Client’s Bill of Rights

You, the client, have the right to:

• receive respectful treatment that will be helpful to you;
• receive a particular type of treatment or end treatment without obligation or harassment;
• a safe environment, free from sexual, physical, and emotional abuse;
• ask questions about your therapy;
• request and receive full information about the therapist’s professional capabilities, including licensure, education, training experience, professional association membership, specialization, and limitations;
• have written information about fees, methods of payment, insurance reimbursement, number of sessions, substitutions (in cases of vacation and emergencies), and cancellation policies before beginning therapy;
• refuse to answer any questions or disclose any information you choose not to reveal;
• know the limits of confidentiality and the circumstances in which a therapist is legally required to disclose information to others;
• know if there are supervisors, consultants, students, or others with whom your therapist will discuss your case;
• request, and in most cases receive, a summary of your file, including the diagnosis, your prognosis, and type of treatment;
• request the transfer of a copy of your file to any therapist or agency that you choose;
• receive a second opinion at any time about your therapy or therapist’s methods;
• request that the therapist inform you of your progress.

Copyright, 1989, California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists, Reprinted from “The California Therapist,” the publication of CAMFT, Nov/Dec 1989, by permission.