How this practice works, in plain language

Scope of Services

What this practice does and doesn't provide

Pride Healing & Recovery Services provides outpatient individual counseling for mental health concerns, substance use and addiction recovery, and trauma — delivered by secure telehealth to clients located anywhere in Louisiana. Care is affirming for LGBTQIA+ clients and welcoming to everyone.

The following are not offered, and a referral is provided when one of them is what you need:

• Emergency, crisis, or after-hours on-call services
• Medication management or prescriptions — that requires a physician or psychiatric provider
• Detoxification, inpatient, residential, or partial-hospitalization treatment
• Custody evaluations, forensic assessments, disability determinations, or fitness-for-duty evaluations
• Court-ordered evaluations or expert-witness testimony

Because services are telehealth only, you must be physically located in Louisiana at the time of each session. This is a licensure requirement, not a preference — let me know before the session if you'll be traveling out of state.

Telehealth Requirements

What you need on your end

Sessions take place on a secure, HIPAA-compliant video platform accessed through a link sent before your appointment. To get the most out of it, you'll need:

• A private space where you can speak freely without being overheard
• A reliable internet connection and a device with a working camera and microphone
• To be stationary — not driving or operating a vehicle — for the full session
• A backup phone number on file in case the video connection drops

Sessions are never recorded, and recording by clients is not permitted. If telehealth turns out not to be a good fit for your needs or safety, that's discussed openly and a referral to in-person care is offered.

Confidentiality

What stays private, and the few limits

What you share is protected under HIPAA and Louisiana law, and it isn't disclosed without your written permission. There are a small number of legal exceptions where disclosure is required:

• A serious, imminent threat of harm to yourself or another identifiable person
• Suspected abuse or neglect of a child, elderly person, or dependent adult
• A valid court order or other legal mandate
• Billing or utilization review, only where insurance is used and only to the minimum extent necessary

Full details are in the Privacy Policy and in the written HIPAA Notice of Privacy Practices provided at intake.

Emergencies & Crisis

This practice is not a crisis service

Messages, voicemail, and email are checked during scheduling hours only and are not monitored overnight, on weekends, or on holidays. If you are in immediate danger or having thoughts of suicide, do not wait for a response here.

• 988 — Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, call or text, 24/7
• 911 or your nearest emergency room for immediate danger
• 1-800-662-4357 — SAMHSA National Helpline for substance use, 24/7
• The Trevor Project: 1-866-488-7386 — crisis support for LGBTQ+ youth, 24/7

A personalized safety plan is developed with any client for whom crisis risk is a concern, so you know exactly what to do and who to call before a hard night arrives.

Payment Terms

How and when payment happens

Payment is due at the time of service. A valid credit or debit card is kept securely on file through the practice's HIPAA-compliant billing system and is charged the day of your session. Receipts are emailed automatically.

Current rates, sliding-scale consideration, superbills, and Good Faith Estimate information are all on the Insurance & Rates page. Fees are reviewed at least annually, and you'll receive at least 30 days' written notice before any rate change affects you. If a balance goes unpaid for more than 60 days without a payment arrangement in place, scheduling may be paused until it's resolved — but a conversation always comes before that. If cost becomes a barrier, say so; there is usually something that can be worked out.

Communication & Response Times

When to expect to hear back

Scheduling hours are Monday through Thursday, 9am to 5pm, and Friday, 9am to 2pm. Non-urgent messages are typically returned within one business day.

• Client portal — the preferred and most secure channel for anything clinical or personal
• Phone and voicemail — best for scheduling and time-sensitive non-emergencies
• Email and text — convenient but not fully secure; please keep to logistics only

Counseling itself happens in scheduled sessions, not over message threads. Between-session contact is welcome for scheduling, brief check-ins, and safety concerns, but extended clinical issues raised by message will be redirected to your next appointment so they get the attention they deserve.

Social Media & Boundaries

Keeping the relationship clear

Friend, follow, and connection requests from current or former clients are not accepted on personal social media accounts. This isn't coldness — it protects your confidentiality and keeps the counseling relationship uncomplicated. Client accounts and public profiles are never searched or reviewed as part of care.

Whether you follow, like, or review the practice's public page is entirely your choice and carries no expectation either way — but public engagement with a mental health practice can be visible to others, so it isn't private. Your status as a client will never be confirmed, denied, or responded to publicly, including in reply to a positive review.

Louisiana is a small state and New Iberia is a small community, so running into each other in public is a real possibility. If that happens, your privacy comes first: you won't be greeted or acknowledged unless you initiate it, and there's no offense taken either way. Gifts beyond a token of nominal value, bartering, social invitations, and business or financial relationships with clients are declined, as required by the counseling code of ethics.

Records, Letters & Court

Documentation requests

You have the right to access your record. Requests are made in writing through the client portal and fulfilled within 30 days as required by HIPAA. A summary is often more useful than raw session notes, and that option is discussed with you first. Records shared with any outside party — another provider, an attorney, a family member — require a signed release of information first, every time.

Letters are written only when there is a genuine clinical basis for them, drawn from actual assessment and treatment. That includes gender-affirming care readiness letters, emotional support animal letters, workplace or school accommodation letters, and treatment verification. A letter typically requires an established treatment relationship and at least one dedicated session; letters cannot be written for a diagnosis or need that hasn't been clinically evaluated, and one cannot be guaranteed in advance of that evaluation.

Court involvement is discouraged because it can seriously damage therapeutic work. This practice does not perform custody evaluations or serve as an expert witness. If a subpoena or court order is received, you are notified promptly and privilege is asserted on your behalf wherever the law allows. If court appearance, deposition, or record preparation becomes unavoidable, that time is billed at a professional rate disclosed in writing in advance, and it is the responsibility of the party requesting it — insurance does not cover it.

Ending Care & Referrals

How treatment concludes

You may end counseling at any time, for any reason, with no explanation owed. A final session to close things well is always offered and often valuable, but it's never required. Ideally, ending care is a planned conversation about progress made and what comes next.

Care may also be concluded from this end when your goals have been met, when your needs would be better served by a different level or specialty of care, when a conflict of interest or dual relationship arises, or when there has been no contact and no scheduled appointment for 90 days. In every one of those cases, you receive advance notice where possible, referral options, and reasonable help transitioning — you are never simply dropped.

If it becomes clear that this practice isn't the right fit for you, that's said plainly and early, with referrals to providers who are a better match. Being referred out is not a judgment about you; it's part of doing this work responsibly. Returning to care later is welcome, and a brief re-intake is completed if more than a year has passed.

Your Rights as a Client

What you can always expect

• To be treated with dignity and respect, and to receive affirming care regardless of gender identity, sexual orientation, race, faith, or recovery status
• To ask questions about your diagnosis, treatment approach, and progress at any time
• To refuse any intervention or recommendation without it affecting your care
• To request a referral or a second opinion
• To receive a Good Faith Estimate of costs before beginning care
• To raise a concern or complaint directly, and to have it taken seriously

Concerns are best brought up directly — email info@pridehealing.com or call (337) 283-9997. If a concern cannot be resolved, you have the right to contact the Louisiana Licensed Professional Counselors Board of Examiners.

Policy Updates

Changes over time

These policies are reviewed periodically and may be updated as the practice grows, as insurance credentialing completes, and as regulations change. Active clients are notified in writing of any material change, and the revision date at the top of this page always reflects the current version.