--- title: "Will My Department Find Out I'm in Therapy?" url: https://respondersherpa.com/resources/will-my-department-find-out description: "How a private, self-pay practice keeps your therapy yours: not an EAP, not contracted with any agency, HIPAA and Utah law, and what to ask any therapist." lang: en --- Resources (https://respondersherpa.com/resources) · Confidentiality # Will my department find out I'm in therapy? If you work in public safety or healthcare, this may be the first question on your mind, and it is a fair one. Your work depends on trust, and you want to know where your information goes before you say a word. Here is how it works in my practice, in plain terms, along with questions you can ask any therapist so you can make a clear decision. ## A private practice, not an EAP This is a private practice. It is not an employee assistance program (EAP), and it is not contracted with any department, agency, union, or hospital. No one at your job refers you to me, pays me, or receives reports from me. That matters because some people avoid their EAP out of worry about who might hear about it, even when the EAP has its own confidentiality rules. Seeing someone who has no relationship with your employer takes that question off the table. You come in because you chose to, and the work belongs to you. If you want to know more about who I work with, see who I work with (https://respondersherpa.com/who-i-help) or first responder therapy (https://respondersherpa.com/first-responder-therapy). ## Self-pay, and a superbill you control I don't bill insurance directly. Sessions are $150 for 50 minutes, paid at the time of the appointment. That means there is no claim going through a plan your employer may sponsor unless you decide to send one. If you would like to try for out-of-network reimbursement, I can give you a superbill on request. A superbill is a detailed receipt you can submit to your insurance yourself. Whether you submit it, and when, is entirely up to you. You might choose not to, to keep your care completely separate, or decide the reimbursement is worth it. Either way, it is your call. ## HIPAA and Utah law Care is confidential under HIPAA and Utah law. What you say in session, your records, and even the fact that you are seeing me are protected. Your information is not shared without your written consent, outside the legal limits of confidentiality. You can read how information is handled in the Notice of Privacy Practices (https://respondersherpa.com/notice-of-privacy-practices). This website does not collect health information. Booking and intake happen in a HIPAA-compliant system. ## Privacy with telehealth Telehealth can add another layer of separation from work. You can attend from home or from a parked car when that is the private space available to you. There is no waiting room where you might recognize someone, and no drive to an office that has to fit between shifts. The same confidentiality applies to telehealth sessions as it does to sessions in the Midvale office. Your surroundings still matter. Before a session, choose a place where you can speak without being overheard and where you can remain parked for the full appointment if you are in a car. Headphones can help keep the therapist's side of the conversation private. You decide how much detail to share and can ask questions about the process before the first appointment. Telehealth is available anywhere in Utah because I am licensed in Utah only. It can be especially practical when rotating shifts, overtime, or a long drive make an office visit difficult. The setting changes; the privacy expectations do not. Your employer does not receive notice that you attended, and this practice remains separate from departments, agencies, and hospitals. ## The narrow limits, explained at intake Every therapist works within some legal limits to confidentiality. They are narrow, and they exist mostly around safety. I explain them clearly at intake, before we get into anything personal, so you know exactly where the lines are and can decide what to share. I am not going to list legal specifics here, because they depend on the situation and are best explained in conversation. If you have a specific worry, ask it on the free call or at the start of your first session. You deserve a direct answer before you open up. ## What to ask any therapist about confidentiality Whether you work with me or someone else, these questions are worth asking before you start: - Are you part of an EAP or contracted with my employer in any way? - Do you bill insurance directly, or is it self-pay? - Who, if anyone, would ever receive information about my care? - What are the limits of confidentiality, and when would you explain them? - Do you ever share anything without my written consent? - Where are my records kept, and who can see them? A good therapist will answer all of these plainly. If someone is vague, that tells you something too. ## Why this question keeps people from getting help For a lot of people in public safety and healthcare, worry about the department finding out is what keeps them from calling. So the calls keep replaying, sleep stays broken, and the drinking creeps up, all because the risk of being seen feels bigger than the cost of carrying it alone. You don't have to make that trade. If this is what has been holding you back, it may help to read about PTSD and trauma therapy (https://respondersherpa.com/ptsd-trauma-therapy) or addiction counseling (https://respondersherpa.com/first-responder-addiction), and then ask your remaining questions on a call. ## Next step The first step is a free 15-minute call. Ask me anything about confidentiality before you decide. I see people in person in Midvale and by telehealth anywhere in Utah. Book a free consultation (https://respondersherpa.com/booking) or call (801) 554-6372. If you're in crisis, call or text 988, or call 911. FAQ ## Common questions. Are you connected to my department's EAP? + No. This is a private practice. It is not an EAP and is not contracted with any department, agency, or hospital. Will anything show up on my insurance? + I don't bill insurance directly. Sessions are self-pay. If you want to seek reimbursement, I can give you an out-of-network superbill, and you decide whether to submit it. Is anything I say ever shared? + Care is confidential under HIPAA and Utah law. There are narrow legal limits, which are explained at intake. Outside those limits, information is not shared without your written consent. Can I ask about confidentiality before I book? + Yes. The free 15-minute call is a good time to ask anything about how your information is handled. Related reading - First Responders → (https://respondersherpa.com/first-responder-therapy) Police, fire, EMS, and dispatch. Confidential care outside the department. - Healthcare Workers → (https://respondersherpa.com/healthcare-worker-therapy) Nurses and physicians carrying burnout, moral injury, and the shifts that don't leave you. - Police Officers → (https://respondersherpa.com/police-officer-therapy) Hypervigilance that doesn't switch off at home, and the calls that replay. - Do You Have to Be Sober to Start Therapy? → (https://respondersherpa.com/resources/do-i-have-to-be-sober-to-start-therapy) No. Here is why honesty about use matters more than a sober date, and what the first conversation covers. - EMDR vs. ART: How They Differ → (https://respondersherpa.com/resources/emdr-vs-art) A plain-language comparison of their eye movements, structure, imagery, and what sessions may feel like. - What Your First Therapy Session Looks Like → (https://respondersherpa.com/resources/first-therapy-session) From the free consultation and intake through goals, privacy, treatment choices, cadence, and fees. - Therapy Costs and Superbills → (https://respondersherpa.com/resources/paying-for-therapy) The session fee, self-pay process, superbills, possible out-of-network benefits, and Good Faith Estimates. - Peer Support, EAP, or Private Therapy? → (https://respondersherpa.com/resources/peer-support-eap-or-therapy) How peer support, employee assistance programs, and independent private therapy differ in purpose, privacy, and access. - When a Call Won't Let Go → (https://respondersherpa.com/resources/when-a-call-wont-let-go) Common reactions after a hard call, what may help in the first days, and when therapy may be worth considering. - Therapy or Coaching: Which One Fits? → (https://respondersherpa.com/resources/therapy-or-coaching) How licensed counseling, non-clinical coaching, and consulting differ, who each is for, and how to choose. Still have questions? Ask them on a free 15-minute call. Book a free 15-minute call: https://respondersherpa.com/booking (801) 554-6372: +18015546372 Brian Lewis, LCMHC · Midvale, Utah · Telehealth across Utah · Utah LCMHC license #5497978-6009 ## Structured data ```json [ { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://respondersherpa.com/#website", "name": "Brian Lewis, LCMHC", "url": "https://respondersherpa.com", "publisher": { "@id": "https://respondersherpa.com/#practice" }, "inLanguage": "en-US" }, { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": [ "MedicalBusiness", "ProfessionalService" ], "@id": "https://respondersherpa.com/#practice", "name": "Brian Lewis, LCMHC", "url": "https://respondersherpa.com", "image": "https://respondersherpa.com/__l5e/assets-v1/d03407aa-3688-433f-b886-6fea75aee05b/og-hero-ridge.jpg", "logo": "https://respondersherpa.com/__l5e/assets-v1/d03407aa-3688-433f-b886-6fea75aee05b/og-hero-ridge.jpg", "telephone": "+1-801-554-6372", "priceRange": "$150", "medicalSpecialty": "Psychiatric", "address": { "@type": "PostalAddress", "addressLocality": "Midvale", "addressRegion": "UT", "addressCountry": "US" }, "geo": { "@type": "GeoCoordinates", "latitude": 40.6111, "longitude": -111.8994 }, "areaServed": [ { "@type": "State", "name": "Utah" }, { "@type": "City", "name": "Midvale" } ], "knowsAbout": [ "EMDR therapy", "Accelerated Resolution Therapy", "Addiction treatment", "PTSD", "Complex trauma", "First responder mental health" ], "provider": { "@id": "https://respondersherpa.com/#brian" } }, { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "Person", "@id": "https://respondersherpa.com/#brian", "name": "Brian Lewis", "honorificSuffix": "LCMHC", "jobTitle": "Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor", "image": "https://respondersherpa.com/__l5e/assets-v1/d03407aa-3688-433f-b886-6fea75aee05b/og-hero-ridge.jpg", "url": "https://respondersherpa.com/about", "telephone": "+1-801-554-6372", "worksFor": { "@id": "https://respondersherpa.com/#practice" }, "hasCredential": [ "MA, Health Systems Management & Counseling Psychology", "Utah LCMHC license #5497978-6009", "EMDR trained", "Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART) trained" ], "knowsAbout": [ "EMDR", "Accelerated Resolution Therapy", "Addiction treatment", "PTSD", "Complex trauma", "Solution-focused therapy", "First responder mental health", "Healthcare worker mental health" ], "areaServed": { "@type": "State", "name": "Utah" } }, { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "MedicalWebPage", "@id": "https://respondersherpa.com/resources/will-my-department-find-out#webpage", "url": "https://respondersherpa.com/resources/will-my-department-find-out", "name": "Will My Department Find Out I'm in Therapy?", "description": "How a private, self-pay practice keeps your therapy yours: not an EAP, not contracted with any agency, HIPAA and Utah law, and what to ask any therapist.", "inLanguage": "en-US", "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://respondersherpa.com/#website" }, "about": { "@id": "https://respondersherpa.com/#practice" }, "author": { "@id": "https://respondersherpa.com/#brian" }, "reviewedBy": { "@id": "https://respondersherpa.com/#brian" } }, { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "FAQPage", "mainEntity": [ { "@type": "Question", "name": "Are you connected to my department's EAP?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "No. This is a private practice. 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