The Artful Life Cancellation Policy
OVERVIEW: We require a minimum of 48 hours advance notice if you need to cancel or reschedule an appointment. When you schedule an appointment at The Artful Life, you are “purchasing” that time. It is yours unless you cancel it PRIOR to 48 hours of your appointment time. Unless there is a qualifying emergency, you will be charged a $110 flat fee* for any missed appointment or late cancellation without 48 hours PRIOR notice. This also protects the livelihoods of our therapists and allows us to continue to provide quality services to our clients. Please be mindful that charges for late cancellations or missed appointments are NOT billable to your insurance company.
QUALIFYING EMERGENCIES are considered events beyond your control such as snowstorms, car accidents, funerals, hospitalizations, or illnesses of the degree which keeps you out of work or school. A fever over 100°F or testing positive for COVID-19 also qualifies as a qualifying emergency, but we ask that you contact us as soon as possible if these symptoms arise. Unforeseen technical issues (power shortages, computer failure, etc) outside of your control that prevents you from attending a virtual session also qualify.
**Although minor headaches, congestion, tiredness, etc. may feel like good reasons to not attend therapy, they do NOT constitute an emergency, and you will still be billed the cancellation fee unless you notify your therapist 48 hours in advance.
**A fee also applies to an appointment you miss because you have decided not to continue counseling, an appointment you forget, an appointment which conflicts with another one you have made, or if you choose to do something else at the last minute rather than come to counseling.
VIRTUAL OPTION: If you cannot make it into our office for whatever reason, your therapist may be able to offer you a virtual appointment instead, to avoid a cancellation fee.
REPEATED NO-SHOWS AND LATE CANCELS: Repeated no-shows or late-cancellations decrease treatment effectiveness, and impact our ability to provide quality and consistent care. Unless there are extenuating circumstances, continued missed or canceled appointments will result in a discontinuation of services due to non-attendance.
1st No-Show or Late Cancel: Your therapist will review our Cancellation Policy and discuss with you the importance of consistent attendance at your next appointment.
2nd No-Show or Late Cancel: Your therapist will need to discuss your treatment goals and the importance of attendance at your next appointment, as well as barriers that impact attendance. Your therapist will explore with you ways to improve attendance and/or engagement in counseling.
Three or More No-Shows or Late Cancels: Unless there are extenuating circumstances, we are unable to accommodate multiple no-shows or late cancels. Our services may not be the best fit for you at this time, and we will need to reconsider your participation in therapy services. Unless your therapist is able to work with you to ensure improved attendance, services will need to be terminated or paused. If you and your therapist decide to continue services, you may be asked to sign an attendance contract between you and your therapist to ensure that therapy goals are being met. You are welcome to reach out to The Artful Life again once you are able to commit to regularly scheduled therapy appointments. Please note that we currently have a waitlist, and returning clients may experience a wait for services.
INCONSISTENT ATTENDANCE: It is essential to attend therapy appointments consistently and reliably to meet treatment goals. Multiple and continued cancellations impact the benefits of therapy, even if a client gives 48-hour notice. Inconsistency in keeping appointments, and multiple cancellations, regardless of advance notice, may also result in a discussion of treatment engagement, and possible termination of services. Please discuss any barriers to attendance with your therapist as they come up so your therapist can work with you to provide support.
NON-CONTINUATION BY CLIENT: If at any point you decide not to continue in counseling at The Artful Life, please call or email your therapist immediately, especially if you have appointments scheduled. Typically your therapist will ask for a “last session” to review treatment progress and provide resources. A fee will be charged if you do not give 48 hours’ notice that you would like to stop or pause sessions.
A NOTE ON SUMMER SCHEDULING: Due to the high demand for our services, and to ensure continuity of care, it is important that clients who wish to continue with sessions in the fall, also make summer sessions a priority. Furthermore, our clinicians rely on a consistent schedule as part of their livelihood. Multiple missed or skipped sessions over the summer impacts the ability of The Artful Life to provide a living wage to our staff. Treatment can also stall or regress with long gaps between sessions. We understand that our clients as well as staff may take vacation time over the summer, however, clinicians cannot guarantee a continued appointment time for clients who miss or are away for more than 2 consecutive sessions between June 16th - September 2nd (12 weeks). To be guaranteed an appointment time in the fall, clients must consistently attend their scheduled sessions during the above summer dates. Please work with your therapist beforehand to discuss summer scheduling.
* Fee is waived for Medicaid/MassHealth funded plans, per Artful Life contractual obligations. All other sections of this policy will be enforced, regardless of type of healthcare insurance.
Takes effect 1/1/2025