Telehealth & Portal Disclaimer

What Telehealth Is

Telehealth, sometimes called teletherapy or telemental health, is counseling delivered remotely through secure live video or telephone rather than in a shared office. During a session, you and your counselor connect from separate locations and speak in real time, much as you would face to face.

For many people, telehealth makes care easier to reach. It can remove travel and commuting time, offer more flexible scheduling, and let you meet from a place where you feel comfortable. It can be especially helpful when transportation, distance, health, or a busy schedule would otherwise make in-person visits hard to keep.

Telehealth also has real limits. A screen or phone line cannot always convey the full range of expression and body language that shows up in the same room. Sessions depend on working technology and a reliable connection, and a poor signal can interrupt the conversation. Telehealth is not the right fit for every person or every concern, and some situations call for in-person care or a higher level of support.

• Benefits: reduced travel, flexible scheduling, and access to care from a location you choose.
• Limitations: reliance on technology and internet quality, fewer in-person cues, and situations that are better served by in-person or more intensive care.

Not for Emergencies

Telehealth and this website are not emergency services. We do not monitor video sessions, the website, the contact form, email, or voicemail around the clock, and we cannot promise a quick response outside of scheduled appointments. Please do not rely on any of these channels when you need immediate help.

If you are in crisis, thinking about harming yourself or someone else, or otherwise in danger, get help right away. Call or text 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, or dial 911. You can also go to your nearest emergency room. These services are staffed at all hours and are the fastest way to reach trained help in an urgent situation.

• Call or text 988 (Suicide and Crisis Lifeline) for a mental health crisis.
• Dial 911 or go to the nearest emergency room for a medical emergency or immediate danger.
• Do not use telehealth sessions, the website, the contact form, email, or voicemail to report an emergency.

Licensure and Your Location

Restoration Pointe provides counseling through a clinician licensed in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Our founder, Alicia M. Rincones, MA, LPC, NCC, is a Licensed Professional Counselor in Virginia. Professional licensing rules generally require that a client be physically present in the state where the counselor is licensed at the time services are provided.

Because of this, our telehealth services are available only to clients who are physically located in Virginia during each session. Your location is based on where you actually are when the session takes place, not where you live or receive mail. Please be prepared to confirm that you are in Virginia at the start of a session, and let your counselor know in advance if you expect to be elsewhere, so we can plan appropriately.

Technology and Privacy in Telehealth

We take reasonable steps to protect your privacy during telehealth, including using video and communication platforms chosen to support the confidentiality of health information. No electronic communication, however, is ever completely free of risk. As with any use of the internet or phone networks, there is a small inherent possibility of technical failure, dropped connections, or unauthorized access to a transmission.

You play an important part in keeping sessions private. Please join from a quiet, private space where you will not be overheard or interrupted, use a device you trust, and connect through a secure, private internet connection rather than public or shared Wi-Fi whenever possible. Headphones can add privacy, and letting others in your household know you need uninterrupted time can help protect the confidentiality of your session.

If a connection drops or the technology fails during a session, you and your counselor will agree in advance on how to reconnect or reach one another, so that a technical problem does not leave you without support.

• Choose a private space where you will not be overheard.
• Use a stable, secure internet connection and a device you trust.
• Agree with your counselor on a backup plan in case the connection is lost.

Our Website and Contact Form Are Not a Secure Portal

This public website includes a contact and intake form so that new and prospective clients can reach out to us. That form, and ordinary email, are convenient but not secure. Our website is not a HIPAA-compliant client portal and is not designed to store or transmit Protected Health Information.

For your protection, please do not send sensitive details through the website form or by regular email. Avoid including clinical information, symptoms, treatment history, diagnoses, or other private health details, and never use these channels to report a crisis or emergency. It is safe to share basic contact information and a brief, general note about wanting to schedule or learn more.

Once you become a client, we use a separate, secure method for clinical communication, scheduling, and any documents that contain your health information. Your counselor will explain how to access and use that secure method when your care begins.

• Do not send Protected Health Information, clinical details, or emergencies through the website form or ordinary email.
• General scheduling questions and basic contact information are fine to send.
• Secure, confidential communication is set up separately once you are an established client.

How This Disclaimer Relates to Your Informed Consent

This page is a general disclaimer meant to give you a clear, plain-language overview before you reach out. It is not the same as, and does not take the place of, the clinical consent process.

Before telehealth services begin, you and your counselor will review and sign a separate, detailed Informed Consent for Telehealth. That document covers the specifics of your care, including the platform used, privacy and confidentiality, your rights and responsibilities, emergency and safety planning, fees, and how to withdraw your consent. You will have the opportunity to ask questions and decide whether telehealth is right for you before agreeing to it.

Is Telehealth Right for You?

Telehealth works well for many people and many concerns, but it is not the best choice in every situation. Some conditions and circumstances are better addressed with in-person sessions or with more intensive services than telehealth can provide.

Your counselor will talk with you about whether telehealth fits your needs, and this remains an ongoing conversation throughout care. If at any point the counselor believes that in-person counseling, a different provider, or a higher level of care would serve you better, that recommendation will be shared with you along with support in finding appropriate resources. The goal is always to make sure you receive care that is safe and effective for your situation.

Contact Us

If you have questions about telehealth or about this disclaimer, we are glad to help. Please remember not to include private health information or urgent concerns when you first reach out through the website or ordinary email.

Restoration Pointe Counseling Center LLC serves clients from two Virginia offices. You can reach us by phone at (757) 735-5958 or by email at RestorationPointeCounseling@gmail.com. In an emergency, call or text 988 or dial 911 rather than contacting our office.

• Norfolk office: 1225 W. 25th Street, Norfolk, VA 23508
• Newport News office: 11815 Fountain Way, Suite 300, Newport News, VA 23606
• Phone: (757) 735-5958
• Email: RestorationPointeCounseling@gmail.com