Confidentiality in a Counselling Session
Confidentiality in a counselling session is an important requirement for any client coming to see a psychologist or counsellor. Psychologists and counsellors are bound by professional ethics against which the client’s story, their identity and any other information is protected. A client understandably needs to know that their information and disclosures will be confidential, particularly when their secrets, if known outside of their family or close circle, would have a detrimental effect on themselves or others.
There are certain conditions under which confidentiality would be broken. It relates to information about terrorist activity, abuse of minors, criminal activity and planned injury to others. It also relates to injury to the client. If the psychologist believes that their client is, for example, is at serious risk of suicide, they have a duty of care (and I believe ethical requirement as a human being) to provide safety for that client.
A good psychologist will explain all this to you at the first session when you are agreeing the terms under which you will work – if they don’t, do ask, as it is important that you feel assured of the parameters within which the counselling sessions will work for you.
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Tags: counselling, counselling sessions, psychological advice
counselling | clare | 
March 9, 2010 8:19 am
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