Confidentiality in Counselling Sessions
Confidentiality in counselling sessions means that anything about a person seeking counselling – including what they say or do in counselling sessions is private. This means that we will not share what is said with any other person or organisation without the person’s permission. Further, this includes personal information or any notes we may take during and/or after sessions.
Exceptions to Confidentiality
For reasons of safety there are exceptions to confidentiality in counselling sessions. That is to say, we do disclose a person’s private information in certain situations. Such as in unsafe situations where we believe that the person or persons associated with them (third parties) are at imminent and serious risk of harm. We disclose only as much information as is needed. Further, we seek the person’s permission where possible and/or the permission of our supervisor.
Other situations…
Confidentiality in counselling sessions may be broken in one or two other situations as in when we may share some of what a person tells us in sessions with another counsellor and/or take to our professional supervision sessions. This would be without disclosing a person’s identity and would be to strengthen counselling practice for that particular situation or in general.
We may be required by law to share information around a person’s counselling sessions. For example, in certain court cases.
For a full and detailed explanation of the above please see NZ Privacy Act, 1993 and NZAC Code of Ethics .
