Missed or cancelled sessions with less than 24 hours notice will be billed because they cannot be used by somebody else. The slot you have reserved cannot be used by another person if you do not call to reschedule at least 24 hours in advance.
Of course, emergencies happen and sometimes situations cannot be avoided. Therefore, if you must cancel less than 24 hours notice, I will try to reschedule your appointment with a couple of days. If we can’t find a mutually agreeable time or you do not call to cancel, you will be billed for the missed session. Please note that insurance companies do not pay for missed sessions, and if you utilize your insurance you will receive a full-fee bill for a missed appointment.
Confidentiality:
In general, the law protects the privacy of all communications between a patient and a psychologist. No information is disclosed without written permission from the patient or guardian. However, there are some exceptions required by law such as:

1. Suspected child abuse or neglect must be reported by me to the appropriate authorities.
2. Suspected “elder abuse” or “criminal abuse” of an adult patient must be reported to the appropriate authorities.
3. If a patient is threatening physical violence toward another person, police must be notified, as well as possibly the intended victim to take protective action, or, if the intended victim is a minor, his or her parents.

In recognition of the fact that privacy in therapy is particularly important to teenagers, for minor children over the age of 14, it is usually my practice to request permission to share general information about therapy with parents, as patients over the age of 14 can consent to and control access to information about their own treatment. This has never been an issue, however, as parents are always included in their child’s treatment. Exceptions are that if I feel that the child is in danger, or is in danger to someone else, I will notify the parents of my concern.