I am pleased that you are allowing me the privilege of walking alongside you as you begin your journey of counseling. Please take a few moments to look over the following policies that are in place regarding our counseling relationship.

State Mandatory Disclosure Information

The South Carolina Department of Labor, Licensing, and Regulation-Board of Examiners for the Licensure of Professional Counselors (1976 Code Section 40-75-5 et seq) requires that I provide you with the following information.

1) I am licensed as a professional counselor (LPC) in the state of South Carolina and have been in private practice since 1999. The South Carolina Board of Examiners for the Licensure of Professional Counselors, Marriage and Family Therapists, and Psycho-Educational Specialists regulate my services. My license number is 3335.

Any questions, concerns or complaints regarding the practice of psychotherapy or other mental health professions may be directed to:

SC Board of Examiners
PO Box 11329
Columbia, SC 29211-1289
803-896-4658

2) Training and Degrees: In 1992 I received my Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from Gordon College located in Wenham, Massachusetts. My graduate degree in counseling was completed in 1995 and was earned in Morrison, Colorado at Colorado Christian University under Dr. Larry Crabb and Dr. Dan Allender. An internship was completed at Young Life's Dale House Project in Colorado Springs, Colorado. I also worked at Spartanburg Alcohol and Drug Abuse Commission for two years and counseled with the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) for a significant amount of my time there.

I have received clinical supervision from various seasoned therapists in the Greenville area, including
Dr. Chrys Harris and Ginger Culbertson. I had the privilege of working intensely with Dr. Dan Allender, former President of Mars Hill University, therapist, professor, author, and speaker. Dan and I have consulted over the telephone, as he is located in Seattle, Washington. I have also met with him at two separate times for intensive supervision in Seattle, Washington. It is customary for therapists to consult with one another on cases, and I will periodically talk with other counselors to think through issues, as I am always endeavoring to sharpen my skills and give you high quality counseling. Any cases that are discussed are done so confidentially and no identifying information is given.

Pertinent continuing education courses are taken each year to maintain my license and mature in my skills.

3) You are entitled to receive information about the methods of therapy, the techniques used, the duration of therapy (whenever possible), and the fee structure. Counseling does involve looking at and talking about things that may bring up intense emotional experiences.

4) You may seek a second opinion from another therapist or terminate therapy at any time. In a professional relationship, sexual intimacy between a therapist and client is never appropriate. Dual relationships are also inappropriate and therefore it must be understood that my primary role is that of counselor, and this prevents me from any kind of intentional social contact outside of the counseling office. This includes Facebook or any other form of social contact.

5) All information revealed by you in counseling or therapy sessions and most information placed in your counseling/therapy file (all medical records or other individually identifiable health information held or disclosed in any form [electronic, paper, or oral]) is considered "protected health information" by HIPAA. As such, your protected health information cannot be distributed to anyone else without your express informed and voluntary written consent or authorization. The exceptions to this are underlined and defined immediately below.

6) As a licensed professional counselor, there is a legal privilege in this state protecting the confidentiality of the information that you share with me. As a professional I can assure you that I strive to maintain the strictest ethical standards of confidentiality. There are legal exceptions to confidentiality: these are situations in which you are at serious risk to harm either yourself or others, such as in cases of potential suicide, child abuse and neglect, or grave disability. Your records may also be subpoenaed through a court order. If you are involved in litigation you may wish to consult your attorney on this issue.

If you wish for your records to be shared with someone else you must sign a release of information form.

As we work together, any exceptions to confidentiality will be identified as they arise. The legal standing of privileged communication is less clear in marital and family work.

1. Appointments: I am in the office Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays and see clients up until 4:00 p.m. Sessions outside these days are part of the intensives I offer, or for emergency sessions.

2. Length of Sessions: Individual sessions last for 50 minutes. I will attempt to end promptly in order to document our session and prepare for my next client. I intend to be ready for our session promptly at our scheduled time. If I do take you back later, you will still receive a 50-minute session. If you arrive late for your appointment, we may be unable to complete the entire time.

3. Cancellations: A minimum of 24-hours notice is REQUIRED for all cancellations. If you need to cancel or change your appointment, and it is greater than 24 hours until your appointment, please log in as soon as you are aware of a conflict. I have a list of people waiting to get into appointments that become available if they have ample notice.  

The system DOES NOT allow you to cancel if it is within the 24-hour period and you will be required to pay the entire session fee.

Over 24 hours notice..............................No charge
Less than 24 hours notice.....................FULL CHARGE

*In cases of illness inside the 24-hour cancellation window, please text 864-320-5085 as soon as you can. Please do your best to let me know at least the night before so I can try to fill the slot. You may still incur a charge if inadequate time is given.

4. Please refrain from calling or emailing outside of sessions. If an issue needs to be discussed, please make an appointment (and I am happy to schedule a phone consult at the regular rate).

5. Occasionally I will have to cancel your appointment. I will notify you as soon as possible.

6. Fees and Payment: Individual sessions are $180.00 per 50-minute session and payment is due at the time of service. The couple's rate is $220 per session.  Invoices are provided and can include a diagnostic code to submit to your insurance carrier, however, it is your responsibility to obtain payment from your insurance company.  Cash and check are accepted for payment or you may privately Venmo me @sydneysykes42.  There is also a PAYPAL option on this site. If you use PayPal an additional $8 is added to cover some of the fees. I am not set up to accept credit or debit cards.  

7. If you have a life-threatening emergency, you should call 911 or your primary care physician.

Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns regarding the paperwork you are signing.

Very few actual clinical approaches match perfectly with a stated theoretical orientation. My approach fits most consistently with an existential/psycho-dynamic framework, although I feel comfortable drawing from other perspectives when a client's needs seem to indicate that other interventions may be appropriate.  I also heavily focus on Relational Life Therapy, Internal Family Systems, and the latest research around the brain based and neuroplasticity. 

My counseling work encompasses relational issues, depression, grief and loss, sexual abuse, and spiritual growth. I begin working with the struggle that has arisen in the present and often give attention as well (sometimes extensive) to historical relationships that may have developed psychological structures affecting styles of handling current relationships.

My approach and perspective on the issues of relationships, sexual abuse, therapy, and the nature and process of change are reflected in several books by Terry Real, Dr. Dan Allender, Pia Mellody, and Richard Schwartz.

I have read and understand (or have asked for clarification) the information presented in this form, and consent to treatment within the aforementioned guidelines.