CONFIDENTIALITY

CONFIDENTIALITY FOR ALL:

All communications between you and your therapist will be held in strict confidence unless you provide written permission to release information about your treatment. If you participate in marital or family therapy, your therapist will not disclose confidential information about your treatment unless all person(s) who participated in the treatment with you provide their written authorization to release. (In addition, your therapist will not disclose information communicated privately to him or her by one family member, to any other family member without written permission.) There are exceptions to confidentiality. For example, therapists are required to report instances of suspected child, dependent adult or elder abuse. Therapists may also be required or permitted to break confidentiality when they have determined that a patient presents a serious danger of physical violence to another person or when a patient is dangerous to him or herself.

CONFIDENTIALITY FOR FAMILY/COUPLES THERAPY:

If you participate in marital or family therapy, your therapist will not disclose confidential information about your treatment unless all person(s) who participated in the treatment with you provide their written authorization to release such information. However, it is important that you know that your therapist utilizes a “no-secrets” policy when conducting family or marital/couples therapy. This means that if you participate in family, and/or marital/couples therapy, your therapist is permitted to use information obtained in an individual session that you may have had with him or her, when working with other members of your family.

Please feel free to ask your therapist about his or her “no secrets” policy and how it may apply to you.

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MINORS & CONFIDENTIALITY:

Communications between therapists and patients who are minors (under the age of 18) are confidential. However, parents and other guardians who provide authorization for their child’s treatment are often involved in their treatment. Consequently, your therapist, in the exercise of his or her professional judgment, may discuss the treatment progress of a minor patient with the parent or caretaker. Patients who are minors and their parents are urged to discuss any questions or concerns that they have on this topic with their therapist.