Confidentiality
Privacy
What is shared in any consultation in
my office, on the phone, or by email will be treated as confidential.
No information about you or your counseling sessions will be discussed with anyone without your permission. There are a few exceptions. In some situations I am required by law or by the guidelines of my profession to disclose information. These include:
(1) Cases of child abuse (children under 18 years of age), or abuse of vulnerable adults.
(2) Times when a person intends to harm her/himself or others and has the plan and means to carry out this threat.
(3) When a client is under 18 years of age, the privilege of confidentiality is held by the parents or legal guardians, and information shared during a therapy session with the minor child may be shared with the parent or legal guardian.
(4) If you are involved in a court proceeding, a therapist may be required by court order to release information concerning your treatment if the court deems it to be relevant. If you are involved in or are contemplating litigation, you should consult with your attorney to determine whether a court would be likely to order a disclosure of information.
(5) If a third party such as an insurance company is paying for part of your bill, I am normally required to provide dates of services and give a diagnosis to that third party in order to be reimbursed. Diagnoses are technical terms that describe the nature of your problems and something about whether they are short-term or long-term. All of the diagnoses are approved and defined in the professional reference book Diagnostic & Statistical Manual (DSM-V).
Record Keeping:
I keep very brief records, noting only what interventions have occurred, and general topics and themes we have discussed. All records are maintained securely and are treated as confidential. (As defined above)