Disclosure Information 

​This information is given in compliance with the Washington State Licensing requirement, according to RCW 18.19.225.  I am a Washington Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker, LW00004460.  Prior to the implementation of licensure for social workers in July, 2001, I was a Certified Social Worker in Washington from 1988 to 2001. 

My education includes a Master’s degree from the University of Chicago School of Social Service Administration (1974) and a Certificate in Adult Psychotherapy from the Seattle Psychoanalytic Institute (1979). The goal of my work is to help people in emotional distress gain relief from their distress through short term (under 20 sessions) or long term psychotherapy (over 20 sessions).
 
My clinical practice is based on psychodynamic theory and technique meaning emotional relief stems from the patient gaining a new way of understanding his or her problems through our discussions. The length of treatment is determined by the type of emotional problem an individual is facing and the wishes of the individual for symptom relief and/or understanding of underlying causes of their distress. The risks of this treatment include failure to relieve emotional distress.  Non-treatment provides the same risk.  There are numerous other forms of psychotherapy based on different theories and techniques as well as medications which may also relieve emotional distress. I do not keep regular notes of my work with patients after the first few sessions.  Anyone wishing to review unprofessional conduct for LICSWs may do so at the Department of Health website, www.doh.wa.gov .

I do not disclose information about my work with patients, except when required by state or Federal law. I will not disclose any information without the written consent of the patient.  I do not accept insurance reimbursement but provide information for patients to submit claims on their own.  My fee is $140.00 per 45-minute session. Bills are distributed on the first of the month and payment is expected by the fifteenth of the month.
 
Laura W. Groshong, LICSW
(rev. 4/17)

Client Information
Ethnicity: Any
Gender: All
Religious Orientation: Any
Age: Adolescents, Adults, Older Adults
 

Patient Information

Laura W. Groshong, LICSW​

Policies on Communication with Patients 

August, 2018

This document outlines my policies related to my communication with patients.  Please read it to understand my views of the best way for us to communicate with each other during our work together to protect the privacy of the treatment and collaborate on our work together, in and out of my office.

Basic Principles
Psychotherapy is one of the most private endeavors in which anyone can engage.  We will be sharing your personal thoughts and feelings in a way that is different from social and intimate relationships outside of therapy. The success of this work depends in part on maintaining the privacy of what we discuss together.  Our therapeutic relationship prevents our ability to have a social or intimate relationship outside of the office, to promote our work as a personal endeavor.  

To protect the private nature of our work and keep it separate from our lives outside of our work, I encourage you to not discuss or post any information about our work with anyone else. I will do the same, unless required by law or requested by you, though I do not automatically share information about your treatment unless we agree that it is necessary.  I will discuss any information about our work that I share with others with you before doing so. 

Communication
Ideally, all communication between us occurs in person at our sessions.  When it is necessary to communicate between sessions, I ask that you call me at my landline telephone number above. If I need to contact you, I will call you at your landline number, or on your cell phone if you do not have a landline telephone.  I do not communicate with patients online or by text to protect the privacy of our relationship.  I also do not text or communicate on social media sites with patients for the same reason.

My Website
You may find information about my psychotherapy practice at my website, www.lauragroshong.com. Beyond that, I ask that you and I do not gather information about each other online or by discussion with other people, aside from what we discuss together in my office. 

Other Information
If you do come across personal or professional information about me online or through other people, I encourage you to bring it up in our discussions, so that we may understand any meaning it has for you and our work.  I will not seek information about you online or through others but will bring up any information that I inadvertently come across about you.

Communication with Others About Our Work
If I need to collaborate with other health care professionals about our work as part of my legal responsibilities, for medical information about you, or at your request, I will discuss what I communicate before doing so and have you sign a Release of Information form. If anyone contacts me about you, whether family, friends, or others, I will not respond. I encourage you to tell me about any discussions you have, if you talk about our work with others.  While it may feel odd, or even difficult, to keep the discussions that we have totally private, my experience is that it promotes the best results in our work.

Thank you for respecting these policies.  I welcome your thoughts and feelings about them.

 

Appointments: