What is confidentiality & privileged communication?
Counseling offers two ways to protect your information. Confidentiality is a law that keeps your information private within the therapy relationship. A therapist is bound to protect the identity of his/her clients, the content of the sessions, and all identifying information. Your right to confidentiality and privileged communication are viewed in the courts' eyes as the same right between you and your doctor or lawyer. There are some specific instances where a therapist must break confidentiality.
1. Reasonable suspicion of abuse or neglect of a child or elder. If we have good reason to suspect a child or elder is being abused or neglected we must report to the respective hotlines. We are mandated reporters for even those who are not under our care. (For instance, a kid in your child's class who is not getting fed properly.)
2. Threat of harm to another person. If you have led your therapist to believe you will likely harm someone else physically are mandated to turn over this information to the proper authority.
3. Threat of harm to self. If you have led your therapist to believe you will likely harm yourself and are a clear threat to your own life, we are mandated to report this to the proper authority.
Your therapist is not mandated to get permission to make the judgement on when to call. A therapist does not take his/her responsibility here lightly and it is an abuse of power and breaking the law if they make false claims with regards to your confidentiality. The therapist will go through the proper check points with you to further assess your situation fully prior to making any report. Please do not assume that the therapist made a call on you if they did not have reason to. There are many professionals who are mandated reporters in these situations including school staff and officials, doctors, nurses, etc.
1. Reasonable suspicion of abuse or neglect of a child or elder. If we have good reason to suspect a child or elder is being abused or neglected we must report to the respective hotlines. We are mandated reporters for even those who are not under our care. (For instance, a kid in your child's class who is not getting fed properly.)
2. Threat of harm to another person. If you have led your therapist to believe you will likely harm someone else physically are mandated to turn over this information to the proper authority.
3. Threat of harm to self. If you have led your therapist to believe you will likely harm yourself and are a clear threat to your own life, we are mandated to report this to the proper authority.
Your therapist is not mandated to get permission to make the judgement on when to call. A therapist does not take his/her responsibility here lightly and it is an abuse of power and breaking the law if they make false claims with regards to your confidentiality. The therapist will go through the proper check points with you to further assess your situation fully prior to making any report. Please do not assume that the therapist made a call on you if they did not have reason to. There are many professionals who are mandated reporters in these situations including school staff and officials, doctors, nurses, etc.
