Welcome to Tennessee Valley Pastoral Counseling. We are pleased you have chosen our services. In order to assist you in understanding the responsibilities and expectations involved in a pastoral counseling relationship, we ask that you carefully read and sign the following Informed Consent.
Professional disclosure for Lance Flood: I graduated from Liberty University with a B.S. in Religion and Christian Counseling, an M.A. in Marriage & Family Therapy, an M.A. in Addiction & Recovery Counseling, and a Ph.D. in Pastoral Counseling. I also hold Graduate Certificates in the areas of Executive Leadership and Pastoral Counseling. I am a member of the American Association of Christian Counselors and President of the North America Christian Counselors Association. One of the distinctive aspects of my practice is my commitment to provide quality Christian counseling to those in need of this service. It is not essential that my clients share my Christian beliefs, but you have a right to know that my value assumptions are rooted in my Christian faith. The emphasis on quality counseling is based upon professional training, regular supervision, and is continually being expanded through ongoing involvement in the continuing education process through seminars, research, networking with other professionals, and personal reading and study. The Christian emphasis is based upon reliance on the Bible as the ultimate source of truth, and in the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit to transform lives. If you have any questions or concerns about my approach to counseling, please let me know at any time during the course of our professional relationship so that I may address them.
Professional disclosure for Deanna Flood: I graduated from Liberty University with a B.S. in Psychology with a focus in Christian Counseling, an M.A. in Crisis & Trauma Counseling, an M.A. in Addiction Counseling, and Graduate Certificates in Pastoral Counseling and Christian Ministry. I am also a member of the American Association of Christian Counselors and the North America Christian Counselors Association. One of the distinctive aspects of my practice is my commitment to provide quality Christian counseling to those in need of this service. It is not essential that my clients share my Christian beliefs, but you have a right to know that my value assumptions are rooted in my Christian faith. The emphasis on quality counseling is based upon professional training, regular supervision, and is continually being expanded through ongoing involvement in the continuing education process through seminars, research, networking with other professionals, and personal reading and study. The Christian emphasis is based upon reliance on the Bible as the ultimate source of truth, and in the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit to transform lives. If you have any questions or concerns about my approach to counseling, please let me know at any time during the course of our professional relationship so that I may address them.
Professional disclosure for Danca Wingate: I graduated from Alabama A&M University with a B.S. in Psychology, an M.S. in Counseling Psychology, and am in the process of completing my required hours to be eligible as a Licensed Professional Counselor in the state of Alabama. I am also a member of the American Counseling Association, American Psychological Association, and the North America Christian Counselors Association. One of the distinctive aspects of my practice is my commitment to provide quality Christian counseling to those in need of this service. It is not essential that my clients share my Christian beliefs, but you have a right to know that my value assumptions are rooted in my Christian faith. The emphasis on quality counseling is based upon professional training, regular supervision, and is continually being expanded through ongoing involvement in the continuing education process through seminars, research, networking with other professionals, and personal reading and study. The Christian emphasis is based upon reliance on the Bible as the ultimate source of truth, and in the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit to transform lives. If you have any questions or concerns about my approach to counseling, please let me know at any time during the course of our professional relationship so that I may address them.
Financial policy. Tennessee Valley Pastoral Counseling provides services at the greatly reduced rate of only $30.00 per session. Payments should be made online prior to each appointment or at the time of service. Returned checks will incur a $30 insufficient fund fee.
Pro bono policy. Tennessee Valley Pastoral Counseling assigns a prescribed percentage of clients among each counselor’s work load to receive care without cost based upon extreme financial need. Each client is given consideration on a case-by-case basis. Once the maximum amount of pro bono clients is attained, other candidates are placed upon a waiting list.
Availability of services. Our ministry does not have the capability to respond immediately to counseling emergencies. True emergencies should be directed to community emergency services (911) or local hotlines. Established clients with an urgent need may contact us, but an immediate response is not guaranteed. A quick or immediate response in one situation does not constitute a commitment of rapid response in another. If you leave a message requesting someone contact you, be assured every effort will be made to do so within 24 hours.
Appointments. Regular attendance at your scheduled appointments is crucial to a successful outcome in counseling. We reserve 50 minutes for each appointment with a client. Appointments canceled at the last minute are detrimental to our ministry. Therefore, we require a 24 hour minimum notice for cancellations. Failure to do so will result in the forfeiture of your fee. Session availability varies with the client load at the time. High demand appointment times are likely to be sporadic in their availability. We reserve the right to limit our commitments of high demand appointment times to any particular client in order to meet the needs of all our clients and to balance our workloads.
Privacy, confidentiality, and records. All communications and records created in the counseling process are held in the strictest confidence. However, confidentiality exceptions as defined in state and federal statutes include any real or potential life or death emergency, or when abuse is suspected of a child, elderly individual, or dependent adult.
Counseling process and rights. Your counseling begins with an intake session devoted to an initial assessment so we can gain an understanding of the issues, your background, and any other relevant factors. When the assessment process is complete, we will discuss ways to address the problem(s) that have brought you into counseling and develop a plan of action. You have the right and obligation to participate in all decisions and the development and periodic review and revision of your plan. You also have the right to refuse any recommendations or to withdraw consent to counsel and to be advised of the possible consequences which may arise from such refusal or withdrawal.
Audio and video recording. Due to client confidentiality and respect for the counseling process, audio or video recording during sessions is prohibited by either counselor or client.
Our relationship. The client and counselor relationship is designed to be exclusively therapeutic. It is inappropriate for a client and a counselor to spend time together outside of a session, or even share a social media connection. The purpose for these professional boundaries is to ensure that you and your counselor are clear in the roles for your counseling and that confidentiality is maintained. If there is ever a time when you believe you have been treated unfairly, please speak with us. It is never our intention to cause this to happen, but sometimes misunderstandings can inadvertently result in hurt feelings. We want to immediately address any issues that might get in the way of the counseling process.
Referral of services. On occasion, and in order to better serve your specific needs, it may become necessary for us to refer you to another qualified professional, such as a clinical psychologist or a psychiatrist. An example of this might be for the purpose of diagnosing a mental illness that requires a prescribed medication, or to receive therapeutic care that falls outside of our standard scope of practice.
Code of ethics. All counselors involved with Tennessee Valley Pastoral Counseling are members of a variety of professional counseling organizations. As such, each staff member adheres to a strict code of ethics. If you have any questions concerning ethical guidelines, please do not hesitate to ask your counselor.
Consent for evaluation and counseling. Consent is hereby given for evaluation and counseling under the terms described in this informed consent document. It is agreed that either the client or the counselor may discontinue this service at any time, for any reason, and you are free to accept or reject the counseling provided. In the case of a minor, you affirm that you are a custodial parent or legal guardian of the child and authorize counseling services under the terms of this agreement.
Your electronic signature below constitutes your understanding and agreement of the information contained herein.