Disclaimers

I (Sean Slevin and Transitions Counseling) work to keep this website free from errors (both technical and in written content) and to provide content that is pertinent and helpful. However, errors can and will occur (e.g., web servers crash, typing errors are missed, etc.). Though I work hard to prevent these, they do occur. Additionally, assumptions and misunderstandings are common to everyone, especially when interpreting written content. Thus I put forth the following disclaimers in an effort to clarify my intentions as well as to encourage visitors to be mindful of their responsibility to themselves (e.g., to seek out counseling, to be careful what they write in e-mails, etc.). By browsing the Transitions site you are accepting these terms.

Text Content Is Not A Replacement for Counseling

The text content on the Transitions site, in books or articles (in print or on other sites) or in any other resource mentioned on this site are not a substitute or replacement for face-to-face counseling and therapy. I seek to provide content that I hope will be informative and helpful, but for a variety of reasons I cannot address any specific person’s counseling needs through this site. If you are needing counseling I encourage you to seek out counseling services either from myself or from another counseling agency in your area.

Client Confidentiality and Blog Posts

I take client confidentiality very seriously. Having a safe place to share hurts and deep secrets of the heart is vital to the healing process of counseling.

Occasionally in my blog posts I will describe life situations for illustrative purposes. It is normal to see oneself in some of these examples. It is also normal to suspect that the example is drawn from the reader’s actual life experiences (if the reader is a past or present client). However, I never disclose client details on the Transitions blog. Breaking client confidentiality in such a way would likely be very damaging to the client-counselor relationship. Additionally, it would be a violation of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT) Code of Ethics, which I subscribe to.

It is normal for someone to believe that no one has experienced some of the negative things that they have. While the details (i.e., the who, what, when, where) of each person’s life experiences often are fairly unique to them, the underlying emotional and psychological experiences are common to most everyone. We all have to grapple with a variety of emotional experiences: love and hate, joy and sorrow, fear and safety, shame and acceptance. Thus, if you are seeing yourself in some of my blog posts, please be assured that I am not actually writing about you in particular, but rather am writing about emotional and relational experiences that are common to many people.

If you are a past or present client and you have any concerns whatsoever regarding a possible breach of your confidentiality I invite to you to speak directly with me about it. The text on this web page is insufficient to address such an important and sensitive issue. Such topics are best addressed face-to-face where I can help you process what you are experiencing.

E-mail Confidentiality

Similar to faxing, e-mail is an inherently insecure communication method. Though my e-mail account is password protected and the e-mails received are only read by me, I cannot guarantee the confidentiality of e-mails as they travel between my e-mail account and the e-mail account of a client or potential client. E-mails are transmitted through the internet in an unencrypted format—what is called “plain text”—and thus can be intercepted by anyone making an effort to do so. Please keep these realities in mind as you engage in e-mail communications with me. In order to protect your privacy I recommend that you limit the content of your e-mails to logistical questions, such as inquiries about current fees. Particulars of your current counseling needs are best discussed via telephone or in person. However, if you wish communicate sensitive information via e-mail you can consider creating a free account with encrypted e-mail provider SendInc.com (you can use your existing e-mail account).

Website Privacy Policy

I do not collect any personal information from users browsing the Transitions web site. The information that I do collect does not identify individual users. The collected data may include: Internet Protocol (IP) address, web browser, operating system, Internet Service Provider (ISP), connection speed, referring/exit pages, pages visited, errors encountered and date/time stamps. I use this information to analyze trends, administer the website, analyze website usage, diagnose website bugs, and gather broad demographic information. The software which I use to collect and analyze this data does not collect or link to personally identifiable information.

No Warranties On Website Content

Even though I hope that the Transitions website content (including content that I have not written, but that I may reference or link to) will be generally helpful I do not warranty it in any way. I do not take any responsibility for any outcomes that may result from any decisions, actions, or inactions that an individual may take as a result of reading the content on this site. All content, past and present, is provided on an “As Is” basis, and I (and Transitions) make no warranties, expressed or implied, and disclaim any implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose and non-infringement.

I (and Transitions) shall not be liable under any circumstances for any direct, indirect or other damages that might occur in connection with your reading the content of this website. By reading the Transitions website you agree to indemnify, defend and hold Transitions, its counselors (including Sean Slevin), officers, employees, affiliates and other representatives harmless against any and all claims, damages, losses, etc. that you might incur as a result of browsing this website.

Note that if you are a client the terms set forth in this document are distinct from those which govern your counseling relationship. The client-counselor relationship is governed by separate terms which put forth client rights and responsibilities particular to that relationship. The terms of the client-counselor relationship and terms set forth on this web page are not meant to effect or change each other; each is meant to be independent of the other.

I will occasionally link to external sites (e.g., sites which have an address different from TransitionsMFT.org). External links are never endorsements in and of themselves. If I endorse or recommend an individual, organization or resource I will articulate that clearly. Additionally, I have no control over and take no responsibility for the content of other sites. Some sites change their content frequently. Some sites change hands (though I try to avoid linking to sites that I anticipate will have a short lifespan) and dramatically change content. Sites can even be hijacked, or hacked, and have content (usually offensive in nature) posted on them illegally by the intruders. Additionally, the above sections on this page apply to external links (e.g., external link content is not a substitute for face-to-face counseling, I make no warranties regarding external link content, and I am not liable for external link content).

I will occasionally recommend products and services that I trust and which I believe could be helpful to my clients and website visitors. In some cases links to these products/services will be what are called Referral Links (also known as Affiliate Links). If you purchase a product or service through one of these Referral Links Transitions will receive a percentage of the sale price. This does not cost you anything and it provides me with a little extra income for making the recommendation. My intention is to only use Referral Links for products and services that I believe to be good quality and that are appropriate and helpful to recommend to website visitors. All Referral Links are clearly designated by use of the cent (¢) symbol following the link (e.g., Fitbit.com). If you have questions or concerns about the Referral Link policy or about any product or service I am recommending please do not hesitate to contact me.