Workplace violence prevention is a topic of great interest to social workers and mental health clinicians. This is because health care workers are more likely than workers overall to be assaulted at work, as per the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO, 2016). The most common types of assaults are hitting, kicking and beating and the […]
HIPAA Compliance: Private Practice Security Tips
HIPAA compliance private practice guide: Roy Huggins explains HIPAA security for therapists including secure email/texting (Hushmail, Signal), payment processing (Square, Stripe), online therapy best practices, electronic record-keeping with encryption (FileVault 2, BitLocker), website requirements, and secure intake forms. Includes training recommendations and free resources.
Therapy Notes: How to Document Gray Areas
Not every therapy client is high-risk or worry-free—most fall somewhere in between. These “medium risk” situations include ongoing depression, self-harm behaviors without suicidal intent, impulsivity, and substance use. They require consistent assessment but don’t typically warrant hospitalization. The challenge? Knowing what to document and how often. This guide provides five practical tips from clinical documentation expert Maelisa Hall for managing therapy notes with medium risk clients. You’ll learn how to identify what’s truly relevant to document (without writing excessive notes), see a real DAP note example for a client with moderate depression, and discover why reviewing your documentation monthly can transform your practice. Whether you’re a new clinician or experienced therapist, these strategies help you create meaningful, legally sound therapy notes without burning out on paperwork
Solution Focused Therapy: Key Principles and Case Example
What is Solution Focused Therapy and how can it help your clients get unstuck? This comprehensive interview with Professor Denise J. Krause explores Solution Focused Therapy (SFT), an evidence-based practice equally effective as motivational interviewing. Learn the key Solution Focused Therapy techniques including the miracle question, scaling questions, exception questions, and goal formation. Discover how Solution Focused Therapy focuses on what IS working rather than problems, positioning clients as experts in their own lives. Includes a detailed case example applying Solution Focused Therapy to help a client struggling to find employment, plus the 10 essential principles every clinician should know. Solution Focused Therapy is particularly useful for “resistant” clients and can be applied in every modality, setting, and presenting problem.
Suicidal Ideation: How to Document
When a client expresses suicidal ideation, documentation becomes crucial but also anxiety-inducing for many clinicians. Learn the four key components of effective suicide risk assessment documentation: providing clear client data with exact quotes, identifying risk and protective factors, creating safety plans (not contracts), and explaining your clinical rationale. This guide includes a sample progress note using the DAP format and best practices for follow-up documentation. Whether you’re a new clinician or experienced practitioner, these principles will help you create ethically sound documentation that protects both you and your clients while improving clinical practice.
