Common Questions About Paper-Only Counseling Clinics

Posted on: 15 August 2015

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One of the most intimate forms of therapy can be personal counseling, and it should not be surprising that many patients want to ensure absolute privacy during these sessions. Unfortunately, technology has become ubiquitous, and this can lead to numerous privacy concerns. For those with these fears, a paper-only counseling center may be the best option for receiving treatment in a comfortable and safe setting. However, if you have never used these services, the following couple of questions and answers will help you to better understand whether this is a good choice for you. 

Why Should You Choose A Paper-Only Counseling Clinic?

A major reason many patients do not want computer records of their therapy sessions is due to concerns over hackers and other cybercriminals accessing these documents. In addition to identity theft, blackmail is another concern some people may have due to the embarrassing information that you may revealed during your counseling. 

Fortunately, this is not a concern that you have to worry about if you choose a paper-only clinic. These facilities will not digitize your records, and this will keep them safe from cyber criminals. In situations where you may need a copy of these documents, these facilities can provide them to you just like their digitized counterparts. 

Are These Records Safe?

Having paper-only records may seem vulnerable to certain forms of damage. For example, a fire striking the clinic may seem like it could destroy all of these documents. Additionally, food damage is another potential source of damage to these important records. 

To minimize these risks, you paper-only clinic will store these documents in sophisticated safes that are designed to withstand these common threats. In the unlikely event that this type of damage occurs to the clinic, your records should still be safe, but it may take several days to week for the safe to be reached if the damage to the building is particularly severe. Some clinics may request your permission to make photocopies of the records to store in an offsite facility for just such events, but you will usually be free to decline this service. 

A paper-only counseling clinic can be an excellent choice for those that are especially concerned about their privacy. By understanding the benefits of opting for this type of counseling service and how your records are kept safe from common sources of damage, you may have a better appreciation of how this type of counseling care can help meet your needs.

To learn more, contact a counselor such as Kay M. Shilling MD PC