Our Policies
The following policies are subject to updates and changes. If this happens, the updated policies will be posted on this website and clients will be informed of changes in their next session.
Information about Assessment and Treatment for Counselling
Assessment is designed to help clarify the nature of client concerns and to discuss therapy options. Treatment will involve intervention strategies aimed at helping clients resolve current difficulties. The approach of Just This Moment Mindfulness Counselling combines traditional therapy methods with mindfulness techniques and emotional releasing exercises. In session, clients will learn a number of different practices to help them develop the capacity to relate differently to distressing moods and negative thoughts. Skills are taught to help clients strengthen their focus of attention to the present moment, and to respond with more conscious awareness to emotionally laden situations, rather than reacting automatically. Clients are free to decline or discontinue participation in assessment and/or treatment at any time. Clients have the responsibility of notifying Shawn Venne, Registered Social Worker, promptly of any concerns or questions that they may have during the course of therapy. Assessment and treatment will be provided by Shawn Venne, BSW, RSW, a registrant of the British Columbia College of Social Work.
Confidentiality
All personal information and data will be treated with utmost confidentiality. A client file containing name, referral information, reports, and brief session notes will be kept in a locked filing cabinet at the Just This Moment Mindfulness Counselling office or within an encrypted hard drive. Clients may review the contents of their own clinical file on request. Information clients provide during assessment or psychological treatment sessions is considered to be confidential. Both verbal information and written records about a client cannot be shared with another party without the written consent of the client or the client’s legal guardian. If need be, a client's written consent is required for any information to be disclosed to a third party (i.e. physician, clinician, etc.). The information to be exchanged would be discussed with a client prior to it being released.
Limits to Confidentiality
It is important to note that there are limits to the confidentiality. In cases where safety or risk of life is an issue, Mr. Venne is required to notify the appropriate channels or authorities to avoid that harm (e.g., parents, physician, youth protection agency, police, ambulance, etc). Clinicians must do everything reasonably possible to stop or offset the possibility that a client will seriously harm themselves, or another individual, and if necessary break confidentiality to secure assistance.
Additionally, if a client is receiving psychological treatment as a couple or family, any information from sessions that both parties attended can be requested by either party. Furthermore, if Mr. Venne’s records are ordered by a Court of Law, or College of Social Work, he is obligated to provide them. If a child or vulnerable adult is being abused or neglected, or is otherwise in need of protection a report must be made to the appropriate government agency or authority. If a client is under 18 years of age, further exceptions to confidentiality apply and will be discussed by the clinician.
Online Video Counselling
The primary form of conducting counselling sessions with Shawn Venne, and Just This Moment Mindfulness Counselling is via online video conferencing. The current video service being used is Doxy. Video conferencing allows for real-time sessions but does not require travel to the same location as the therapist. However, video conferencing may be susceptible to technological issues that can interfere with the flow of the session. The client may opt for sessions over the telephone if they prefer.
Security and Encryption
From the Doxy website: “Point-to-point NIST-approved AES 128 bit encryption along with SHA256 is used for all video & audio communication; all media and data streams (aka calls) along with signaling data is encrypted by default” https://help.doxy.me/en/articles/95911-is-doxy-me-secure The client is responsible for securing their own computer hardware, internet access points, and password security. The client is also responsible for confidentiality breaches when they are caused by client error.
Risk of Harm
• Online therapy is not a crisis based clinical service.
• Online psychotherapy may not be appropriate for clients with active suicidal or homicidal thoughts, or clients who are experiencing acute mental health problems, such as manic or psychotic symptoms.
• It is the responsibility of the client to inform Shawn Venne and Just This Moment Mindfulness Counselling if they are at risk of harm to self or others.
• At intake, a client who reports being at risk of harm to self or others will not be offered online psychotherapy services from Shawn Venne and Just This Moment Mindfulness Counselling.
• If through the intake evaluation or subsequent psychotherapy sessions, a client is deemed to be at risk of harm to self or to others, Shawn Venne and Just This Moment Mindfulness Counselling will terminate the sessions, while providing alternative referral suggestions.
• If a client, who was not formerly at risk, should become at risk of such harm to self or others, they must immediately report it to Shawn Venne and Just This Moment Mindfulness Counselling. In such cases, a client may be referred to a traditional non-online counseling program or provider.
E-communication
Clients may opt to receive information, updates, forms, and materials via email communication. Email has advantages in ease of communication, however Shawn Venne, and Just This Moment Mindfulness Counselling cannot guarantee confidentiality through email communications. Clients must agree to accept the risk that a breach of confidentiality may occur.
Social media policy
Just This Moment Mindfulness Counselling uses several social media/networking platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn for advertising and promotion of information and services. If a client chooses to post comments on any of these platforms, the client accepts that the post is public and inferences about the client/therapist relationship may be made by others viewing the post and may compromise their privacy.
Just This Moment Mindfulness Counselling does not use social media platforms for communication with clients. The sites are not secure and Just This Moment Mindfulness Counselling does not monitor them regularly for messages. If a client chooses to communicate on social media, the client accepts that the communication may become a part of a client's legal medical record and will need to be documented and archived in their chart. It is recommended that clients contact Just This Moment Mindfulness Counselling by phone or by email only.
Just This Moment Mindfulness Counselling does not friend, contact, follow or otherwise engage with clients on social media except if there is reason to suspect that a client is in danger and is not reachable by any other means. Any such contact or engagement will be fully documented and discussed at the next session.
Just This Moment Mindfulness Counselling does not solicit reviews, testimonials, ratings or endorsements on any business review sites. Clients may choose to post such reviews etc. on any site, but in doing so, they accept that their post is public and may compromise their privacy.
Complaint Process
Clients have the responsibility of notifying Shawn Venne, Registered Social Worker, promptly of any concerns or questions that they may have during the course of therapy. If a reasonable solution cannot be reached, clients may contact the following agency for review:
BC College of Social Workers
#1420 – 1200 West 73rd Avenue
Vancouver, British Columbia V6P 6G5
Telephone: (604) 737-4916
https://bccsw.ca/public/complaint-information