Policies & Procedures, Katherine Spearing, LLC 

Welcome! 

It is an honor to be part of your journey. I want to take this time to outline my process, disclosures, and policies. 

I believe each individual has what they need within them to move towards their goals and recovery. I am here to help you access those resources and be a witness to your journey. I am excited to work together. 

Before we proceed, please read the following disclaimers: 

  1. I do not work with anyone with an active addiction to any substance.

  2. As a coach, I have limitations on the things we can work through in your recovery journey. There are some situations I do not have the expertise to help you with. If you are in a place where there are risks to your safety – you are suicidal, significantly self-harming, in the midst of an active addiction – the Association mandates that I help you find someone who is competent to deal with that particular issue.

  3. Zoom is not HIPPA compliant and, therefore I cannot guarantee, with 100% certainty, that information shared through Zoom will be safe from a data breach. However, I do keep all client records secured.

  4. The only time I will break confidentiality is if I feel you are in danger of harming yourself or another person, if you report abuse to someone (see the next paragraph about Mandatory Reporter) or if I receive a legal subpoena to release your records.

  5. As a Certified Trauma Recovery Coach™, I act as a Mandatory Reporter, as outlined by The International Association of Trauma Recovery Coaching. This means that if I become aware that a minor, disabled person, or elderly person is currently being abused, I am mandated to report the abuse to the appropriate governing agency.

Policies & Procedures

Payments—payments must be complete within 24 hours of session. If payment is not complete, no future sessions will occur until payment is complete. If this becomes a pattern, I reserve the right to discontinue the coaching-client relationship. You can opt to receive an invoice for credit card payments or by Venmo @Katherine-Spearing

Cancelation policy—a session must be canceled 24 hours before the time for the session is schedule or you will be charged for the session. 

Missed session—A session will be considered a missed session if the client has not shown up 5 minutes after start time and they will be charged for the full session. If the client is late to the session, the missed time is considered part of the session and no extra time will be provided.

Crisis response – If you find yourself in crisis due to safety issues such as suicidal ideation, significant self-harming or violence within a relationship, please reach out to your physician or health insurance crisis hotline. You can also access RAINN’s Crisis Line (1.800.656.4673) or their online chat feature. You may also reach out to the Crisis Text Line at 741741. The National Suicide Hotline is available at 1.800.273.8255. 

Communication outside of session—the best way to contact me outside of session is by email: katherinespearing@gmail.com I cannot guarantee a response, but you are free to refer to the email within sessions. 

Bringing a third person into sessions – please do not bring anyone to a coaching session (spouse, parent, friend) without first discussing it with me. I reserve the right to deny the addition of a third person to the sessions. 

Alcohol and drugs – please do not be under the influence of drugs or alcohol during our coaching  sessions. I reserve the right to cancel a session if I deem you under the influence. 

Cell phone usage – please turn your cell phone off or leave it in another room during coaching sessions, unless you are using your phone to hold the session (such as on Facetime or Facebook Messenger)

Grievance Procedure

I am required to let you know that I am a Certified Trauma Recovery Coach™ credentialed by The International Association of Trauma Recovery Coaching. As a Certified Trauma Recovery Coach™ I am bound to uphold the Association’s Code of Ethics. If at any time you feel I have failed to abide by the Association’s Code of Ethics or wronged you in another way you are welcome to contact Dr. Judith “Jai” Belton, CTRC-S (JaiBelton@IAOTRC.com) who is the Chairperson of our Professional Standards Committee. She can send you a grievance form to complete and submit, as well as let you know the process that will take place after she receives your grievance. All reports and grievance actions are held confidential by the Professional Standards Committee.

Please sign and return to me prior to our first session.