A clinician has a patient who has missed several therapy sessions and the payer has not sent payment for the last two sessions. The patient has not responded to a letter asking him to contact you. What is an appropriate next step?

Prepare for the LPCC Law and Ethics Test 2. Use flashcards and multiple-choice questions with explanations. Enhance your understanding of ethics and legal standards for effective counseling practice.

When a client hasn’t paid for recent sessions and doesn’t respond to outreach, the ethical move is to set clear expectations and provide a fair chance to resolve the balance while documenting the steps taken. The best next step is to send a professional written notice that explains the outstanding amount, references the agreed-upon fees, and requests contact to arrange payment. Importantly, it also states that if there’s no contact within a reasonable period (commonly 30 days), the matter may be referred to a collection agency or another approved collection process.

This approach shows due process and maintains the therapeutic relationship by giving the client an opportunity to address the debt before escalating. It also preserves confidentiality and keeps proper records of outreach attempts, which is essential if further action becomes necessary.

Why the other options aren’t appropriate: filing a small claims suit immediately moves too quickly and can undermine rapport and care without giving the client a chance to respond or resolve the balance; canceling future sessions and shredding notes abandons the client and violates standard record-keeping and care duties; reporting the nonpayment to the client’s employer breaches confidentiality and could cause unnecessary harm.