Telehealth Counseling Consent
Graceful Self-Help Counseling
Christina F. Reed, M.Ed., MPA
Marriage and Family Therapy Associate
Last updated: September 6, 2026
This page provides a preview of the Telehealth Consent form used by Graceful Self-Help Counseling for psychotherapy. Clients will complete and sign the official version through the secure Client Portal before beginning telehealth psychotherapy services.
This psychotherapy Telehealth Consent does not govern non-clinical Wellness Coaching. Virtual Wellness Coaching is a separate service governed by the applicable Wellness Coaching Agreement and related participation, payment, privacy, technology, and cross-border terms.
1. Provider Information
Graceful Self-Help Counseling
Christina F. Reed, M.Ed., MPA
Marriage and Family Therapy Associate
Telehealth Psychotherapy Services
Christina Reed provides psychotherapy under clinical supervision and in accordance with applicable professional requirements, laws, ethical standards, scope-of-practice requirements, and authorization requirements governing the jurisdiction in which psychotherapy is provided.
2. What Is Telehealth?
Telehealth involves the use of electronic communication technologies to provide mental health services when the client and therapist are not in the same physical location.
Telehealth psychotherapy services may include:
- Live video psychotherapy sessions
- Secure Client Portal communication
- Electronic intake forms and clinical documentation
- Treatment planning
- Mental health assessments and screening
- Other clinically appropriate electronic communication
3. Client Location & Participation Requirements
At the time of each psychotherapy session, clients must be physically located in a jurisdiction where Christina Reed is legally authorized to provide the requested professional service.
Clients participating in telehealth psychotherapy agree to:
4. Benefits & Potential Risks of Telehealth
Telehealth can provide convenient access to psychotherapy without requiring the client and therapist to be in the same physical location. However, telehealth also involves potential risks and limitations.
Potential risks may include:
- Technical difficulties or interruptions
- Internet or connectivity problems
- Audio or video delays
- Reduced ability to observe some nonverbal communication
- Interruptions or privacy concerns in the client's environment
- Potential security or confidentiality risks associated with electronic communication
- Situations in which telehealth may not be clinically appropriate
- Limitations on services based on the client's physical location
Reasonable safeguards are used to reduce privacy and security risks associated with telehealth services, but no internet-based system can be guaranteed to be completely secure.
5. Confidentiality & Security
Graceful Self-Help Counseling uses technology and administrative safeguards intended to protect client privacy and confidential health information during telehealth psychotherapy services.
Reasonable safeguards are used in accordance with applicable privacy requirements, professional standards, ethical obligations, and clinical practice procedures.
Although reasonable measures are taken to protect confidentiality, clients understand that electronic communication and internet-based services may involve privacy and security risks.
Clients are encouraged to:
- Participate from a private location
- Use headphones or earbuds when appropriate
- Use password-protected devices
- Avoid public or unsecured Wi-Fi when possible
- Close unnecessary applications or programs during sessions
- Take reasonable steps to prevent others from overhearing sessions
6. Telehealth Technology
Telehealth psychotherapy sessions may be conducted using Microsoft Teams or another technology platform approved by Graceful Self-Help Counseling for clinical services.
Clients will receive information and instructions needed to access their telehealth appointments.
Graceful Self-Help Counseling may also use a secure Client Portal or other approved systems for clinical forms, assessments, scheduling information, documentation, payments, or secure communication.
Psychotherapy sessions will not be recorded by Graceful Self-Help Counseling unless recording has been specifically discussed in advance and appropriate consent has been obtained.
Clients should not record telehealth psychotherapy sessions without discussing the recording with the therapist and obtaining permission in advance.
Virtual Wellness Coaching
Graceful Self-Help Counseling also offers separate non-clinical Wellness Coaching through virtual technology. Wellness Coaching is educational, supportive, and goal-focused and is not psychotherapy, diagnosis, clinical assessment, clinical treatment, medical treatment, medication management, or crisis intervention.
The psychotherapy Telehealth Consent described on this page does not serve as the consent or agreement for Wellness Coaching.
Wellness Coaching participants will review the applicable Wellness Coaching Agreement and any required payment, privacy, technology, participation, or cross-border documents before the first coaching session.
7. Emergencies & Crisis Situations
Graceful Self-Help Counseling does not provide emergency or crisis-response services through telehealth appointments, Wellness Coaching, standard email, public website forms, social media, educational resources, or routine Client Portal messaging.
If you are experiencing an immediate emergency, believe you or someone else is in danger, or require urgent medical assistance:
- Contact emergency services where you are physically located
- In the United States, call 911
- Go to the nearest emergency department
If you are in the United States and experiencing a mental health or suicide-related crisis, call or text 988 for the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. If you are outside the United States, contact the appropriate emergency or crisis resources available in your physical location.
As part of telehealth psychotherapy services, clients may be asked to provide:
- Their current physical location
- A current working phone number
- An emergency contact
- Other information reasonably necessary for emergency planning
If a significant safety concern arises during a telehealth psychotherapy session, the therapist may take appropriate steps consistent with professional, ethical, legal, and clinical responsibilities.
8. Consent to Telehealth Psychotherapy
By signing the official Telehealth Consent form through the secure Client Portal, clients acknowledge that:
9. Technology Failure Plan
If a telehealth psychotherapy session is interrupted because of technical difficulties, reasonable efforts will be made to reconnect using the original platform.
If reconnection is unsuccessful, the therapist may contact the client using the phone number on file to determine the appropriate next step, which may include continuing through another appropriate method when clinically suitable or rescheduling the appointment.
Clients should keep their current telephone number, physical-location information when applicable, and emergency contact information updated through the secure Client Portal or another approved method.
10. Communication Policy
Standard email, public website contact forms, social-media messaging, and routine electronic messages should not be used for emergencies, crisis situations, or urgent clinical concerns.
Electronic communication may not be reviewed immediately. Response times for non-urgent communication may vary and are generally handled during normal practice hours.
Established psychotherapy clients may be directed to use the secure Client Portal or another approved communication method for applicable clinical matters.
If you are experiencing an immediate emergency or are in danger, use emergency services where you are physically located. In the United States, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department. For a mental health or suicide-related crisis in the United States, call or text 988.
11. Questions About Telehealth
Clients are encouraged to ask questions about telehealth, privacy, technology, client-location requirements, emergency planning, alternative service options, or any other concerns before consenting to telehealth psychotherapy.
If telehealth psychotherapy is determined to be inappropriate or unavailable for a particular situation, available alternatives or referrals may be discussed when appropriate.
12. Contact Information
Graceful Self-Help Counseling
Christina F. Reed, M.Ed., MPA
Marriage and Family Therapy Associate
Email:
gracefulselfhelpcounseling@gmail.com
Please do not send confidential, highly sensitive, payment-card, urgent clinical, or emergency information through standard email.
Contact Graceful Self-Help CounselingThis webpage is provided for informational purposes and allows prospective and current psychotherapy clients to review general information about telehealth services. It does not replace the official informed-consent documents.
Clients receiving telehealth psychotherapy through Graceful Self-Help Counseling will review and complete the applicable consent documents through the secure Client Portal. Individuals participating in Wellness Coaching will instead review the separate Wellness Coaching Agreement and applicable coaching documents.
Graceful Self-Help Counseling does not provide emergency or crisis-response services through this website, standard email, public contact forms, social media, Wellness Coaching, educational resources, telehealth appointments, or routine Client Portal messaging.
If you are experiencing an immediate emergency, believe you or someone else is in danger, or need urgent medical assistance, contact emergency services where you are physically located. In the United States, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department.
If you are in the United States and experiencing a mental health or suicide-related crisis, call or text 988 for the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. Individuals outside the United States should use the appropriate emergency or crisis resources available where they are physically located.
Graceful Self-Help Counseling
Christina F. Reed, M.Ed., MPA
Marriage and Family Therapy Associate
Psychotherapy provided under clinical supervision.