You may contact me by leaving a message on one of my
Confidential voice mails:
404.235.1178 (Southeast)
360.317.4555 (Orcas Island, WA)
or by emailing me at:
DrVErhardt@aol.com
I do not always check my email daily and upon occasion may have computer problems, so a phone message is a more reliable way of contacting me than an email.
Remember too that the privacy of information sent via email cannot be guaranteed. I encourage you to consider this fact before communicating anything to me that you would prefer to keep confidential. I do not communicate with clients via email about anything that would be considered Protected Health Information (PHI), that is, information that may identify you and that relates to your past, present or future physical or mental health and related physical or mental health care services. Therefore, I do not write anything to to clients in emails except information about matters such as scheduling and location.
Unless we have made arrangements in advance (such as for a telephone session), I am not immediately available by phone. I do, however, make every effort to respond to messages left on my voice mail within 24 hours except when my outgoing message indicates that I am out of town or when I am otherwise unavoidably unavalable.
If you do not feel that you can await my return call, please contact your primary care provider, go to the emergency room of your local hospital and ask for the psychologist or psychiatrist on call, or call a crisis hotline, such as the 24 hour Georgia Mental Health Emergency Hotline at 1.866.821.0465, or Mental Health Care Crisis Response Services' 24 hour Emergency Crisis Hotline at 1.800.584.3578.
If I know that I will be unavailable for an extended period, I will notify current clients in advance and, if you feel you might need professional assistance during my absence, I will give you the contact information of a trusted colleague who will be on call for me.
