Internet Chat Counseling Services -- Updated January 1, 2008 --
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Would You Like to Chat With Dr. Sterling Right Now?
If you have not yet purchased a service from Dr. Sterling and you would like to chat with him briefly by telephone to talk about his services, please feel free to call him at 206-784-7842.
Have You Already Purchased at Least One Service From Dr. Sterling?
You can purchase one Initial Internet Chat Consultation as noted on the Order Buttons at the bottom of this page without being required to supply Dr. Sterling with more extensive personal and medical information. However, to receive Ongoing Internet Chat Counseling Services you will need to provide Dr. Sterling with similar information as that requested in the Client Registration Form. This is the same type of information you would supply Dr. Sterling if he was consulting with you face-to-face.
Ongoing Internet Chat Counseling cannot be purchased unless you have already purchased at least one E-Mail, Internet Chat, or an Initial Telephone Consultation from Dr. Sterling. To purchase an initial E-Mail or Initial Telephone Service, please go to the E-Mail Services Page or the Telephone Counseling Page. To purchase an Initial Internet Chat Consultation, please review the contents of this page and click on the appropriate Initial Internet Chat Consultation Order Button at the bottom of this page.
The purpose of first purchasing at least one initial service from Dr. Sterling is so that you and he can at least briefly discuss how Ongoing Internet Chat Counseling might fit into your life.
Since Ongoing Internet Chat Counseling is a more personal form of interaction, Dr. Sterling must gather certain medical and personal information.
If you wish to continue Internet Chat Counseling after your first Internet Chat Consultation, you will need to provide Dr. Sterling with the same type of medical information he would normally ask you for if he was consulting with you at his office. There are three options for providing such information to Dr. Sterling:
Send an e-mail to Dr. Sterling which contains information similar to what is asked for on the Client Registration Form; or
Send an e-mail to Dr. Sterling which contains the actual Client Registration Form (instructions for copying, pasting, completing, and e-mailing the Form can be found at our Registration Instructions page); or
Please keep in mind that you if you are not a resident of or visiting within the State of Washington, Dr. Sterling can only offer you general mental health information and relationship counseling and feedback, but cannot engage in a more personal analysis that could be defined as establishing a more traditional doctor-patient relationship. Washington State is the only state in which Dr. Sterling is currently licensed to practice medicine. You can find more information about Dr. Sterling's license at his Biography Page.
Currently, Dr. Sterling Uses Only ICQ (ICQ.com) Internet Chat.
To engage in Internet Chat with Dr. Sterling, you will need to download and install the ICQ Chat Software.
What Internet Chat Consultation Services Are Available?
Four Internet Chat Consultation Services are available:
Short Initial Chat Consultation (25 minutes - $50.00).
Long Initial Chat Consultation (50 minutes - $100.00).
Short Ongoing Chat Counseling Session (25 minutes - $50.00).
Long Ongoing Chat Counseling Session (50 minutes - $100.00).
Internet Chat Order Buttons Are at Bottom of Page.
Between here and the bottom of this page, you will find:
A Short Discussion of Internet Chat Counseling
Recommendations About Secure E-Mail
The Internet Chat Consultation Terms of Service Agreement
Some Benefits and Challenges of Ongoing Internet Chat Counseling.
Because of the ongoing nature of the Internet Chat Counseling process and the attempt to deal with deeper personal issues, Internet Chat Counseling is similar to traditional psychotherapy. As in face-to-face psychotherapy and counseling, Dr. Sterling will attempt to get to know you over time, to work with you in a supportive way and to gather information, give feedback, formulate goals, and assist you with making changes.
However, Internet Chat Counseling should not be viewed as a substitute for in-person psychotherapy or other types of direct counseling techniques such as cognitive behavioral therapy. It is an alternative form of therapy with certain limitations due to the format of the interactions.
Because of the non-face-to-face circumstance of Internet Chat Counseling, Dr. Sterling cannot diagnose disorders or complex issues as easily or quickly since he cannot use all the senses to evaluate a person. Dr. Sterling can only proceed on the information given to him by you. Many cues that might be helpful, such as appearance, body posture, facial expressions, tone of voice, etc., are not available and, therefore, evaluation and feedback is less informed than in face-to-face consultations.
Dr. Sterling also will not be able to provide certain interventions as easily, such as evaluating transference issues. Dr. Sterling cannot provide direct help in a crisis. By all ethical and professional standards, a person in crisis deserves in-person assistance.
Some Advantages of Ongoing Internet Chat Counseling.
Convenient.
No travel time involved in the consultation.
Relatively more confidential than an in-person consult.
Text based. You can think about the feedback you receive, and give time to your response. Sometimes, it is easier to stay focused on your thoughts in a text-based environment because there may be fewer distractions.
Print out the content of your session for later review.
Internet Chat is a medium ground between the more contemplative, very convenient, E-Mail exchange process and faster-paced telephone conversations.
Some Disadvantages of Internet Chat Counseling.
Requires typing skills.
Doesn't leave as much time for contemplation between thoughts as with e-mail exchanges.
Can be technically demanding at times and frustrating if connections get interrupted.
If you can't "hide" your Chat Name, you may get interrupted by instant messages from other sources.
You Must Agree to the Terms of Service.
By clicking on any of the Internet Chat Consultation Order Buttons at the bottom of this page, you will be agreeing to the Internet Chat Consultation Terms of Service set out on this page. Please read the Terms of Service carefully before clicking on an Order Button.
We Recommend Printing This Page.
Documents displayed in a frame, such as this page, can be most easily printed by clicking your mouse "I-bar" inside the page and then sending it to your printer.
We Recommend Obtaining a Secure E-Mail Address.
Before purchasing any services online from Dr. Sterling, please be sure you have an e-mail address at which you are comfortable receiving receipts that will contain the following or very similar information: (1) "ORDER DESCRIPTION: Internet Chat Consultation," and (2) "Merchant: Ron Sterling, M.D." The receipt will also contain the amount paid and what type of credit card was used.
Dr. Sterling uses VeriSign® Secure Credit Card Processing Services and has contracted with them to process credit card charges only through Visa or MasterCard.
How Do You Schedule Your Internet Chat Consultation?
Once you have purchased an Internet Chat Consultation Service by clicking on an Order Button at the bottom of this page and completing the credit card transaction, you can contact Dr. Sterling by doing the following:
Call him at 206-784-7842 to schedule your appointment. You will be asked to give him the Reference # (Order ID) of your purchase.
In case you might reach Dr. Sterling's voice mail, please be prepared to give him: (a) the Reference # (Order ID) of your purchase, (b) a choice of three dates and times for the appointment, and (c) a return phone number or a return e-mail address to which he can respond; or
E-mail Dr. Sterling and give him a choice of three dates and times for the appointment. You must include the Reference # (Order ID) of your purchase in the e-mail. He will e-mail a scheduling response to you generally within 8 hours but always within 24 hours (including weekends and holidays).
Please Note: If you leave a phone number on Dr. Sterling's voice mail for Dr. Sterling to use to return your call for scheduling purposes, he will not leave a voice mail if he does not reach you directly.
What Days and Times Are Available For Internet Chat Appointments?
Internet Chat Counseling can be scheduled at selected times Monday through Saturday, 9:00 a.m. to 9 p.m. (all times are Pacific Standard Time).
How Do You Contact Dr. Sterling at Your Scheduled Appointment Time?
When you and Dr. Sterling finalize your appointment time, he will let you know how to find him on the Internet for your Internet Chat session. Dr. Sterling uses different Internet Chat names for the purpose of decreasing potential instant messaging interruptions.
What If You Change Your Mind After Purchasing the Service?
The only basis for a full refund request with respect to Internet Chat Consultation Purchases is on the basis of Dr. Sterling failing to keep an appointment or technical difficulties that neither you or Dr. Sterling can control.
If you change your mind after purchasing an Internet Chat Service and before you schedule an appointment with Dr. Sterling, you may request a refund of 75% of your purchase price or you can apply your full purchase price to some other service that Dr. Sterling offers.
If you fail to contact Dr. Sterling by sending him an Instant Message at the name he gives you or by calling him at 206-784-7842 (in the case of technical difficulties), at any time within your appointment time for your Internet Chat Consultation, no refund may be requested. Dr. Sterling will not attempt to call you or Instant Message you during your appointment time. Dr. Sterling will not double book or overbook any Internet Chat appointments and your time will be available as scheduled.
If you wish to cancel your appointment with Dr. Sterling, you must do so by e-mail or by telephone call to 206-784-7842 and36 hours before such appointment time. You must include enough information in your e-mail or your telephone call so that Dr. Sterling can clearly identify who you are and which appointment you are canceling.
If you cancel within the 36-hour period before your appointment and no other appointment can be made with another client for that same period of time, you will only be entitled to a 50% refund or the amount of said 50% refund as a credit toward another appointment time or another service that Dr. Sterling offers.
All refunds will be made by personal check drawn on Dr. Sterling's account.
Refund checks are made payable to the purchaser of services shown on the credit card transaction page, are sent by regular mail to the address shown on the credit card transaction page, and are sent within 20 business days of receipt of a request for such refund.
Before Scheduling an Internet Chat Consultation, Please Order and Pay.
You must order and pay for Internet Chat Consultation Services in advance.
You must provide a valid e-mail address when you order and pay for services. A valid e-mail address must contain the correct user name, the @ symbol, and the domain name: Example - user@ziplip.com.
Without a valid and correct e-mail address, Dr. Sterling cannot respond or, if the address is incorrect, such response will not be received by the purchaser of services and confidential information could be disclosed.
You must enter the Reference # (Order ID number) in any e-mail you send to Dr. Sterling.
Dr. Sterling cannot respond to e-mail requests for scheduling an appointment time for an Internet Chat Consultation if the e-mail does not contain the Reference # (Order ID number). A "Reference #" is issued to you by VeriSign® when your credit card transaction has been completed. The Reference # (Order ID number) starts with a "V" and will also appear in an e-mail receipt sent to you by VeriSign®.
You Must Agree to the Following Terms of Service ("TOS").
By clicking on any Order Button at the bottom of this page and following through with a purchase of services, I irrevocably agree to each and every statement below:
I am 18 years old or older.
I have Refreshed the View of this page to insure that I am viewing the very latest version of these Terms of Service.
If I am not a resident of the State of Washington, U.S.A., or visiting within said state during the period of
time I receive this service from Dr. Sterling, I agree that I will only request counseling from Dr. Sterling for the purpose of information or feedback regarding general mental health and relationship concerns, and not for the purpose of creating a doctor-patient relationship or working on more personal, psychological matters on an ongoing basis.
If I am a resident of the State of Washington, U.S.A., or if I am, and will continue to be, visiting within said state during the period of time I receive this service from Dr. Sterling, I understand I can receive any ongoing type of psychotherapeutic service, except for the prescribing of medications without a face-to-face appointment with Dr. Sterling.
I am purchasing an Internet Chat Consultation Service from Ron Sterling, M.D ("Dr. Sterling"), who is licensed to practice medicine in the State of Washington, U.S.A.
If I am purchasing a one-time or an Initial Internet Chat Consultation, I am not required to supply Dr. Sterling with extensive personal or medical information as noted in Item 7 below.
If I am purchasing Ongoing Internet Chat Consultation, I have already filled out the Client Registration Form or a reasonable equivalent thereof, and have sent it by e-mail to Dr. Sterling or I have already supplied Dr. Sterling with the Client Registration Form information by conducting a Short Telephone Consultation with Dr. Sterling.
I understand and accept that Dr. Sterling cannot schedule an Ongoing Internet Chat Counseling Session with me unless I have already submitted or given Dr. Sterling access to the personal and medical information noted above in Item 7.
I understand that I do not need to purchase any Service to fill-out and send the Client Registration Form to Dr. Sterling by e-mail.
I agree that my use of any information communicated to me by Dr. Sterling pursuant to this purchase of services is entirely at my own risk. Any action or decision I make following the receipt of the service purchased hereby is done by my own free will, at my own risk, and with my own responsibility.
I have no intention of harming or killing myself or harming or killing any other person.
If I am overwhelmed by the circumstances of my life, or if I am thinking about abusing animals or people, or harming or killing myself or any other person, I agree to immediately use a telephone and seek help by calling 911 or 1-800-SUICIDE.
I understand that Dr. Sterling recommends registration at http://www.ZipLip.com and the use of ZipLip's secure e-mail services.
I agree that Dr. Sterling cannot be held responsible for breaches of confidentiality that may occur due to (a) my use of a cordless or wireless telephone, (b) my use of a wireless connection to the Internet, (c) my choice not to use a recommended secure e-mail service, (d) my failure to provide a correct and valid e-mail address for myself, (e) my failure to keep secure and confidential any copies I keep of receipts, account statements, e-mails, handwritten notes, or any other audio or visual records, (f) illegal hacking, and (g) hardware, software and other Internet service provider errors outside the control of myself or Dr. Sterling.
I agree that any claim connected to the purchase or provision of this service will be governed by the laws of the State of Washington.
No information or data that I disclose pursuant to this purchase of services will be disclosed to any other person or entity except in the following circumstances:
Upon delivery to Dr. Sterling of my written, witnessed, original, signed authorization to release medical information;
Upon my own indication or implication that I (i) intend to harm myself or some other person; (ii) have caused or am causing child abuse; (iii) have caused or am causing abuse of an elder; (iv) have committed a previously unreported felony crime, and/or (iv) am gravely disabled.
If information is requested by court order or subpoena; and
To assist relevant personnel in the event of a medical emergency.
I possess an e-mail address which I will provide to Dr. Sterling at which I agree to receive receipts that will contain the following or very similar information: (1) "ORDER DESCRIPTION: Internet Chat Consultation," and (2) "Merchant: Ron Sterling, M.D." The receipt will also contain the amount paid and what type of credit card was used. I agree to the disclosure of such information to the e-mail address I provide, and I understand that such information may be considered confidential.
I agree to the disclosure of the words "Ron Sterling, M.D." and "Internet Chat Consultation" or such similar words in the text of the credit card account statement mailed or otherwise delivered to me by the credit card company whose credit card I use to purchase this service from Dr. Sterling.
I understand and accept that e-mail responses from Dr. Sterling will contain the following notice: "This e-mail contains confidential information. If you have received this e-mail in error, please do not read it and please delete it immediately."
I accept that Dr. Sterling will reply to my e-mail to him by utilizing the "Reply To" button and that he will not attempt to retype an e-mail address found further down in an e-mail.
I understand and accept that Dr. Sterling will not open any attachments or click on any hyperlinks found in any e-mail I send to him and I agree not to send any attachments or include hyperlinks in my e-mail to him.
I understand and accept that Dr. Sterling, pursuant to relevant laws, must use his best efforts to keep records of all services he provides no matter how brief, and that he will use his best efforts to keep printed copies of all transactions and correspondence between him and myself and handwritten notes of telephone conversations.
I understand and accept that although Dr. Sterling will use his best efforts to provide this service on a continuing basis as he would in a more traditional, face-to-face treatment circumstance, that certain emergencies may occur which could interrupt the ongoing nature of the service which are not within Dr. Sterling's control which may be, but are not limited to, forces of nature, computer software or hardware problems, Internet service provider difficulties, illegal hacking, or illness or death.
I understand and accept that in the case of the discontinuance or termination of the ongoing nature of this service due to circumstances outside of Dr. Sterling's control that he may need to delegate certain responsibilities for follow-up communications to me from some other person than himself, but that the best efforts will be used to keep my records and information confidential in such a circumstance.
If I am abusive, threatening, harassing, and/or sexually inappropriate in my interactions with Dr. Sterling, he can notify me clearly of his intent to stop services, the reason for stopping the service, and offer me a referral resource. Such abuse can consist of boundary violations such as attempting to instant message or Internet chat with Dr. Sterling at times when I do not have an appointment to do so. I agree that this is considered to be the equivalent of trespassing into an actual treatment room while a doctor is with another client.
I agree to never attempt to Instant Message or otherwise contact Dr. Sterling by way of Internet Chat at any other time than when I have an agreed upon, bona fide, Internet Chat Appointment with Dr. Sterling.
I agree that the only basis on which I may request a full refund of the purchase price of this service is on the basis of Dr. Sterling failing to keep an appointment, for any reason, or because of technical difficulties beyond the control of Dr. Sterling or myself.
If I change my mind after purchasing an Internet Chat Service and before I schedule an appointment with Dr. Sterling, I will only be entitled to a refund of 75% of the purchase price or I can apply the full purchase price to some other service that Dr. Sterling offers.
If I fail to contact Dr. Sterling by Instant Messaging or to call him at 206-784-7842 at any time within my appointment time, no refund may be requested.
I understand and accept that Dr. Sterling will not attempt to call me or Instant Message me during my appointment time.
Dr. Sterling warrants that he will never attempt to telephone me unless he has received explicit verbal or written instructions directly from me to do so. He further warrants that he will never list me on a "buddy list" or otherwise attempt to Instant Message me, whatsoever. However, given the ethical issues related to "abandonment," if I fail to contact Dr. Sterling within a reasonable time after an unannounced "no-show" for an appointment, he may be compelled by the ethical guidelines of his profession to attempt some type of follow-up contact. In that event, I give Dr. Sterling permission to e-mail me at least once to verify my intentions with respect to ongoing consultation.
I will hold Dr. Sterling harmless from any allegation of abandonment if I terminate ongoing consultation services without announcement or follow-up on my part.
I must cancel any appointment I make with Dr. Sterling by e-mail sent to Dr. Sterling or by telephone call to 206-784-7842.
I must send such cancellation e-mail to Dr. Sterling or contact him by telephone at 206-784-7842, or leave a voice mail at said telephone number36 hours before such appointment time.
I understand and accept that any cancellation not made 36 hours before my appointment time for which no other appointment can be made with another client for that same period of time, will only entitle me to a 50% refund on this purchase price or such 50% refund value can be used as a credit toward another appointment time or some other service Dr. Sterling offers.
I accept that refund checks will be made payable to the purchaser of services shown on the credit card transaction page, will be sent to the address shown on the credit card transaction page, and will be sent by regular mail within 20 business days of receipt of a request for such refund.
I accept that available appointment times for Internet Chat Consultations may be changed by Dr. Sterling at any time, whatsoever, without notice to me. However, I understand that Dr. Sterling will use his best efforts to keep current his posted scheduling hours on the DearShrink.com Site.
Ron Sterling, M.D., reserves the right to modify these Terms of Service at any time, whatsoever, without any advance notice and such modifications shall be effective immediately upon the posting of such modified terms and conditions on this page. You agree to refresh this page before proceeding to insure that you are viewing the very latest version of these Terms of Service.
Are You Ready to Order? Click on the Appropriate Order Button Further Below.
After you click on an Order Button, you will receive a secure web page from VeriSign® where you can input your credit card information. You will receive a second page so that you can review your information before submitting the purchase for processing. After processing the information, you will receive a transaction approval or disapproval page. Occasionally, you may receive an error message. Unfortunately, because this is a secured database operation, when you receive an error message, you may be required to retype your credit card information.
After the transaction is completed, if you want further reminders about Internet Chat Consultations or other services, click on the button that says "Click Here for Reminders."
Please Note: By clicking on an Order Button and following through with a purchase, you are agreeing to all of the Terms of Service found in the Terms of Service section immediately above.
Thank you again for your consideration!
Order Buttons For First-Time Internet Chat Consultations.
You may only purchase an Initial Internet Chat Consultation once. Please use the next two buttons to order an Initial Internet Chat Consultation. You will not be required to submit Client Registration Form information to purchase one Initial Internet Chat Consultation.
If you wish to order a Short Initial Internet Chat Consultation (25 minutes of Dr. Sterling's time), click on the button below.
If you wish to order a Long Initial Internet Chat Consultation (50 minutes of Dr. Sterling's time), click on the button below.
Order Buttons For Ongoing Internet Chat Counseling.
Please use the next two buttons to order Ongoing Internet Chat Counseling Services.
Please Note:Before Dr. Sterling can provide Ongoing Internet Chat Counseling, he must obtain certain personal and medical information. You have the choice of submitting such information in four different ways as noted above in Item 7 of the Terms of Service.
If you wish to order a Short Ongoing Internet Chat Counseling Session (25 minutes of Dr. Sterling's time), click on the button below.
If you wish to order a Long Ongoing Internet Chat Counseling Session (50 minutes of Dr. Sterling's time), click on the button below.
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