Our Coaching Agreement

Sex & Relationship Coaching

Somatic (body-based) coaching differs from other therapy in that it emphasizes your connection to your body. It also emphasizes the importance of experiences (as opposed to thoughts) as the central vehicle towards deeper freedom and choice. During our work together, there will be times when I invite you to experiment with yourself, your partner (if you are coming in as a couple) and with me around emotions, touch, intimacy, and connection. All of these experiments are in service of you having a deeper understanding of your own internal process. Touch is only used with your permission, and you have the right to stop or change AT ANY TIME, for any reason, any touch or experience in which we are engaging. I will respond to your request respectfully and without question.

While the focus of our work together is the improvement of your sexual and relational lives, there may be other areas of your life (i.e., work, school, family history, etc.), which inform your sexual and relational well- being so we may need to discuss these and other realms in order to help you move through relationship and intimacy blocks. In the capacity of Sex & Relationship Coach, I am NOT working as a licensed psychotherapist and am not required to be licensed in order to practice Sex & Relationship Coaching in the State of Florida.

Psychotherapy vs. Coaching
While there are some similarities between coaching and psychotherapy, psychotherapy is a health care service and is often reimbursable through health insurance policies. This is not true for coaching. Although both coaching and psychotherapy use knowledge of human behavior, motivation and behavioral change, and interactive counseling techniques, the focus of coaching is the development and implementation of strategies that help people reach their identified goals of enhanced performance and personal satisfaction. This agreement is for coaching. I will be both direct and challenging and stay within the scope of my training.

My Responsibilities to You as Your Coach

1. Confidentiality
You have the absolute right to confidentiality in our work together. I will not tell anyone else what you have told me, or even that you are working with me, without your prior written permission. I will always act to protect your privacy even if you do release me in writing to share information about you. You may direct me to share information with whomever you choose, and you can change your mind and revoke that permission at any time.

If you elect to communicate with me by email or text message at some point in our work together, please be aware that these media are not completely confidential. All messages are retained in the logs of your and my Internet service provider, and text messages are recorded by your and my phone service provider. While under normal circumstances no one looks at these logs, they are, in theory, available to be read by the system administrator(s) of the Internet service or phone provider.

I know sexuality can be a very personal topic and I want to assure you that your identity as a client and all you say in sessions is confidential. Aside from financial records, any notes I keep about you for our records will not have your name or identifying information associated with them.

I have consulting or supervisory relationships with several experienced relationship coaches and it is common practice for me to consult with them on my caseload. I also sometimes consult with other coaches to seek their input so that I can provide the best services possible. The purpose of consultation is to ensure quality of care. I make every effort to protect your identity at all times in these settings.

If I am working with you as a couple, and seeing you in individual sessions, I WILL NOT share any information with your partner that you tell me in your individual sessions. I believe it is your job to negotiate your relationship and I want to make sure that each individual has a place for full disclosure. This can help each person clarify what they are doing and how it may impact their relationship and make decisions with which each of you are in alignment.

2. Referrals and Consent to Share Information
If you have been referred to me by another therapist, coach, or practitioner, it is important to acknowledge their role in your journey. With your written consent, I may communicate with the referring practitioner to ensure continuity of care and to provide the most effective support for you. This communication will be limited to relevant information that will aid in your treatment. You have the right to withhold consent or revoke it at any time.

3. Informed Consent & the Use of Touch
Somatic or body-oriented treatment recognizes the inherent unity of our human nature and our biological organization. Through the integration of our body sensations and movements with our cognitive and emotional processes, somatic coaching promotes wholeness, increased interpersonal functioning, and the resolution of therapeutic concerns. Somatic interventions include the study of and interaction between our physical sensations, postures, gestures, thoughts, feelings, and language; self-management through modification of our movements and postures; and the use of touch.

During our work together, there may be times when I invite you to experiment with yourself, your partner(s), or with me around emotions, touch, intimacy, and connection—all within the express boundaries of my training. All of these experiments are in service of you having a deeper understanding of your own internal process. Touch is only used with your informed consent, and only when you actively say yes. I will take silence, saying “maybe,” or any response other than a clear “yes” as a “no.”

Before we engage in any touch-based practice, I will describe and explain what I’m suggesting so that you can make an informed choice about exploring it, and so we can make any adjustments needed to make the exercise both safe and effective. You have the right to stop or change any touch or exercise in which we are engaging AT ANY TIME, for any reason. I will respond to your expressed boundary request respectfully and without question. I also watch for non-verbal cues and reserve the right to check in with you or stop an activity or exercise when I feel it is not serving you or potentially causing harm.

The use of touch is not appropriate or desirable for all clients. Furthermore, each person has his/her individual comfort level with different types of touch. You have the right to refuse, modify, or stop any touch at any time, for any reason. If touch is used during session, I will continuously monitor verbal and non-verbal communication regarding consent for touch to ensure your comfort with interventions and the genuineness of your consent. Please notify me if you have any questions, concerns, or if you decide to avoid or limit, in any way, the use of touch in your therapy.

4. Professionalism in Our Working Relationship
In order to maintain the container that supports the personal growth and healing work that we will engage in, we will not have any personal relationship while we are working together, and for at least one year after the termination of our coaching relationship. In this context, “personal relationship” includes close friendship and intimate social interactions. You are welcome to follow or interact with me on social media and/or to attend events I host, with the understanding that it does not constitute a personal relationship.

Since I sometimes share social community with clients and I produce events and workshops, it is possible that we might both be present at the same event or in the same social spaces, or have mutual acquaintances. If we see each other in public or social spaces, I will not acknowledge that you are my client or anything related to our work together and I will greet and interact with you as I do any other community member. You are welcome to acknowledge or divulge our practitioner-client work together or not, as you choose.

Navigating Pre-Existing Relationships

If you and I share professional circles, we will have an open and frank discussion before our first coaching session to talk about what we would each need to both support our work together and maintain an appropriate professional relationship.

If you and I have a pre-existing personal or professional relationship, we will have an open and frank discussion to explore if we can maintain our connection, if we need to shift entirely to a practitioner-client relationship, or if you would be better served by a different coach. That will depend on the nature of the concern or topic that you are seeking support for, the history that we share, and your motivations or approaching me. Your safety and needs will be prioritized through this process.

Your Rights as a Coaching Client

You have the right to ask questions about anything that happens as part of our coaching work. I'm always willing to discuss how and why I've decided to do what I'm doing, and to look at alternatives that might work better. You can feel free to ask me to try something that you think will be helpful, so we might discuss my level of experience with the technique you have in mind. You can ask me about my training for working with your concerns and can request that I refer you to someone else if you decide I'm not the right practitioner for you.

You are free to end coaching at any time, for any reason. Usually, it will be up to you to decide when to discontinue working together. If, in my professional opinion, I am no longer serving your best interests for any reason, including an exceeding of my competence, I will refer you to another qualified professional. If you do violence to, verbally or physically threaten, or harass my family or me, I reserve the right to terminate you unilaterally and immediately from coaching. If I terminate you from coaching, I will offer you referrals to other sources of care but cannot guarantee that they will accept you as a client.

You have the right to refuse treatment and the right to choose a practitioner and treatment modality that best suits your needs.

Your Responsibilities as a Coaching Client

1. Attendance and Cancellations
You are responsible for coming to your session on time and at the time we have scheduled. If you are late, we will end on time and not run over into the next person's session.

If you miss a session without canceling, or cancel with less than 48 hours’ notice, you must pay for that session before our next regularly scheduled meeting.

An exception to this rule exists if you would endanger others by attending (for instance, if you are sick with a contagious or communicable illness).

As a courtesy, I will attempt to provide 48 hours’ notice to clients if a coach needs to cancel a session. If I need to cancel, every attempt will be made to provide a make-up session time. You will not be billed for a session cancelled by me.

Monthly Subscription Clients: If you are on a monthly subscription plan, you are allowed one missed or late-canceled session per month without penalty. Additional missed or late-canceled sessions will be handled according to the standard policy outlined above.

2. Altered States
Coaching with me involves working together to help you access, observe, and process deeply emotional content as a resource for insight. You are responsible for coming to sessions “unaltered” from your normal daily state of mind. I have no judgment about your recreational activities outside of our time together, but the presence or residue of any drugs, alcohol, or the like in your system challenges our ability to reach those deep emotions in a way useful to our purpose. You will also not be permitted to use any substances by any means of delivery while in session. “Substances” include, but are not limited to alcohol, nicotine, marijuana, benzos, narcotics, and psychedelics/hallucinogens. UNLESS substances are PRESCRIBED BY A MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL, and taken as prescribed, you will be asked to reschedule your session should your altered state become apparent. You will be charged full fee for the session.hat may be available to you.

3. Fees
The current fee schedule is as follows:

60 Minute Sessions for Individuals are $ 115.00.
90 Minute Sessions for Individuals are $ 170.00.
90 Minute Sessions for Couples are $ 185.00.

Outcall Visits outside of Alachua County are subject to a rate of $1 per mile roundtrip, subject to a $25.00. minimum. Mileage rates will be calculated based on the distance between the Practitioner’s office and Client’s location.

Shorter or longer sessions, as agreed upon by mutual consent, may be arranged on a prorated basis. Fees for other professional services (such as treatment coordination and/or consultation with other Practitioners or individuals, telephone contact in excess of 15 minutes and telephone, virtual or email counseling) are prorated based on the usual session fee. Fees for existing clients may be adjusted at the beginning of each calendar year. You will be informed in advance of any fee increases.

I maintain a limited number of sliding scale spots on my schedule for clients who are experiencing financial need. Please reach out if this applies to you and we can discuss finding a way to make coaching accessible to you.

4. Payment Policies
Payment is due upon scheduling of each session. I am not part of any in-network insurance panels and you should not expect any of the services to be covered or reimbursed by insurance or through a flexible spending account. You assume full responsibility for and agree to pay all costs, charges, and expenses for services rendered under this Agreement.

5. Complaints and Concerns
There are no guaranteed results in coaching. If you're unhappy with what's happening in our work together, I hope you'll talk about it with me so that I can respond to your concerns. I will always take such feedback seriously, and with care and respect.

6. Health; Consent to Treatment
By accepting the terms of this Agreement, you voluntarily consent to coaching, treatment, or evaluation performed by me, with the understanding that I am not a licensed therapist. This consent for treatment is valid for all services that are provided from the date that you sign this Agreement until services are terminated. You understand that you can revoke this consent for treatment at any time in writing (an email can serve this purpose) to me.

You represent that you are physically and mentally sound and suffering from no condition, impairment, disease, infirmity, or other illness that would prevent you from receiving the services or that would risk your health or well-being while receiving the services.

You agree to notify me of any changes in mental or physical health or life circumstances that may affect your treatment.

7. Assumption of Risk; Limitation of Liability
You certify that you voluntarily agree to receive these services. You understand and acknowledge that sex and relationship coaching by their very nature, carry with them certain inherent risks that cannot be eliminated.

You understand and acknowledge that, regardless of the care taken by Practitioner, I/Practitioner cannot guarantee your safety, health or well-being, or any specific results. You expressly assume and accept sole responsibility for your health and safety and for any and all injuries that may occur. You understand that you must inform Practitioner of any medical conditions, medications or other factors that may affect your ability to safely receive the services.

You agree that to the fullest extent permitted by law, Practitioner shall not be liable to you for any injury, harm, loss or damage that you may suffer as a result of your receiving the services or of any activity contemplated by this Agreement. You hereby agree to waive any claim against Practitioner for any injury, harm, loss or damage that you may suffer as a result of your receiving the services or of any activity contemplated by this Agreement.

You understand that if you were referred to Practitioner by Somatica®, LLC, Practitioner is an independent contractor that has no ongoing professional relationship with Somatica®, LLC, and Somatica®, LLC takes no responsibility for the practices or methods of Practitioner. You agree that to the fullest extent permitted by law, Somatica®, LLC and Practitioner: Cathariya Ferris/Amory Wellness & Consulting, LLC shall not be liable to you for any injury, harm, loss or damage that you may suffer as a result of your receiving the services or of any activity contemplated by this Agreement. You hereby agree to waive any claim against Somatica®, LLC and Practitioner: Cathariya Ferris/Amory Wellness & Consulting, LLC for any injury, harm, loss or damage that you may suffer as a result of your receiving the services or of any activity contemplated by this Agreement.

8. Indemnification
You agree to hold harmless and indemnify Somatica®, LLC, Practitioner: Cathariya Ferris/Amory Wellness & Consulting, LLC and Somatica®, LLC’s employees and independent contractors from all claims (whether initiated by you or by a third party) and to reimburse them for any expenses incurred as a result of your involvement with Practitioner or receipt of the services.

9. Treatment Refusal/Termination
You acknowledge that at any time you can suspend or refuse to implement any and all recommendations or instructions made by me. You agree to take responsibility for and keep all of your own physical and emotional boundaries within sessions and immediately inform me if anything is happening in the session that makes you feel uncomfortable.

The ongoing commitment to the relationship between you and me will always be treated with utmost importance and I will make every effort to maintain a mutually healthy working relationship and asks you to do the same. That being said, either your or I are free to terminate this agreement at any time for any reason. If you would like to continue coaching or start some form of therapy, I will make every effort to assist with transitioning to a different service Practitioner if a client is discharged from services. No services shall be started or ended without written notification.