Online Counseling Confidentiality & Security
 
Confidentiality: I, Dr. Juliann Mitchell, Ph.D am a Licensed Psychologist (License #PS006989L). I am legally and ethically bound to protect your online counseling confidentiality, including the confidentiality of your records, which are stored and secured according to professional guidelines.
Your email address and personal information will never be shared with third parties. I employ state-of-the-art technology to ensure your online therapy privacy. I never see your credit card information when you pay, which is processed through PayPal, the global leader in online payments. For more information about payment security, go to About PayPal Security.

Caution: To protect your privacy, be careful in how you store treatment-related emails and chat room transcripts. Be certain they are protected from unauthorized access by protecting your passwords. Please delete any emails (sent or received) or chat room transcripts that you do not want others to see, then empty your trash or recycle bins. If you make hard copies of emails or chat transcripts, keep them in a place where others cannot find them. Please know that emails sent from a workplace computer are the property of the employer.

Privacy In Chat Therapy:
I use LiveChat program that is password-controlled and utilizes Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) protocol, which encrypts all text exchanged between users of LiveChat Thus, LiveChat  is a private and highly secure for chat sessions.
You must download the program at LiveChat and set up an chat account, which is free. I will print out the chat text transcript at the end of each session before deleting it. You should do the same or save it to your hard drive so can can review the session at your leisure  My hard copy transcript of each session will be locked in a secure filing cabinet and shredded three years after our last communication.

Privacy in Email:
When you click the Submit Button on the email form  the information you have provided will be immediately sent to my email address. However, in the few seconds it takes for your personal information to arrive at my email  address it could theoretically be intercepted, although such an outcome is extremely unlikely.
Once your email information arrives at my email address, I will print it out, then delete it from my computer. Thus, I will never keep an electronic record of your information. Printouts are kept in my locked filing cabinet and will be shredded three years after our last communication

Regular Email - If you choose this option, I will send my response to you at your regular email address,the one listed on the questionnaire.

Privacy Using the Questionnaire:
When you click the Submit Button on the Questionnaire, the personal information you have provided will be sent instantaneously to my Safe-mail address, which utilizes Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) encryption protocol, and thus, is highly secure. However, in the few moments it takes for your personal information to arrive at my Safe-mail address, it is not encrypted, and, thus, theoretically could be intercepted, although such an outcome is extremely unlikely.

Once your information arrives at my secure Safe-mail address, I will print it out, then delete it. So, I will never keep an electronic record of your information. Printouts are kept in my locked filing cabinet and will be shredded three years after our last communication.

Confidentiality & Privacy Limits:
There are several limits to your confidentiality and privacy whether it be with online counseling or in a face-to-face session. State laws require that I report to the local Department of Social Services (DSS) any evidence I have of a child being abused or neglected. Another way of saying this is,  if you tell me that you are physically abusing or severely neglecting your child, or identify someone who  is, I am required by law to make a report to DSS.

Similarly, if you tell me that you are going to kill yourself (commit suicide) or kill omeone else (commit murder), I am required by law to inform the police and the other person who is in danger of being killed. I will do anything else necessary to stop the suicide or murder.

And finally, in the very unusual event I am subpoenaed by a court of law to produce your confidential records and a judge ordered me to comply, then I would.

If you have any questions concerning online counseling confidentiality, security, or privacy issues, please contact me.

Click Here for the next step. You will be directed to the Consultation Questionnaire.