Life happens. Work runs late, kids get sick, plans change, and sometimes an appointment that worked when you scheduled it no longer works.
This policy is here so you know what to expect without having to worry or guess. It helps protect the time reserved for you while keeping appointments available and predictable for everyone Darrell serves.
When you schedule a counseling session, that time is set aside specifically for your care.
The policy is not meant to make it difficult to change an appointment when you need to. It creates a shared expectation that protects each person's reserved time.
When you schedule with Darrell, you know that time has been reserved specifically for you and your counseling work.
When Darrell knows about a cancellation far enough in advance, the opening may become available to another client who needs an appointment.
Keeping appointments within their scheduled times allows one client's circumstances to be handled without taking time away from the person scheduled next.
Most scheduling changes fit into one of these three situations.
Give at least 24 hours' notice and the appointment can be changed without a late-cancellation charge.
Appointments canceled or rescheduled with less than 24 hours' notice are normally subject to the full scheduled session fee.
A scheduled appointment missed without notice is considered a no-show and is charged at the full scheduled session rate.
You may wake up sick. Your child may wake up sick. An unexpected family situation may happen. Something you could not reasonably have planned for may change your day.
If that happens, please don't panic about the policy or feel that you need to ignore an illness or an unsafe situation just to keep an appointment.
Let Darrell know as soon as you reasonably can.
The 24-hour policy provides the normal expectation for scheduled appointments while recognizing that real life is not always predictable. Darrell's goal is to handle unexpected situations thoughtfully and fairly while also protecting the appointment time reserved for each client.
A late-cancellation or no-show charge is different from a counseling session.
Because no counseling service took place, the charge cannot be billed to insurance or included on a superbill.
When a missed-session fee applies, it is processed using the payment card on file.
Sometimes getting somewhere on time simply doesn't go as planned. Traffic happens. Meetings run over. Getting everyone out the door can take longer than expected.
If you know you're going to be late, please let Darrell know as soon as you can.
If Darrell knows you're still coming, he can expect you and use the portion of your scheduled appointment time that remains.
The session will still end at its originally scheduled time. This allows the next client's appointment to begin on time, just as your scheduled start time is protected for you.
If you have not arrived and Darrell has not heard from you within 15 minutes after your scheduled appointment time, the appointment may be considered a no-call/no-show.
At that point, Darrell may no longer remain available for the session, and the no-show policy may apply.
The important part is communication. If you're on your way but running behind, let Darrell know rather than assuming he will know you're still coming.
Severe weather and unsafe road conditions are different from an ordinary scheduling change.
Weather-related cancellations, unsafe travel conditions, and office closures are addressed under Darrell's separate Weather and Office Closures Policy.
You should use your best judgment about road conditions and should not feel pressured to drive when you believe it is unsafe simply to avoid a fee.
Read the Weather & Office Closures Policy →Appointments are commitments, but people are still people. Schedules change. Families get sick. Unexpected things happen.
When you know ahead of time that you need to make a change, give as much notice as you can. When something happens unexpectedly, communicate as soon as you reasonably can.
If you're running late, the same principle applies. A quick message lets Darrell know that you are still planning to attend and prevents your absence from being mistaken for a no-show.
The goal is not perfection. It is communication and consideration for the time that has been reserved for you and for other clients.
Your appointment is reserved specifically for you. Advance notice gives Darrell a reasonable opportunity to make an opening available to another client who may need care.
The same scheduling structure also protects your own appointment time.
Appointments canceled or rescheduled with less than 24 hours' notice are normally subject to the full scheduled session fee.
If something genuinely unexpected has happened, communicate with Darrell as soon as you reasonably can.
Illness does not always give you advance warning. If something unexpected happens the day of your appointment, let Darrell know as soon as you reasonably can.
You do not need to ignore an illness or put yourself or someone else in an unreasonable situation simply because an appointment was already scheduled.
A scheduled appointment missed without notice is considered a no-show, and the full scheduled session fee applies.
If you know you're going to be late, let Darrell know as soon as you can.
If he knows you're still coming, he can use the portion of your scheduled appointment time that remains. The session will still end at its originally scheduled time.
Communication is important. If you have not arrived and Darrell has not heard from you within 15 minutes after your scheduled appointment time, the appointment may be considered a no-call/no-show.
At that point, Darrell may no longer remain available for the session, and the no-show policy may apply.
If you know you're running late, let Darrell know as soon as possible so he knows whether to expect you.
No. Late-cancellation and no-show charges are not counseling services, so they cannot be billed to insurance or included on a superbill.
Severe weather and unsafe travel are addressed separately under the Weather and Office Closures Policy.
You should not feel pressured to drive in conditions you believe are unsafe simply to avoid a fee.
Review the Weather & Office Closures Policy →Darrell reserves your appointment specifically for you and asks for at least 24 hours' notice whenever you know your plans need to change.
When something truly unexpected happens, or when you find yourself running late, communicate as soon as you reasonably can.
The goal is a simple, fair agreement that protects appointment availability, respects everyone's time, and still leaves room for the reality that people and families sometimes face things they could not have planned.