Counseling Confidentiality In Counseling

Trust is an essential factor in the helping process. Without it, clients will not feel free to share their most intimate thoughts and feelings. They will not be completely honest or forthcoming in conversations which will hinder the professional’s ability to truly help the client. For this reason, the promise of confidentiality becomes critical to the process. It is the “secret keeping duty” all helping professionals have an ethical obligation to observe (Younggren & Harris, p.589). It protects the client’s right to privacy and fosters an atmosphere in which one feels safe, facilitating trust and allowing one to feel comfortable enough to share their inner most feelings and thoughts. Most helping professionals agree that

In the relationship between counsellor and client the need for confidentiality is vital as it is not only the bases that the relationship is built on and it is a legal obligation.

Counselors should never talk to others about things that are discussed during a session. That way the client feels free to talk about anything. For a clients to receive help they may have to give private and personal information about themselves that they might not feel comfortable sharing with anyone else. Counselors can do many things that friends and family cannot. For example, a friend or family member may share that private information with others or they might give advice that is not in the client’s best interest. Counselors are specially trained and experienced in helping people solve problems, change how they act or think, and learn new ways of doing things. It is also essential for Counselors to be experienced with working with many people that have similar

Before a counselling session starts it is important that the client understands confidentiality. To be able to understand this the counsellor must explain to the client that anything they say within the

According to the ethical and legal principles of the counseling profession, it is our morally professional responsibility to break confidentiality in order to eliminate the possibilities of chaos, to the best of our ability. The American Counseling Association (ACA) code of ethics explains adherence to confidentiality in a number of instances. In standard A.2.e., Mandated Clients, it describes the requirements for informing mandated clients of the limitations to confidentiality and, should an issue arise, to whom the revealed information must be shared with. This rule applies to all clients. The counselor’s responsibility to do so must be conveyed to the clients at the very beginning of the counseling relationship, with periodic reminders throughout sessions, and include the dangers involved if the client refuses to participate in the mandated sessions. ACA code of ethics further explains in standard B.1.c., Respect for Confidentiality, that counselors are to guard “confidential information” and “disclose” this “information only with appropriate consent or with sound legal or ethical jurisdiction.” Therapists must also “identify situations” where breaches can void or challenge confidentiality (ACA, 2014, B.1.d., p. 7).

However, it is not always that simple and there may be some instances when it is not possible to maintain total confidentiality and the counsellor my have to pass on certain information that was revealed. For example, if a crime has been committed or if there is a risk of harm to another person. In this case the counsellor must be clear with the client what information they may have to pass on and to whom.

Professional counselors and their staff are exposed to sensitive client information and records. The helpful receptionist and whose privilege videos, show how to apply both the American Counseling Association Code of Ethics (ACA Code of Ethics) and state board counseling laws to common ethical scenarios. The content explores aspects designed to call attention to favorable and unfavorable skills and techniques in handling such matters. These two videos demonstrate the limitations of confidentiality and privileged information. As a professional counselor one is expected to uphold the principles of confidentiality and privilege according to the ACA Code of Ethics and state laws. One may conclude that the helpful receptionist video shows clear violations of confidentiality. While the whose privilege video indicates the significance of insuring that counselors comprehend state laws and ethics codes pertaining to confidentiality and privilege. Furthermore, counseling professionals are held accountable for violating ethics codes and state laws as well as training staff on informed consent.

The nature of therapist-client relationship and understanding the therapist’s role is vital in making sure that the client’s rights are not jeopardized. The client must be willing to trust the therapist. The therapist can earn the trust of the client will confidentiality guidelines that are established by requiring informed consent. The therapist-client relationship is based on counseling approach as well as relationship with the client. The therapist’s role is to understand the client’s needs, help them get their needs met mentally, and to develop the proper plan that fits the client’s needs. The therapist must fully

This paper is a response to a video discussing the issues of confidentiality, privilege, reporting, and duty to warn. This paper looks at these issues and their explanations in the American Counseling Association Code of Ethics as well as the Georgia State Board of Professional Counselor’s ethical guidelines and provides a commentary on the laws. It was found that these issues are not always black and white, but there is some debate on these issues. Confidentiality is both an ethical and a legal responsibility yet there are often times when the ethical demands clash with the legal demands. This paper explores some of those crashes and explains what I have learned from the video and the professional and stage guidelines concerning confidentiality and its implications and how I will apply what I have learned into future practice.

Remley and Herlihy (2016) defines confidentiality as an ethical concept which refers to the counselor 's obligation to respect the client 's privacy and in session discussion will be protected from disclosure without their consent (p.108). The receptionist never disclosed what was being discussed in wife A session; however, her inadvertent breach of confidentiality occurred the moment she divulged the fact that wife A is a patient at a mental health facility. An important premise to understanding the ethical principle of confidentiality is base that a counselor respects the client 's right to privacy (Remley & Herlihy, 2016; Quigley, 2007). Premise one states the "counselor honor the rights of clients to decide who knows what information about them and in what circumstances" (p.110).

I feel that counselors do struggle with maintaining confidentiality, which is the most common ethical dilemmas that they will face

In some situations, counselors must clarify that confidentiality cannot be guaranteed (Herlihy and Corey, 2016). Ethically, a counselor should be sure that

When mental health counselors work with various clients during their career, they need to practice confidentiality and privacy when conducting one-on-one, group, or any type of counseling services. Like any medical patient, mental health clinicians need to treat their clients with dignity and respect. It is extremely important for the mental health counselor working with his or her assigned caseload

In any mental heath professions, it is the therapist responsibility to explain and clarify the confidentiality. Consider different circumstances, share information with others in the interest of clients. Managing confidentiality is the most challenging issues facing school counselors (Isaacs & Stone, 1999). School counselors need to know the ethical and legal responsibilities relates to a child, parents, and confidentiality. For example, in relates to informing consent, parents needs to provide inform consent and be included in the counseling sessions. School counselor often consults with parents, and teachers. In this case school counselor must be aware that the primary client is a child. School

1.Confidentiality is the ability to remember and hold in high regards that the client information is strictly confidential and should be protected. According to ACA Code of Ethics, “Counselors disclose information only with appropriate consent or with sound legal or ethical justification.” (ACA, 2014, p.7) Counselors must display proper authorization to disclose client information to protect the clients’ rights to privacy.