Scope of Service
We will genuinely attempt to understand the issue that you bring forth and then assist you in reflecting upon it philosophically. However, our service might not be appropriate for or helpful in all possible situations, and we cannot guarantee any particular outcome. If we discern that philosophical counseling is not going to a fruitful pursuit for you or your situation, we will openly say so and discuss or suggest other possible approaches.
Most situations can be adequately addressed in two to six meetings of 20-50 minutes each. We count these as 30 or 60 minutes of service, respectively, to account for the time used to take notes, review prior notes, etc., related to your situation.
Many situations will require additional effort by the client -- some "homework" -- for progress. Refusal or failure to do this may diminish the results of the sessions.
Strictly speaking, we aren't charging for philosophy, and don't believe in doing so. We are just charging for the time and effort.
This is not psychotherapy. It is not the primary purpose of philosophical counseling to assess, diagnose or treat mental, emotional or behavioral disorders. Nor do we suggest or prescribe medications. If you are experiencing a disorder or acute trauma that has rendered you irrational, philosophical counseling alone will likely not help.
These meetings are completely voluntary for both parties. Either the client or the philosopher may terminate the sessions at any time, with or without notice, and without any further obligation.
Appointments, Fees, Credits and Refunds
At present we do not charge a fixed fee/rate for consultations. Rather, after the conclusion of the meeting, we will send you an e-mail asking for a donation proportional to whatever benefit you feel you received from the meeting and in keeping with your means. (By way of comparison, private practice psychotherapy tends to charge $50 to $200 per hour.)
Confidentiality
We sometimes take notes on or record our meetings; the recording might be audio only, or audio and video. The primary purpose of this is for review, contemplation and preparation for upcoming meetings. We will make every reasonable effort to keep our meetings and their content confidential. However, we are not responsible for thefts of information.
The client is free, of course, to record the meeting, discuss it with others, etc.
In the event that we believe the client is likely to harm himself or another person, we reserve the right to disclose this to appropriate parties, including the endangered party, persons who specialize in intervention, law enforcement, etc.
We do discuss some of the issues that arise with colleagues or publicly (if the issue is interesting and will benefit others). However, in such disclosures we will never use actual names and may change details to avoid any connection with the source person.
At the client's written request we will send copies of any notes or recordings to another party (e.g., counselor, psychotherapist, etc.). Otherwise, we will never knowingly share identifiable details of our sessions with another party.
Liability
The client is solely responsible for his own choices and behaviors, as well as their consequences. The client agrees to hold the philosopher harmless in the event of any consequences resulting from or related to these discussions. The client charges anyone acting on his behalf to do the same.
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