Confidentiality

One of your most important rights as a client involves confidentiality.  Within certain limits, information revealed by you during therapy sessions will be kept strictly confidential.  It will not be revealed to any other person or agency without your written consent.

You should also know that there are certain times when, as a mental health professional, your counselor is required by law to reveal information obtained during therapy to other persons or agencies without your consent.  Also, your counselor is not required to inform you of such actions in this regard.  Even so, he or she will most likely discuss with you such potential disclosures before they are made.  The times when your counselor must reveal information to other persons or agencies are as follows:

• If you threaten grave bodily harm or death to another person, your counselor is required by law to take reasonable care to protect that other person. This may include telling the intended victim and/or appropriate law enforcement agencies.
• If you indicate a serious intention to harm yourself, your counselor will take steps to prevent such harm from occurring.
• If a court order is issued, your counselor is required by law to provide the information specifically described by the court (unless an appeal is filed).
• If there is reasonable cause to believe that a child or “at risk adult” may be abused or neglected, your counselor is required by law to report this to the Department of Social Services or the local law enforcement agency. “Abuse or neglect” means an act or omission on the part of any person which seriously threatens the health or welfare of the child or “at risk adult”. This includes abuse that is occurring now or that has occurred in the past.

Please feel free to discuss confidentiality and its limits with your counselor during your initial appointment or at any point thereafter.