Policies

Reaching your goals through nutrition requires making a financial investment, planning, discipline, and being able to juggle various demands and commitments. Committing to paying for and then coming to your appointments is a way of saying “Yes!” to yourself.

I believe that when you reach out to me for support, you are looking, in part, for someone to hold you accountable. I believe that having a set of clear policies is the best way to serve you, as well as for the attainment of your goals.

Cancellations/No Shows

When you schedule an appointment, I reserve that time for you - sometimes it is reserved for a week but more often it is held for two, four, or even more weeks.

When you need to reschedule inside of 12 hours notice, it is unlikely that I will be able to fill your slot with another client.

If you are unable to give more than 12 hour notice, you will be charged 100% of the service with a credit card on file, or the session will be deducted from your prepaid program contract.

If you fail to make your appointment (no-show), you will be charged 100% of the service with a credit card on file, or the session will be deducted from your prepaid program contract.

Yes, at times I also need to cancel or reschedule an appointment.

I am a single mom, running a small business. I too am trying my best to take care of my health. Things come up. I do my best to communicate about schedule changes in advance and will never deduct payment from your account because of my need to reschedule.

We work together to align our schedules. It’s as easy as that!

Payments

Payment for all program contracts is required at the time of booking, in order to shorten check-out time in the office after your session, as well as to honor the cancellation policy.

You can choose to either pay for your program contract in full at the time of scheduling, or pay on a monthly payment schedule, for the duration of the program. Payment schedule requires a deposit at time of program registration.

Health savings account debit cards often work quite nicely for your program contract, paying in full or with scheduled monthly installments.

Information about insurance 

Refunds & Transfers

All payments are final. No refunds will be given for nutrition services at any time.

Refund requests for nutritional products purchased through FullScript may be addressed directly with their customer service department.

Transfers of programs/contracts to another person are not permissable.

Late Arrivals

If you arrive late, your session will be shortened in order to accommodate others whose appointments follow yours. Depending on how late you arrive, we will determine if there is enough time remaining to start the session.

Regardless of the length of the session, you will be charged 100% of the service with a credit card on file, or the session will be deducted from your prepaid program contract.

Homework & Tasks

It is your right to know the goals and plan for your nutrition program, as well as my views on your goals and plan.

In follow up sessions, I will work with you to clarify goals and establish steps for you to be successful in your program  Periodically we will review your progress as well as your satisfaction with your program.

However, just the like old saying, "you can bring a horse to water" ultimately, the determination to make a change in your nutritional habits requires a commitment from you.

I understand that change is a slow and sometimes painful process.  It’s tempting to quit when things get challenging, but I encourage you to stick with it and follow through as best as you are able on your homework and tasks.

Success depends on you.

Grievance

If for any reason you are dissatisfied with the service you are receiving, please discuss this with me right away so I can do my best to understand your concerns, and we can work immediately to remedy the situation.

Referrals

Depending on your health concerns, additional team members may be necessary to help you meet your goals.  In some cases, necessary treatment falls outside of my scope of practice. I will refer you to some other health care providers if I believe additional support is needed.

Client Communication

The information provided in our sessions can be a lot to take in so it is quite understandable that questions will come up.

It is my sincere goal to provide you with as much help as possible for the successful implementation of your customized nutrition program.

It is best to communicate with me via the messenger feature, rather than by email or text to ensure I have record of our correspondence and can respond to you in the most timely and efficient manner.

Messages sent to me through the portal are typically answered once per week.

Additionally, your package of services includes ample text messaging “sessions” for you to book with me in order to communicate in real time with urgent questions you have.

Program Package Expiration Dates

Packages all have firm, set dates upon which the items within the package expire.

This policy is so that I may maintain a manageable quota of engaged/active clients in my small practice. I have clients all over the US and around the world.  

I often run a wait-list for new clients. Package end-dates give me an idea of when new spots are opening up in my practice.

Existing clients are encouraged to continue working with me by registering for a Continuation Program.

Please keep in mind: when the expiration date of your program package arises, all of the sessions within that package will also expire, regardless of whether or not they have been used.

For example, if a package is set to expire on May 15, the sessions in that package will expire on May 15.

Please make careful note of the start and finish dates of your program package.

It is the client's responsibility to use the sessions contained therein. There will not be any extensions granted for expired package sessions.

Your Rights

I am committed to providing ethical, respectful and competent nutritional services regardless of race, religion, ethnic background, gender, sexual orientation, sexual identify, or disability.  You can expect that I will provide high quality professional service.

Privacy Policy

The forms that are available to complete via my website are for those interested in becoming a client. T

he forms ask for some personal contact information as well as detailed information about past and present medical information, symptoms of illness, and family medical history.

All personal information collected is used only to assess your current health and nutritional status, and to formulate nutritional and supplement recommendations.

Contact information from these forms is used to communicate with you and to provide you with information that you request.  

At no time will personal medical or health information be shared or made available to any person, company or other third party without your prior written permission.

Disclaimer, Limitations of Liability & Indemnity

The information on this website is for educational purposes only and should not be considered medical advice. This information is provided to help you make informed decisions about your health.

It is not meant to replace the advice of your primary physician.

Choosing a holistic approach to health care through nutrition means choosing personal responsibility for your health care.

Sara Peternell, MNT, is not liable or responsible for any harm, damage or illness arising from the use of the information contained herein or through any of the nutritional therapy programs available for purchase.

By reading the information on this website, and by becoming a client, you agree to defend, indemnify and hold harmless Sara Peternell, MNT, and all agents, from and against any and all claims, liabilities, damages, losses or expenses, including reasonable attorneys’ fees and costs, arising out of or in any way connected with your access to or use of the website, products or services.