If we live in the same community/area and you would like to work with me, please know that I may be able to meet you in person for the consultation and I am willing to be creative about finding other ways to carry out the work together.
If we live in, and/or belong to, the same community/area there is a possibility that different issues may come up. Here are some listed below, however there may be more!
If we live in, and/or belong to, the same community/area then we will likely run into each other on the street, in a grocery store, at a show, at a party, or in some other random/unexpected way or place. In these situations I will likely not chat for long, recognizing that you may not want to chat either!
I prepare myself before our sessions to make sure that I am present for you as much as possible. I also take time after a session to write notes and to integrate and learn from the experience of our session. So, if we run into each other I will not be prepared or in ‘work mode’. I may even be having a hard day or difficult moment.
All of that is to say – please don’t give me updates that could be session-related when we run into each other – even if it’s just the two of us. If something does come out that could be related to the work we do in sessions then I will make a note of the ‘meeting’ in your record.
I will not tell anyone that we are working together. You can tell anyone you would like to tell about our work together. People may at some point ask how we know each other. Let’s come up with a comfortable way to answer this question at the beginning of our work.
If we see each other out in the world, then I will bring this up to discuss at our next appointment so we can talk about the experience – if it needs processing.
If we discover that we’ll be in an ongoing activity together like a program, course, or committee, let’s talk about the best way to handle it during our next session.
Thank you in advance for your understanding in trying to navigate this tricky area!
If you have read the above information and all your questions have been sufficiently answered, please copy and paste the paragraph below and add it into the informed consent email:
I have read the ‘small community clause’ and understand what is written in this clause regarding working with someone who is in the same community. I am willing to talk about issues as they may arise.
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