Confidentiality policy

Confidentiality

(a) Confidentiality is a means of providing the client with safety and privacy and thus protects client autonomy. For this reason, any limitation on the degree of confidentiality is likely to diminish the effectiveness of counselling.

(b) The counselling contract will include any agreement about the level and limits of the confidentiality offered. This agreement can be reviewed and changed by negotiation between the counsellor and the client. Agreements about confidentiality continue after the client's death unless there are overriding legal or ethical

As a member of the Australian Counselling Association, the peak body for counsellors and psychotherapists in Australia, policies fall under their recommendations.

1. All sessions remain private and confidential with only a few criteria that necessitate breaking that confidentiality.

Confidentiality is a means of providing the client with safety and privacy and thus protects client autonomy. For this reason, any limitation on the degree of confidentiality is likely to diminish the effectiveness of counselling.

In cases where the client's safety is in jeopardy any confidentially agreements that may interfere with this safety are to be considered void (see 'Exceptional circumstances').

The counselling contract will include any agreement about the level and limits of the confidentiality offered.

This agreement can be reviewed and changed by negotiation between the counsellor and the client. Agreements about confidentiality continue after the client's death unless there are overriding legal or ethical considerations. In cases where the client's safety is in jeopardy any confidentially agreements that may interfere with this safety are to be considered void (see 'Exceptional circumstances').

Confidentiality extends to client records which must be kept securely - be they maintained as hard copy or by digital processes.

Exceptional circumstances may arise which give the counsellor good grounds for believing that serious harm may occur to the client or to other people. In such circumstance the client's consent to change in the agreement about confidentiality will be sought whenever possible unless there are also good grounds for believing the client is no longer willing or able to take responsibility for his/her actions.

Normally, the decision to break confidentiality would be discussed with the client and would be made only after consultation with an experienced counsellor.

Any disclosure of confidential information would be restricted to relevant information, conveyed only to appropriate people and for appropriate reasons likely to alleviate the exceptional circumstances.

The ethical considerations include achieving a balance between acting in the best interests of the client and the counsellor's responsibilities under the law and to the wider community.

(c) While counsellors hold different views about grounds for breaking confidentiality, such as potential self-harm, suicide, and harm to others they must also consider thoseput forward in this Code, as they too should imbue their practice. These views should be communicated to both clients and significant others e.g. peer group supervisor.