Our Treatment Policy

All clinicians are required to adhere to the code of ethics and standards of practice put forth by the Dubai Health Authority and Community Development Authority. This code precludes dual relationships (any relationship other than that of a client and therapist) in order to protect the rights of clients and maintain the objectivity and professional judgment of the service provider. In the event that a relationship outside the therapeutic relationship is unavoidable, the service provider will discuss and resolve the situation professionally with the client and in a manner most suitable to the client’s needs.

With the exception of specific limits of confidentiality described below, clients have the absolute right to confidentiality of their information. Clients are assured that all personal information gathered by clinicians during the provision of psychological services will remain confidential and secure.

If the clinician needs to obtain/release information from/to other individuals, doctors, emergency services, family members and/or schools, signed consent for written release of information will be required from the client to authorize such activities.

Clinicians may occasionally find it necessary to consult other professionals about a client’s treatment for the purposes of supervision or clinical peer review. During a professional consultation, no identifying information about clients will be revealed. The consultant will also be bound to keep all information confidential. By the standards of practice in psychotherapy and psychiatry, such consultations do not represent a violation of confidentiality.

Clients’ right to confidentiality will change in certain circumstances:

• When the client waives their right to privacy and gives written consent
• When, based on sound clinical judgment, disclosure is required to prevent clear and imminent danger to the client or others around them and the client is unwilling or unable to contract for safety
• In matters affecting the welfare or abuse of children, vulnerable adults or the elderly
• When ordered by an official of the court as required by law

Information collection, storage and usage:
I understand that The LightHouse Arabia will collect and store information relevant to my mental health together with other information for the purposes of insurance, administration and financial matters, including personal contact details. I consent to The LightHouse Arabia using aspects of this and sharing the same (limited to the extent necessary) for legitimate purposes, and to meet statutory obligations, including: 

Sharing health data with:

1. Other healthcare providers for the purposes of patient care;
2. My insurer, other third-party payers, agents and/or consultants for the purpose of reviewing, investigating, or processing any relevant claims for reimbursement and related matters;
3. Any relevant government authority in accordance with statutory obligations.

This is the person who will be contacted by The LightHouse Arabia in the event of an emergency regarding your mental health. This can be, but does not have to be next of kin (i.e. spouse, adult children, siblings or parents).

Please ensure that the contact details you have provided are updated and you have chosen a trusted individual who is accessible and responsive in any urgent situation. In these circumstances, confidential information will be shared with discretion.

When treating minors (individuals under the age of 18), parents have certain limited rights to access records.

It is our policy to request parental consent to waive access rights to their minor child’s records in order to encourage trust and protect the therapeutic alliance between the clinician and the minor. If parents agree, they will only be provided with general feedback during scheduled sessions (usually 30-min or 60-min sessions charged at our usual rates). If clinicians feels that there is a high risk that the minor will seriously harm themselves or someone else, or commit a crime, they will notify parents of their concerns. Clinicians will also provide parents with a verbal summary of the work upon treatment completion.

If a parent requests access to a minor’s notes, the notes may be viewed under supervision at The LightHouse Arabia. The notes cannot be replicated. In accordance with Wadeema law, if physical or sexual abuse or neglect are reported by a child or parent, we are legally required to report this to the relevant authorities.

Children of Divorced Parents
In accordance with DHA Consent Guidelines, we are obligated to obtain the legal guardian’s signed consent before treating minor children of divorced parents. However, the other parent has the right to receive information about the child’s diagnosis and treatment, with the legal guardian’s knowledge. We will inform the legal guardian of the request for information from the other parent and disclose the information, should it not have a negative impact on the minor.
Irrespective of guardianship arrangements, fathers have the right to access information about their minor children’s diagnosis and treatment.

The couple’s therapist may ask for sessions to be a 60-minute assessment (50 minutes of face time) or a 90-minute session (80 minutes of face time), depending on the clinician. The fees for couple’s sessions will differ from one clinician to another. You will be made aware of this when you are booking a session.

Clinicians have a standard “NO SECRETS” POLICY in couple’s therapy. However, this may be subject to change at the discretion of the therapist, should it be untenable for specific reasons, or if it may jeopardize the safety and efficacy of the couple’s therapy. This will be discussed at the beginning of the work and re-visited if any changes occur.

Any request by one spouse to access or release information about the couple’s therapy must have the written consent of both spouses. If one spouse objects, information will not be released without an order from a health regulator or court.
In case of a divorce or a court case, your clinician will not provide treatment summaries or opinions to support any divorce proceedings.

*Kindly note, ‘General Relationships’ are platonic relationships (i.e. friendships, siblings or business partners).

Any request by one party to access or release information about the relationship therapy must have the written consent of all parties.

If you are claiming reimbursement for your payment from an insurance company/your employer, clinicians are normally required to give a diagnosis to the third party in order for you to be reimbursed. Typically, your clinician will provide a diagnosis after the second or third session. If you urgently require a diagnosis, please ask your clinician for a provisional diagnosis at the end of the first session.

The LightHouse Arabia does not directly bill insurance companies. Clients are responsible for filing all insurance claims. We recommend that you contact your insurance provider prior to attending the first session to see if psychological services are covered.

Diagnoses are technical terms that describe the nature of your problems and some indication of whether they are short-term or long-term problems, acute or chronic, mild or severe. If clinicians do use a diagnosis, they will discuss it with you. All diagnoses come from the clinical manual titled the World Health Organization (WHO) International Classification of Diseases, ICD-10.

Session duration, times, and frequency will be determined based on the individual needs of the client. Generally, sessions will last for 50 minutes. Typically, sessions are held once a week. More frequent meetings may be arranged or recommended to facilitate more intensive work. All phone conversations, emails, or reports that require more than 15 minutes are deemed to constitute a therapy session and will be billed at the standard applicable hourly rate (pro-rated, as necessary, for the actual amount of time spent).

Treatment frequency and duration will vary from individual to individual and the specific problem(s) identified. An estimate of treatment duration can be provided, but clients should keep in mind that it is only an estimate. Treatment duration will vary depending on what clients hope to accomplish.

Clients with a request for their clinician to provide off site, out-of-clinic, therapeutic support will be charged in accordance with the respective clinician’s hourly charge. In addition, there will be a one-hour minimum for travel time to and from the site.

Shorter-term treatments routinely focus on symptom relief and a return to functioning. Wider benefits and sustained improvement with your long-standing difficulties may need longer term interventions as will more exploratory and depth work.

The clinician, in conjunction with the client, will decide when to terminate therapy based on the client’s needs. Clinicians can terminate client care if they judge that they are unable to assist a client effectively for any of the following reasons:

• The client is no longer benefiting from therapy
• The client can no longer afford the agreed-upon fees for services

In such cases, alternative referrals will be provided.

Below are the fee ranges for 60-minute sessions (50 minutes of face time, 10 minutes for notes/clinical admin) for different types of therapy:

• Individual therapy: 795 – 950 AED
• Couple’s therapy: 915 – 1,100 AED
• Family therapy: 915 – 1,190 AED

We offer a wide variety of psychiatric services. The fees are as follows:

• 60-minute assessments (50 minutes of face time, 10 minutes for notes/clinical admin): 950 AED – includes the cost of any prescription issued
• 40-minute sessions (30 – 35 minutes of face time, 5-10 minutes for notes/clinical admin): 800 AED – includes the cost of any prescription issued
• 30-minute sessions (20 – 25 minutes of face time, 5-10 minutes for notes/clinical admin): 675 AED – includes the cost of any prescription issued
• 20-minute follow-up sessions (10 – 15 minutes of face time, 5-10 minutes for notes/clinical admin): 475 AED – includes the cost of any prescription issued
• For a prescription refill without an appointment, the cost of reviewing your medical record, writing the prescription and completing the medical record entry is 100 AED.

The LightHouse Arabia reserves the right to change fees at its discretion. Clients will be notified in writing, in advance of any changes.

All sessions are to be paid for prior to the session via cash, credit card, PayPal or bank transfer. A payment link will be sent in advance.

For new clients: payment is required within 24 hours of booking the session in order for the session to be confirmed. You will receive a payment link via SMS and email.

For existing clients: payment is required by 12pm one day prior to the session (or by 12pm on Thursday for Saturday sessions). You will receive a payment link via SMS and email 2 days prior to your session.

If for any reason a client is unable to attend a scheduled session, they are requested to contact The LightHouse Arabia as soon as possible and no later than 12.00pm noon the day before the scheduled time (or 12.00pm noon on Thursday for Saturday sessions). Sessions that are cancelled later than the cutoff time or missed without notification will be charged as follows:

• Sessions for adult individuals/couples/families: charged at the full fee
• Sessions for individuals aged 18 years and under: charged at 50% of the full fee

Please note, insurance companies do not cover missed sessions.

Should a clinician/therapist/psychiatrist make a short-notice cancellation after 12.00pm noon on the previous day for any reason (or 12.00pm on Thursday for Saturday sessions) – whether it is an emergency or not – the fee for the next session will be waived. For clients aged 18 years and under, there will be a 50% discount applied.

Clients who request to be seen by their clinician for out-of-clinic therapeutic support will be charged the respective clinician’s hourly rate. In addition, there will be a 60-minute minimum charge for travel time to and from the site.

If the client chooses to engage in sessions online via Zoom or any other agreed online video platform, he/she understands that communicating via the Internet is not 100% secure. The following points apply:

• Please familiarize yourself with the privacy policy and security/encryption levels of the online platform you are using for therapy. The LightHouse Arabia is not responsible for any outside-party breaches to the online video platform’s security measures or unauthorized access to your personal or confidential information.
• The terms of confidentiality are the same as those for in-person sessions and apply to all information shared during online sessions.
• Sessions should not be recorded by either client or clinician.
• The LightHouse Arabia uses the Zoom online video platform for virtual sessions. You will be provided with written instructions on how to use it in advance of your session.
• You will require a webcam or smartphone for the session.
• It is important to be on time and in a quiet, private space that is free of distractions (including mobile phone or other devices) during the session.
• It is important to use a secure internet connection rather than public/free Wi-Fi.
• If you need to cancel or change your online session, you must notify The LightHouse Arabia in advance by phone or email (notification is required by 12pm one day prior to the session or by 12pm on Thursday for Saturday sessions).
• A back-up plan is required (e.g., a phone number where you can be reached) to restart the session or to reschedule it, in the event of technical difficulties. We will continue attempts to restore the web-based connection for a maximum of 5 – 10 minutes before transitioning to a telephone call.
• As your clinician and mental health professional, we may determine that due to certain circumstances, online sessions are no longer appropriate, and that we should resume our sessions in-person or refer you to crisis management services at designated hospitals in Dubai.
• Clients residing outside of the UAE understand that if they are experiencing an emergency, seriously considering harming themselves (suicide), or considering harming someone else then they should immediately go to a local mental health hospital or facility or call their national helpline.

The LightHouse Arabia operates Saturday – Thursday, 8am – 8pm.

If clients need to contact their clinicians outside of therapy session times, they may call or email. Please note that clinicians may not be able to respond immediately. Every effort will be made to return client calls within 24 hours. It is important to note that The LightHouse Arabia therapists do not provide crisis services. Should clients require after-hours services due to mental or emotional distress, they must contact the emergency room at the nearest hospital. If the clinician is unavailable for an extended period of time, clients will be provided with the name of a trusted clinician/colleague whom they can contact, if necessary.

Ending therapy may occur at any time and can be requested by either the client or the clinician. If you have concerns about your therapy experience, please share these with your clinician and perhaps changes can be made to make therapy more helpful to you. It is not unusual for an individual to meet with more than one clinician before they find the “best fit.” Please share your preferences and the clinician may be able to help you find a clinician who may be a better match for you.

Generally, therapy ends when you have accomplished the goals you established at the beginning of therapy. If you stop attending sessions without prior notice, the clinician generally does not call out of respect for your choice. Do not interpret his/her not calling as the clinician not caring about you. If you decide at a later date that you are ready to resume therapy again, please feel free to call The LightHouse Arabia. The clinician understands that sometimes it is just not the right time for clients to devote the energy necessary for successful therapy.

Please note, clients who have not engaged in therapy for a period of four (4) months are considered inactive clients. As such, if you seek to resume services four (4) months after your last session, you may not find availability in the clinicians schedule.

In some cases, clients will be given treatment recommendations deemed necessary for further ensuring their safety. Your psychiatrist may require you to undertake an urgent psychiatric assessment or to be assessed at inpatient psychiatric services. Your psychologist may strongly recommend a referral to psychiatry, a general practitioner or the hospital for medical assessment. We reserve the right to discontinue treatment at The LightHouse Arabia should you decline and ignore these treatment recommendations which have been made to preserve your functioning, health and overall safety.

The initial session is referred to as the diagnostic intake. During this session, the clinician will gather a history of the presenting issue and other biopsychosocial information. The evaluation process may take more than one session depending on the client. By the end of the evaluation, the clinician should be able to offer initial impressions of the services required and the treatment plan. The services could include: psychotherapy (individual, couple, family), psychological assessment, behavioral therapy, group therapy, or psychiatry.