What is HIPAA?
HIPAA is a federal law that protects the privacy of your health information and gives you rights over how it is used and shared. As your healthcare provider, we are required to explain these rights and protections to you. All new clients receive our Notice of Privacy Practices, which describes how your information is handled and what your rights are, including the right to request a copy of your records.
How is confidentiality maintained?
What you share in therapy, coaching, or an evaluation at Evolve Psychological Services stays confidential. We will not share your information with anyone without your express written consent. If you’d like us to coordinate with others involved in your care, such as a teacher, psychiatrist, pediatrician, or attorney, you’ll complete a Consent for Release of Information form. You decide who we speak with and what we share, and you can revoke your consent at any time.
How is my information kept secure?
We use TherapyNotes, a HIPAA-compliant, encrypted platform built for mental health practices. It handles our scheduling, intake forms, and clinical records. Only authorized team members involved in your care can access your information, and your records stay protected after treatment ends.
Do you use AI for notes or recordings?
No. Evolve Psychological Services does not use artificial intelligence in any part of client care. Your clinician writes all notes personally, sessions are never recorded or transcribed by AI, and your information is never entered into AI tools. What you share stays between you and your clinician.
Are telehealth appointments private?
Yes. Virtual sessions take place through the encrypted TherapyNotes client portal or Doxy, a secure platform designed for healthcare providers. Sessions are never recorded, and your clinician always joins from a private setting. For your own privacy, we recommend joining a few minutes early from a quiet, private space with a secure internet connection. All new clients receive the Informed Consent for Teletherapy Services form, which covers our telehealth procedures in full.
Is it safe to communicate by email or text?
Email and text are fine for logistics, such as scheduling, rescheduling, or confirming appointments. Because email and text are not as secure as our other systems, please avoid using them to share clinical information. If you need to discuss something about your treatment between sessions, please call your clinician or leave a voicemail, and they will get back to you.
What do parents learn about their teen’s therapy?
Teens open up more when they know therapy is a private space, and parents naturally want to know how their child is doing. At the start of treatment, your teen’s therapist will meet with both of you to agree on what will be shared. Parents stay involved through check-ins with the therapist, held in person or by phone or video, focused on overall progress and treatment goals. How often these happen and how long they last depends on each teen’s needs. The specific details of what a teen talks about in session stay private. Safety is always the exception: if your teen is at risk of harm, you will be informed. This balance helps teens build trust with their therapist while keeping parents meaningfully involved in their care.
Are there exceptions to confidentiality?
Confidentiality has a few legal and ethical limits, all related to safety. We may need to share information without your consent if we believe a child, older adult, or dependent adult is being abused or neglected, or if someone is at serious risk of harming themselves or another person. When possible, we will talk with you before taking any action. Your therapist will review these limits with you at the start of treatment, and they are described in full in the Informed Consent for Psychotherapy form (child/teen and adult versions).
What happens if I see my therapist in public?
Montclair is a close-knit community, so running into your therapist outside the office does happen. To protect your privacy, your therapist will not greet you unless you say hello first. If you do, they will keep the conversation brief and will not mention therapy. Either choice is completely fine, and you are always welcome to talk about it at your next session.