Information You Have A Right to Know
When you come for consultation, development of a wellness plan and treatment, you are buying a service.
Therefore, you need good information to make the best decision. Below are some questions you might want
to ask me. You can ask me any of these questions during any visit, and I will give you the best answers I can.
If my answers are not clear or not complete enough, please ask me again. Many answers are available in
writing in my Patient Brochure (on website and included with pre-appointment packet.)
1. Tell me about yourself.
a. Are you a psychologist? Psychiatrist? Therapist? Counselor? Internist? Naturopath? Dietician?
b. What are the advantages and limitations of your credentials?
c. What is your training and experience? Are you licensed by the state? Supervised? Board certified?
d. Can you prescribe psychiatric medication? What about medication for my medical problems?
e. Can you be my primary care doctor?
f. What is the name of your kind of therapies that you practice?
g. How did you learn how to do these therapies? Where?
h. How much do you know about alternative/complementary medication/supplements and where did you
learn about this?
i. How do you know about the effects of lifestyle and diet on mental health?
j. Do you know the therapists and complementary providers you may refer me to? How did you meet
them?
2. Tell me about how a wellness plan gets developed for me.
a. Tell me about the different modalities you are able to offer.
b. What if I am not interested in a treatment modality (for example, medication) you suggest? Can we
modify the wellness plan? Can we still work together?
c. How often do we reevaluate and modify my wellness plan?
3. Tell me about your therapy methods.
a. What kind of therapy do you suggest for me and why do you suggest it?
b. How does this therapy work?
c. If you don't offer the therapy recommended for me, where can I get it?
d. If I already have a therapist, can I continue with her/him for therapy and get the rest of my wellness
plan treatment from you?
e. What percentage of patients improve with the therapy you recommend for me? In what ways? How do
you know?
f. What percentage of patients get worse? How do you know?
g. What percentage of patients improve or get worse without this therapy? How do you know?
h. Are there negatives or possible risks in with this therapy?
i. About how long will it take?
j. What will I notice when I am getting better?
k. What should I do if I feel therapy isn't working?
l. Is there someone I can talk to if I have a problem or a complaint about therapy which we can't work out?
m. Will I have to take any kind of tests or questionnaires?
n. Do you follow a therapy manual with planned steps?
o. Do you do therapy over the phone? Over the Internet?
4. Tell me about other kinds of therapy.
a. What other types of therapy are there which you don't practice?
b. Would those other therapies help me better?
c. Where would I go to get a kind of therapy you don't offer?
d. Would you still work with me if I received therapy somewhere else?
c. How does your kind of therapy compare with other kinds of therapy?
d. How often do the other types of therapy work? How do you know?
e. What are the risks and benefits of these other approaches?
f. What are the risks and benefits of no therapy?
5. Tell me about medication.
a. How do you know that someone would benefit from medication?
b. What are the medications used to treat problems like mine?
c. How do these medications work?
b. How did you choose the medication you are recommending for me?
d. What percentage of patients improve? In what ways? How do you know?
e. What percentage of patients get worse? How do you know?
f. What percentage of patients get worse without any medication? How do you know?
g. Are there negatives or possible risks of taking this medication?
h. About how long will I need to take it?
i. What will I notice when I am getting better?
j. What should I do if I feel medication isn't working?
k. What do I do if I think I am having a medication reaction or side effects?
l. Is it safe to drive after taking this medication?
m. Is it safe to drink alcohol after taking this medication?
n. What if I don't want to take a medication you recommend?
o. Do you answer medication questions over the phone? Over the Internet?
6. Tell me about supplements/"natural" medications.
a. What if you recommend a medication and I prefer more natural or other treatment alternatives? Will
you respect my preferences?
b. Do you have a bias toward pharmaceutical medications or a tendency to prescribe them before the
supplements/"natural" medications?
c. What works better therapy, medication, or supplements/"natural" medications? How do you know?
d. What are the risks of supplements/"natural" medications?
e. What are the negatives or possible risks of taking supplements/"natural" medications?
f. About how long will I need to take it?
g. What will I notice when I am getting better?
h. Do you know as much about supplements/"natural" medications as a naturopath?
i. I would really like to see a naturopath, can you recommend one?
7. Tell me about the effect of lifestyle and dietary changes on mental health.
a. How much benefit can I expect?
b. What lifestyle and dietary changes would you recommend for me to help me feel better?
8. Tell me about other kinds of treatment or help which might benefit me.
a. Would those other kinds of help me better?
b. Where would I find that kind of help?
9. Tell me about appointments
a. How do we arrange appointments?
b. How often to we meet?
c. How long are sessions? Do I have to pay more for longer ones?
d. How can I reach you in an emergency?
e. If you are not available, is there someone I can talk to?
f. What happens if the weather is bad, or I'm sick?
10. Tell me about confidentiality
a. What kind of records do you keep?
b. Who can see them?
c. When do you have to tell others about the things we discuss?
d. Can members of my family see my records?
e. What do the laws and government regulations say about the privacy of my records?
11. Tell me about money
a. What is your fee?
b. How do you want to be paid?
c. Do I need to pay for missed sessions?
d. Do I need to pay for telephone calls or letters?
e. If I do not pay my fee, what will you do to collect?
12. Why don't you take health insurance?