Telehealth consent

Why this exists

Texas law requires a health professional to obtain informed consent before providing telemedicine or telehealth services. This page is the written explanation. Your therapist will also confirm your consent at the start of the appointment and record it in your file. Nothing here replaces that conversation, and you can ask questions at any point.

What the service is

A live evaluation conducted by video, or by telephone where video is not workable, with a mental health professional licensed in Texas. The purpose is to determine whether you have a condition that substantially limits a major life activity and whether an emotional support animal is connected to it. If the therapist concludes that it is, they write a housing letter.

This is an evaluation, not ongoing therapy. Your therapist is not taking you on as a continuing patient, is not managing medication, and is not available between appointments for clinical support.

You must be in Texas

Your therapist’s license authorizes practice with clients physically located in Texas. What matters is where you are sitting during the appointment, not where you normally live or where the therapist is. If you will be out of state that day, reschedule. An evaluation conducted while you are elsewhere may be unlawful for the therapist and worthless to you.

Benefits

• Access to a licensed professional without travel, which matters if your condition makes leaving home difficult.
• Faster scheduling than most in-person practices.
• You can attend from a private space of your own choosing.

Risks and limits

• Clinical limits. A therapist cannot observe everything by video that they could in person. Some presentations are harder to assess remotely, and your therapist may conclude that a remote evaluation is not sufficient in your case.
• Technology failure. Connections drop, audio fails, platforms go down. If that happens mid-appointment we will call you back and, if needed, reschedule at no cost.
• Privacy at your end. The platform is encrypted, but we cannot control who is in the room with you or whether your network is secure. Use a private space and avoid public wi-fi.
• Not for emergencies. Telehealth is unsuitable for crisis care. Nobody monitors this service around the clock.

Emergency protocol

Before the appointment you will be asked for your physical address during the session and an emergency contact. This is standard telehealth practice: if a therapist believes you are at immediate risk, they need to be able to direct emergency services to you. If you are in crisis now, call or text 988, or call 911.

Records and recording

Your therapist keeps a record of the evaluation as Texas rules require for their profession. Sessions are not recorded. Do not record the session yourself without your therapist’s written agreement.

Your rights

• You may refuse telehealth or withdraw consent at any time, including mid-appointment, without penalty beyond the fee terms in our refund policy.
• You may ask who else can access your information, and the answer is in our notice of privacy practices.
• You may request an in-person referral instead, and we will tell you honestly that we do not provide one.
• You may ask your therapist about their license, training and experience at any time.

What you agree to

By attending the appointment you confirm that you have read this page, that you are physically in Texas, that you understand no letter is guaranteed, and that you consent to evaluation by telehealth. [Confirm with counsel whether you will also capture a signed or click-through consent before the appointment; documented consent in the clinical record is the safer practice.]