Walnut Creek Office Policy

Don Elium, MA MFT license #MFC28381

2168 Norris Road, Walnut Creek, CA 94596

San Francisco Bay Area

Directions to the Walnut Creek, CA office are on the second half of this page

Phone 925 256-8282 Don@DonElium.com

Don Elium, MA MFT, practices individual and couple counseling in his office in Walnut Creek, CA, San Francisco Bay Area (and Santa Cruz, CA)

•50 Minute Sessions

Each session will end promptly at the end of fifty minutes. A double session (two 50 minute sessions in a row= 100 minutes, one hour and forty minutes of time) as well as two session or more per week can be arraigned at your request when needed.

• Payment

You can pay for for your sessions by cash, check, credit card or debit. If paying by check please write it before the session and make check payable to  Don Elium, MA MFT.  Hand the payment---cash, check, credit or debit card---to me to start our session. Payment in full is expected.  You will receive a bill that can be submitted to your insurance company for their payment to you.  A $10 charge for the first check returned by the bank.  If a second check is returned, subsequent payments must be money order, cash or credit or debit card.

You can also pay online for your sessions by Clicking Here.

•  Fee

Cash, Check, Credit and Debit Cards Accepted. If one returns to psychotherapy, upon completion, 30 days from date of ending, the fee remains the same. If after 30 days, the fee will change to the current rate of that time. For current fee schedule please click here and send email "fee schedule request" in subject line. Thanks.

• Directions

Are on the the second half of this page.

•  Rescheduling? 24 hour notice

If you call less than 24 hours and request to reschedule for any reason and can't come for session that week, you will be charged for the missed session.  If I call you less than 24 hours and ask that you reschedule (for any reason and we can't meet that week), there is no charge for that session and no charge for the following.  PLEASE CALL as soon as possible to give us time to make changes. I will do the same. This reduces scheduling issues/extra phone calls and makes our therapy sessions a priority and focused on the needs you are coming to address.

•  Late?  20 minute waiting period

If you are late, I will stay twenty minutes before assuming you are not coming.  If you arrive within twenty minutes, the remainder of the fifty minutes will be your session.  If you do not come, there will be a charge for the session.  Please pay online for missed session by clicking here, If I am late, please wait twenty minutes before assuming I am not coming.

If I am late, please wait twenty minutes before assuming I am not coming. PLEASE CALL asap to alert me to the problem. When you leave, please leave a voice mail message for me as soon as you can.  This is a very rare event, but can happen.

On occasion the prior session to yours may run over time. I will come out to the balcony (or the front window of the office during rain) and alert you at your scheduled time if this is the case.  When we start you will receive your full time.

•  Emergencies

I am not immediately available in an emergency. I will return your call as soon as I can. Please know your emergency resources in your area as well in your personal network of friends, churches, and organizations. When you call, please tell me clearly that this is an emergency and leave your phone number twice (2 times)  If you are in crisis, you can schedule an additional session during the week.  If immediate attention is required, Contra Costa Crisis line is available 24 hours a day at 800.833.2900, for medical emergencies or police, dial 911. Note the following point regarding returning phone calls.

•  Phone Calls Returned Weekdays

Phone calls are returned each weekdays from 9 am to 6 pm.  Phone calls received after 4 pm on Friday, will be returned the following Monday before noon.  For Holidays, the phone message will list special changes when they are applicable.

•  Phone, Text and Email

For scheduling matters, phone, text, or email is okay. Please make sure that the phone/email address/text numbers you use is okay to contain confidential psychotherapy communications. Please use phone, email and text for scheduling matters only unless there is agreed upon exceptions.

•  Confidentiality and Exceptions

All information in psychotherapy sessions is strictly confidential unless there is a permission from the client to share information with others. Information and communications that is received about client from others, where necessary, maybe shared with client unless otherwise discussed and agreed upon..

Exceptions are 1) Report of child abuse or 2) Report of elder abuse.  Licensed marriage and family therapists are required by California State Law to report these situations to Child Protective Services. More information available upon request. 3) Intent to harm self or other.  Immediate report to the appropriate police department, and in the case of threat to harm other, a call to the intended victim (if possible), is required by California State Law. 4) A direct court order from a sitting Judge (not a lawyer). No permission is required to break confidentiality under these four conditions 5) written permission from client to talk with designated person, persons, organizations.

Directions To Don Elium Walnut Creek Office

My office is a private office in my home. So, you will be coming into a residential neighborhood. Please drive slowly due to children and pets in the area. Please print this page and bring it with you. Norris Road does not connect so you must come in from the directions below:

•From San Jose, Danville, Alamo direction

Go 680 North. When entering Walnut Creek area take the Rudgear Road exit. Go to the stop light and turn right onto Rudgear Road. (Skip to •From Rudgear Road• directions below)

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•From Sacramento, Concord, Martinez direction

Take 680 south. At the 680/24 Walnut Creek interchange, take 680 south toward San Jose. Take the next exit, So. Main Street. At the stop light, turn right on South Main Street (it become Danville Blvd further south). Go one-half mile to the next stop light and turn left on Rudgear Road. This will take you underneath the free way. (Skip to •From Rudgear Road• directions below)

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•From Oakland-Berkeley area direction

Take 680/24 through Coldecott Tunnel. At the 680/24 Walnut Creek interchange, take 680 South toward San Jose. Take the next exit, So. Main Street. At the stop light, turn right on South Main Street (it become Danville Blvd further south). Go one-half mile to the next stop light and turn left on Rudgear Road. This will take you underneath the free way. (Skip to •From Rudgear Road• directions below)

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•From Rudgear Road• Go one-half mile and turn left on San Miguel Drive (landmark: there is a flashing yellow light on the right attached to a yellow traffic sign.) Follow San Miguel for one-half a mile to Mountain View Blvd. and turn left.

You will see a sign that says Not A Through Street. Take the next right which is NORRIS ROAD.

After you turn, you will see newly built houses on the left.

Go to the second house on the right. It is a YELLOW with green trim. The mail box is COPPER colored. Please do not park in front of mailbox. A second floor over the garage—this is the office.

You can park on the street in front of the house on either side of road. Please DO NOT PARK PAST OUR HOME/OFFICE ON THE STREET, NOR TURN AROUND AT THE END OF THE STREET.  The road beyond our home/office is a private road. So, please use the driveway, either side of the street in front of our home for parking and turning around. If you have special parking needs, please let me know so we can work that out. Thanx.

On the left side of the house is a wooden gate (2168 in large brass letters) with a waiting area just inside to the left of that gate. Please come in and have a seat in the area to the left underneath the umbrella. I will see you drive up and at the time of your appointment, and I will meet you there.  We currently do not have an indoor waiting area, so during the rainy season, you will need to wait in your car and I will come out to meet you for the first session.

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IMPORTANT NOTE: DO NOT take the Norris Road off San Miguel! Norris road does not connect so you MUST COME IN FROM THE MT. VIEW entrance.  If you are reading this and the road has ended and there is no 2168 you have to go back to San Miguel, turn right and go to the MT. VIEW entrance and the OTHER end of Norris Road is on the right. Turn right and you will see the mail box that says 2168 on it in front of yellow house.  It took the UPS delivery service 6 months to figure this out, so be patient with yourself if you are reading this at the OTHER end of Norris Road.

ALSO NOTE: Good Neighbor Alert:  Please DO NOT drive past our house on NORRIS road, due to the county road ending in front of our home and a private road begins.  Turn around in our driveway or in front of our home. Also, please drive slowly due to children and animals at play. Thanks for your cooperation.  If you have problems, please let me know so we can work them out together.

And, just inside the wood gate to the left is a metal silver box to leave or pick up if needed between sessions for anything.

See you there!

Don Elium, MA MFT

925.256.8282  

Don@DonElium.com