First without the promise of confidentiality people needing treatment will not seek it. Second, Effective therapy requires the patients full disclosure of his or her innermost thoughts. Without assurance that the thoughts disclosed will not be revealed by the therapist, the patients could not overcome psychological barriers standing in the way of such revelations. Third, successful treatment itself
As a counselor, the clients that come to receive services will generally be experiencing a tough time in in their lives. The intent of a counselor should be to see them through this time and help them overcome the hardship. A majority of the information they share will be not only be expected, but required to stay confidential. Summers (2014), informs her readers that “confidentiality is both an ethical principle and a legal right” (p. 47). Many individuals feel a sense of comfort knowing that the information they share with counselors will remain between them. Without this, many clients would potentially not feel comfortable enough to share some of the intense personal feelings or experiences they are dealing with.
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).
This paper begins with a general idea of self-disclosure by therapists and the importance of keeping the client’s needs first. It covers many aspects of self-disclosure including ethically what to look for in the motives of using self-disclosure with a client. There are other aspects of self-disclosure which include transference and countertransference which are issues which need to be attended to immediately for the therapist to remain objective and not react to a client. Therapists must be cautious in disclosing information and make sure it is relevant to treatment. Beneficence and nonmaleficence are important things to consider when self-disclosing and the therapist must be educated, well trained, and have experience before considering self-disclosure. Also included in this paper are different orientations in relation to self-disclosure. Those orientations include Adlerian therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, feminist therapy, and relational therapy. Although these are only a few orientations,
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).
Ethical considerations: The client practitioner relationship has to be approached with the utmost respect. Practitioners have a moral obligation as well as a legal obligation to make sure their clients are aware of confidentiality requirements and disclosure policies. The client has to feel safe in his or her environment to communicate openly about his or her needs and concerns, whereas the practitioner has a legal obligation to disclose any harmful statements made by the client in reference to specific people or self. The right to know laws make it so they even have to disclose directly to an individual when a life threat is voiced toward a named person. When both the
Breaking confidentiality is a serious ethical component in counseling and must be considered very carefully before doing so. Each state has laws regarding the disclosure of confidentiality whether it to the courts, the clients, relatives, lawyers, schools, or other unbiased parties (Corey et al., 2015). It is very important that the therapist is aware of the laws in regards to disclosure of confidentiality in the state in which they practice to ensure that they are practicing in an ethical manner and to avoid any legal
How Therapist Self-Disclosure And Non-Disclosure Affects Clients”, stated that, “The study results suggest that therapist self‐disclosure has both positive and negative treatment implications.” It depends on how therapeutic the self-disclosure would benefit the client in that given situation, and the client’s receptiveness to what information is given to them; for example, one patient may respond positively to a therapist’s self –disclosure that reveals another safe point of view of an issue, while another patient might feel that therapist’s has over stepped their boundaries. Madill et al. stated that, “These were sometimes attributed to inexperience and sometimes the characteristics of the total situation, such as events from the therapist's personal life” (13). There are times when sharing something from the therapist can help explain an issue that is present during the time of that therapy appointment. Another problem with a therapist’s self-disclosure is that after years of treatment, the therapist can run out of examples to use to clarify a point made during the appointment. Years and years of treatment sometimes cover issues where the therapist, will add something about himself or herself. People who tend to talk for a very long time during therapy can relate on a level that is not crossing the boundaries. In addition, self –disclosure may be a major problem for therapists who live and work in rural communities, because
Professionals inform clients of the limits of confidentiality prior to the onset of the helping relationship." (NOHS, n.d.). This is an important standard to follow because…..
Regardless of the State in which they are operating, mental health counselors are held to strict guidelines and laws that aim to keep the therapist-client relationship ethical and confidential. In the video, “Legal and Ethical Issues for Mental Health Professionals, Vol 1: Confidentiality, Privilege, Reporting, and Duty to Warn,” a conversation is directed by a judge on the rules and exceptions of these four topics, and how they relate to the therapist-client relationship. Within the video, three separate cases are reviewed, including the ruling decisions that were made by the state courts in their charge. This paper will seek to outline the laws that pertain to confidentiality, duty to warn, mandatory reporting, and privilege in the state
The present HIV pandemic presents challenges for mental health practitioners who, in the course of therapy, sometimes become privy to confidential information about potentially lethal sexual relationships ongoing between the client and one or more uninformed partner(s). In this lecture I will discuss the current professional/legal status of making disclosure in such cases, and my work as an applied professional ethicist in the development, drafting, and defense of a limited rule of disclosure.
Clearly, confidentiality is essential to the healing process. However, though it may appear to be a relatively easy concept, its application in the therapeutic atmosphere has proven to be quite complex (Younggren & Harris, p. 589). One issue that causes confusion for many professionals pertains to the differences between confidentiality and legal privilege. Quite often, ethical obligations overlap with the legal requirements. Frequently, the practitioner is not well informed about these particular limits on confidentiality and this lack of knowledge can place both the client and the helping professional at risk (Younggren & Harris, p.590, 598).
Goldfried, M.R., Burckell, L.A., & Eubanks-Carter, C. (2003). Therapist self-disclosure in cognitive-behavior therapy. Journal of Clinical Psychology, Special Issue: In Session, 59(5), 555-568.
Some forms of self-disclosure are unavoidable. When a client walks into a therapy room they learn a great deal about their therapist. They will instantly see their therapist’s gender, approximate age, race, body type and style of dress (Peterson, 2002). In addition, information about credentials, where they were
I think Self Disclosure is a slippery slope because if we let to much about ourselves we can experience a role reversal and if we do not disclose enough we may loose the client. I do think that drawing this line is difficult because as counselors we know the importance of connecting with the client and a shared personal experience is like creating an instant connection with another person. Our experiences give us the ability to empathize more deeply then just trying to put ourselves in someone else situation. I think I would have the most problem with self disclosure because I tend to be very open about my life, and things I have gone through I do not shy from sharing a personal experience. I like to help and