, it is important that you know that I utilize a "no secrets" policy when conducting family or marital/couples therapy. This means that I do not keep secret information gathered in individual conversations (whether on the phone or in an individual session) if the information revealed in some way violates the integrity of the couples/family therapy (such as revealing an affair, substance problem, or intent to leave the relationship). Such information will need to be revealed to the other partner for therapy to effectively continue. Please feel free to ask me about my "no secrets" policy and how it may apply to you.

Psychotherapist-Patient Privilege. The information disclosed by you, as well as any records created, is subject to the psychotherapist-patient privilege. The psychotherapist-patient privilege results from the special relationship between Therapist and Patient in the eyes of the law. It is similar to the attorney-client privilege or the doctor-patient privilege. Typically, the patient is the holder of the psychotherapist-patient privilege. If I receive a subpoena for records, deposition testimony, or testimony in a court of law, I will assert the psychotherapist-patient privilege on your behalf until instructed, in writing, to do otherwise by you or your representative. You should be aware that you might be waiving the psychotherapist-patient privilege regarding your entire treatment if you make your mental or emotional state an issue in a legal proceeding. You should address any concerns you might have regarding the psychotherapist-patient privilege with your attorney.

Client Litigation. I will not voluntarily participate in any litigation or custody dispute in which you and another individual, or entity, are parties. I have a policy of not communicating with clients' attorneys and will generally not write or sign letters, reports, declarations, or affidavits to be used in any client's legal matter. I will generally not provide records or testimony unless compelled to do so. Should I be subpoenaed, or ordered by a court of law, to appear as a witness in an action involving you, you agree to reimburse me for any time spent for preparation, travel, or other time in which I have made myself available for such an appearance at my usual and customary hourly rate for such services of $250.00 per hour.

E-mail and Phone Communication. Some clients prefer to communicate about appointment times or other administrative issues via e-mail. Although information stored on my computer is encrypted, e-mail transmitted through regular services is not encrypted. This means that a third party may be able to access information in an e-mail and read it, since it is transmitted over the Internet. In addition once the e-mail is received by you, someone may be able to access your e-mail account and read it. This may include your employer if you use a work-related e-mail address. For this reason I discourage sending any clinical or other sensitive information via e-mail. Please use the telephone for anything urgent or time sensitive, as I cannot guarantee that I will see an emergency email.

Professional Disclosures

I understand that Ericka L. Ferrias, LPC,NCC does not provide 24-hour crisis counseling.  Should I experience and emergency necessitating immediate mental health attention, I will call 9-1-1 or go to an emergency room for assistance.

I understand that during the time we work together, we will meet on a weekly basis, unless otherwise specified, for approximately 50 minutes.  While our sessions may be very intimate psychologically, ours is a professional relationship rather than a social one.

I understand that counseling can improve as well as upset the equilibrium in any person or family.  Counseling is a personal exploration and may lead to changes in perspectives and decisions.  These changes could be temporarily distressing. 

I understand that I am in control of the counseling relationship.  If at any time I am dissatisfied with Ericka L. Ferrias, LPC, NCC's services as a therapist,  I have the right to let her know. If I do not feel that Ericka L. Ferrias, LPC, NCC's may resolve my complaint, I may file a formal complaint through contact with the Texas Board of Examiners of Licensed Professional Counselors at 1-800-942-5540.

I understand that our paths may cross in social situations but that our therapeutic relationship comes first, along with my protection of my confidentiality,  and that Ms. Ericka L. Ferrias, LPC, NCC does not initiate the greetings. 

I have read, understood, and signed the informed consent related to therapy and I understand the risks and benefits of receiving these services and the risks and benefits of not receiving these services, for both myself and my family.  By signing this document, I am acknowledging that I agree with the terms and agree to receive therapeutic services provided by Ms. Ericka L. Ferrias, LLP, NCC.