This contains important information about the professional services and business policies of Julie Norton, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT), California, Board of Behavioral Science License CA 53057. This practice is a sole-proprietor independent practitioner and is not associated with, or in business with, any other practitioner in this location. The name of this business is Julie Norton, Counseling and Consulting. In addition to the information available on www.nortonmft.com prior to beginning therapy or early in our work, I will discuss my professional background and provide you with information regarding my experience, education, special interests, and professional orientation. Please read the information below carefully and feel free to discuss any questions you have. 

CONFIDENTIALITY

As a psychotherapy client, you have a right to confidentiality with respect to information related to our work together. Accordingly, information shared between us will generally remain confidential. The confidentiality of communications between you and myself (psychotherapist) is important, and in general it is legally protected. Normally, information can only be released to another individual with your written permission.

EXCEPTIONS TO CONFIDENTIALITY

In certain, limited instances, the law requires me to disclose information pertaining to my work with you. For example, as a therapist I am required to report suspected child, elder, and dependent adult abuse. Please note that the legal definition of “child abuse” generally includes instances of “sexting” in which a person of any age captures, records, sends, receives, or possesses an image or video depicting a minor engaged in sexual or otherwise obscene conduct. Similarly, in the event that I believe you present a serious and imminent danger to yourself, another person, or the public, I may be required to disclose information to emergency medical services, law enforcement, and/or another third party that can help to reduce or prevent that danger. In cases of elder abuse or abuse of a dependent adult, these will be reported to Adult Protective Services. In addition, when a person may be a danger to themselves or another person and/or their property, steps must be taken to prevent the danger. If you are suicidal, I will do whatever I can, including contacting spouses, family members, and/or local government agencies, to ensure your safety. In most legal proceedings, you have the psychotherapist-patient privilege to protect information about your treatment. However, certain court proceedings, or other legal activity, may limit the ability to maintain confidentiality. In the event that any of these situations arise, we will discuss how your confidentiality will be affected.

CONFIDENTIALITY AND TREATMENT OF MINORS

If a minor’s parent(s) or guardian(s) give consent for me to treat the minor, I typically provide the parent(s) or guardian(s) with general updates about the minor’s treatment. These updates may include the minor’s diagnosis, treatment plan, progress in therapy, session attendance, or similar information. However, I generally do not share specific details about the minor’s treatment or what the minor has shared with me during sessions unless: 1) the minor gives me permission to disclose such information and I believe the disclosure would be clinically appropriate; or 2) the minor is experiencing a crisis or other emergency circumstance that would authorize me to break confidentiality.

If the minor consents to their own treatment, the law generally prohibits me from communicating with their parent(s) or guardian(s) without written authorization from the minor unless the minor is experiencing a crisis or other emergency circumstance that would authorize me to break confidentiality.

CONFIDENTIALITY AND COUPLES / FAMILY / GROUP THERAPY

If you are participating in couples or family therapy, please be aware that, in most circumstances, the law prohibits me from disclosing confidential information and records regarding those services unless all identified patients provide written authorization to release the information.

NO-SECRETS POLICY

I would also like for my couples and family therapy patients to be aware that I utilize a “no-secrets” policy. This means, when I determine it is clinically appropriate or necessary to do so, I am able to disclose information I obtain from one member of the couple, or a participating member of the therapy unit, (i.e. the “treatment unit”) with the other member(s) of the treatment unit. This policy also applies to information a member of the treatment unit shares with me outside of couples / family sessions (e.g. via email, text, etc.) and information I obtain during individual session(s) with a member of the treatment unit (should we agree to hold individual sessions in furtherance of your couples / treatment goals). I find that this policy facilitates effective communication with and between my couples and family therapy patients. It also helps me to avoid potential problems which may arise when a therapist is perceived to be “keeping secrets” from other members of the treatment unit. Please feel free to reach out to me if you have questions about this or if you would like to discuss this further.

ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATION POLICY

In order to maintain clarity regarding our use of electronic modes of communication during your treatment, I have prepared the following policy. This is because the use of various types of electronic communications is common in our society, and many individuals believe this is the preferred method of communication with others, whether their relationships are social or professional. Many of these common modes of communication, however, put your privacy at risk and can be inconsistent with the law and standards of my profession. Consequently, this has been prepared to assure the security and confidentiality of your treatment and to assure that it is consistent with ethics and the law.

EMAIL AND TEXT MESSAGE COMMUNICATIONS

I use email communication and text messaging with your permission and only for administrative purposes unless we have made another agreement. That means that email exchanges and text messages with me should be limited to things like setting and changing appointments, billing matters, and other related issues. Please do not email or text me about clinical matters (i.e., matters relating to your therapy/treatment) because this is not a secure way to contact me. If you need to discuss a clinical matter with me, please feel free to call during my normal business hours so we can discuss it on the phone, send a message via the Client Portal, or wait so we can discuss it during your session. A telephone conversation or face-to-face meeting via my secure video conferencing system is simply much more secure as a mode of communication.

Email and text messaging should not be used to communicate with me in an emergency situation. I make every effort to respond to emails, texts, and phone calls within one business day, except on holidays or scheduled vacations. In case of an emergency, please contact your local health providers such as 911 or proceed to a local hospital. If you are interested in support between sessions, this is something we can discuss. I will do my best to honor your communication preferences, but please be aware that in certain instances, such as emergency circumstances, I may need to reach you through other methods.

Additional Information About Unencrypted Text Messaging: I value your privacy and take appropriate steps to preserve the confidentiality of information shared between us. It is important to be aware that certain risks may still be present when communicating via unencrypted text, such as technological failures or unintended access by third parties.

SOCIAL MEDIA

I do not communicate with, or contact, any of my clients through social media platforms like Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, etc. In addition, if I discover that I have accidentally established an online relationship with you, I will cancel that relationship. This is because these types of casual social contacts can create significant privacy risks for you. I believe that adding clients as friends or contacts on these sites can compromise your confidentiality and our respective privacy. It may also blur the boundaries of our therapeutic relationship. If you have questions about this, please bring them up when we meet and we can talk more about it.

BENEFITS AND RISKS OF TREATMENT

It is my intention to provide services that will assist you in reaching your goals. We are partners in the therapeutic process. As partners, we will work together to develop a plan for your treatment. Based on the information you provide to me and the specifics of your situation, I will offer feedback and recommendations regarding your treatment and progress.

Over the course of therapy, I will attempt to evaluate whether the therapy provided is beneficial to you. While I hope our work together will be effective, the amount and length of treatment varies from patient to patient. I am unable to predict how long you will be in therapy or guarantee a specific outcome or result of our work together.

The majority of individuals who obtain therapy benefit from the process. Success may vary depending on the particular problems being addressed. Therapy requires a very active effort on your part. I like to think of therapy as a journey of self-exploration. My role is to guide you, help you understand the problems you are facing, and help facilitate change in your life. Your role is to put these changes into effect. Some reasons why people seek therapy are because they hope to benefit from self-exploration, gain insight into their problems, and learn new skills. While there are many benefits from therapy, there are also some risks.

These risks may include experiencing feelings of anger, guilt, or frustration. These feelings are a natural part of the therapy process and often provide the basis for change. Important personal decisions and life changes are often a result of therapy. These decisions are likely to produce new opportunities as well as unique challenges. For example, sometimes a decision that is positive for one family member may be viewed quite negatively by another family member. During your therapy with me, we will discuss your feelings, both pleasant and unpleasant, and we will attempt to work through them.

I work collaboratively with my patients on their treatment goals. I want you to be included in any decisions made so that treatment goals are met and therapy is a rewarding experience. If you have questions about any services being provided at any time during treatment, feel free to ask me for clarification.

Individual therapy sessions are approximately 50 minutes each. Typically, sessions are scheduled once per week, at the same day and time each week. Consistent attendance contributes greatly to a successful outcome. Couples sessions run from 60 to 75 minutes.

APPOINTMENTS

Appointments are held via secure video conference or by phone after an initial visit. If for some reason video conferencing will not work for you or I feel it is not the right way to provide services, we can talk about other possibilities, including seeing a different therapist. A therapy appointment is 50-minutes of session time and at least 10 minutes of preparation, review, and session documentation. Most people are seen once per week in the beginning of our visits. I may suggest a different amount or frequency of therapy depending on the nature and severity of your concerns. Some clients decide to engage in “Intensive” sessions which may be a longer session time or a focused engagement. Nearing the end of our time together, visits may be spread out to longer and longer intervals. Length and frequency of treatments will depend on treatment goals and your needs.

SCHEDULING

I provide services at a time that we mutually arrange. If you email or text message me, please limit your communication to scheduling information. If you wish to provide me with additional information at the time of scheduling, please call and leave me a voicemail. If an appointment is canceled with less than 48-hours’ notice, the full appointment fee will be billed in most cases. I strive to respond to messages within one business day. In a crisis situation, I encourage you to call 911 or go to your nearest emergency room.

RELEASE OF INFORMATION

In order to maintain patient confidentiality, I require a written Release of Information to be filled out before any information is released from my office, whether in written or verbal form, unless I’m required by law to release the information. In order to provide the best therapeutic care, I do, from time to time, seek professional consultation. In those instances, personally identifiable information is not shared.

PAYMENT AND FEES

I am a private pay/cash pay business only. I accept credit cards as my main form of payment. If you would rather pay via another means, please let me know so we can work out an agreeable option. Payments are due on the day the service is scheduled or provided. For credit cards, the charge will run first thing in the morning and appear on your statement as “Julie Norton” or “Health Care Provider”.

I do not accept insurance. While I do not engage with insurance companies, I can provide you with a receipt of your therapy session that you can submit to your insurance company or Flexible Spending Account (FSA) for potential reimbursement. Depending on the terms of your health coverage, your plan may or may not reimburse for out-of-network services. If you are submitting for reimbursement by your insurance, please be aware that your insurance company will not pay for missed or cancelled sessions.

The standard charge for an individual therapy 50-minute session: $225.00

The standard charge for a 90-minute session: $300.00

The standard charge for couples 60-minute session: $250.00

Phone Consultations over 15-minutes*: $50.00 per 15-minute interval

Report writing: $300.00 per hour

Involvement in legal proceedings: $500.00 per hour

Meetings with professionals regarding your care: $250.00 per hour (at my location)

Travel time: $250.00 per hour

Review of Records: $250.00 per hour

*Please note there is a charge for calls 15 minutes or longer.

The individual session time for psychotherapy is 50 minutes. It is up to you, however, to determine the length of time of your sessions. Requests to change the 50-minute session needs to be discussed with the therapist in order for time to be scheduled in advance.

It is very important that you keep your account current. If there is a financial hardship, we will work out a payment plan. I require that every patient maintain a credit card on my client portal for any payment due. These must be submitted by the time of your first appointment and kept up to date until we end our work together. Unless otherwise agreed upon, after 30 days, a charge of 10% interest per month will be added to any balance that you owe and delinquent accounts over 90 days will be turned over to collections. A $50.00 service charge will be charged for any special handling or returned payment issues. You will be notified by mail that your account will be turned over to collections if you do not pay the remaining balance. Please inform me as soon as possible if there is a problem paying your account.

MY MEDICARE PROVIDER STATUS

I am an Opted-Out provider. This means I am not contracted with Medicare. Medicare will not reimburse you for the cost of my services. If you are a Medicare beneficiary, we will need to enter into a private contract for therapy services in order for me to treat you.

INSURANCE REIMBURSEMENT

If you have a health insurance plan, it may provide some coverage for therapy. You can call your insurance company to determine your benefits. The category of services is “outpatient” mental health. You need to be aware that insurance companies require me to provide them with a clinical diagnosis (if you have one) in order to process the claim. Sometimes I have to provide additional clinical information such as treatment plans or summaries, or copies of the entire record (in very rare cases). This information will become part of the insurance company file and will probably be stored in the company’s databases. In some cases, they may share your information with a national medical information databank. Though all insurance companies claim to keep such information confidential, I have no control over what they do with it once it is in their hands. I will inform you if your insurance contacts me directly and requests additional information and if appropriate I will have you sign a release of information.

TELEHEALTH

Telehealth is a mode of delivering health care services, including psychotherapy, via communication technologies (e.g. Internet or phone) to facilitate diagnosis, consultation, treatment, education, care management, and self-management of a patient’s health care. There are risks associated with participating in Telehealth including, but not limited to, the possibility, despite reasonable efforts and safeguards on the part of the therapist, that your psychotherapy sessions and transmission of your treatment information could be disrupted or distorted by technical failures and/or interrupted or accessed by unauthorized persons, and that the electronic storage of your treatment information could be accessed by unauthorized persons. There is a risk of being overheard by persons near both the client and the therapist, and consequently, both agree to use a location that is private and free from distractions or intrusions. At the beginning of each Telehealth session you are required to verify your full name and current location. Be aware that traveling outside of the state may impact your ability to receive services and you agree to inform your therapist if you are outside of the state during a session. If I believe you would be better served by in-person therapy, I will discuss this with you, and when possible, refer you to in-person services as needed. While Telehealth has been found to be effective in treating a wide range of mental and emotional issues, there is no guarantee that Telehealth is effective for all individuals. While you may benefit from Telehealth, results cannot be guaranteed or assured. When using information technology in therapy services, the therapist may not be able to make visual and olfactory observations of clinically or therapeutically potentially relevant issues including noteworthy mannerism, physical or medical conditions, including bruises, eye contact, weight, and more. Potential consequences thus include the therapist not being aware of what he or she would consider important information, that you may not recognize as significant to discuss with the therapist.

CAPTURING AUDIO OR VISUAL INFORMATION

While it is common to have Smartphones or other devices that allow for video or audio recordings, neither client or therapist can record or capture images or audio without the other party’s written permission.

YOUR EMERGENCY CONTACTS

Clients agree to provide emergency contacts in the event that they experience a medical or psychiatric crisis or other emergency circumstance.

PROFESSIONAL RECORDS

The laws and standards of my profession require that I keep treatment records. You are entitled to receive a copy of your records, or I can prepare a summary for you instead. Because these are professional records, they can be misinterpreted and/or upsetting. If you wish to see your records, I recommend that you review them together with me or in the presence of another qualified mental health professional.

COMPLAINTS OR CONCERNS

I hope that you will discuss any concerns with me. You may also report any concerns you have to the California Board of Behavioral Sciences (BBS). The BBS can be reached at www.bbs.ca.gov or (916) 574-7830. and/or the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services at 877-696-6775.

LICENSURE VERIFICATION

Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist (LMFT #53057), California Board of Behavioral Sciences. License valid through November 30, 2026. The BBS can be reached at www.bbs.ca.gov or (916) 574-7830.

GOOD FAITH ESTIMATE

You have the right to receive a “Good Faith Estimate” explaining how much your medical and mental health care will cost. Under the law, health care providers need to give patients who don’t have insurance or who are not using insurance an estimate of the expected charges for medical services, including psychotherapy services. You have the right to receive a Good Faith Estimate for the total expected cost of any non-emergency healthcare services, including psychotherapy services. You can ask your health care provider, and any other provider you choose, for a Good Faith Estimate before you schedule a service. If you receive a bill that is at least $400 more than your Good Faith Estimate, you can dispute the bill. Make sure to save a copy or picture of your Good Faith Estimate. For questions or more information about your right to a Good Faith Estimate, visit www.cms.gov/nosurprises.

CRISIS SUPPORT 

If you are ever experiencing a medical or psychiatric emergency or if you are facing an emergency involving a threat to your safety or the safety of someone else, please call 911 to request emergency assistance. In the event of a mental health crisis, you may also call the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by dialing “988.” As a clinician and independent practitioner, please note phone calls, emails and the www.nortonmft.com website are not monitored for emergencies. If you’re in crisis, please call 911 or 988 or go to your nearest emergency room.

THERAPY ACROSS STATE LINES

Unfortunately, I may not be able to treat you while you are physically outside of the state of California. My ability to do so depends on various factors, such as the laws of the jurisdiction you will be traveling to. If you know you will be traveling outside of the state, please provide me with as much advance notice as possible so I may have enough time to determine whether I will be able to provide treatment to you during that time. If I am unable to treat you while you are outside of California, we can discuss alternative care options and strategies as well as what you should do in the event of an emergency.

TERMINATION OF THERAPY

The length of your treatment and the timing of the eventual termination of your treatment depend on your clinical needs, the specifics of your treatment plan, and the progress you make towards achieving your treatment goals. While I hope you will find our time together beneficial and meaningful, I cannot guarantee the specific outcomes or results your treatment will yield. Should you fail to schedule an appointment for three consecutive weeks, unless other arrangements have been made in advance, for legal and ethical reasons, I must consider the professional relationship discontinued.

You may discontinue therapy at any time. If one of us determines you are not benefiting from treatment, we can discuss treatment alternatives. These alternatives may include, among other possibilities, changes to your treatment plan, referrals to other therapists, and/or termination of treatment.

ACCOMMODATIONS

If you have a disability and require accommodation presently or at any time during the course of treatment, please contact me.

CANCELLATION POLICY

I have a 48-hour cancellation policy. Any appointments cancelled with less than 48-hour notice will be charged to your credit card on file. I require that every patient maintain a credit card on file for any outstanding payment due. I do understand that emergencies occasionally arise that prohibit you from giving me 48-hour notice. Except in emergencies, the above charges will apply to any appointment missed or cancelled without 48-hour notice.

QUESTIONS?

I realize this is a lot. Because I want you to get the most out of therapy, before you begin our work, please read and discuss these policies and this agreement for services and disclosures carefully, understand its contents. Beginning therapy, you consent to these policies. Please let me know if you have any questions or if you would like to discuss them further.

Updated: July 2025