HOW DOES MY COUNSELLOR PROTECT MY PRIVACY?

Counsellors have both a legal and ethical obligation to maintain and uphold the best interest of the client. Our counsellors take every precaution to respect the client’s right to confidentiality and protect the safety of each counselling relationship. Before initiating any work with the client, the counsellor will outline the informed consent process which indicates the purposes, goals, techniques, procedures, limitations, potential risks, and benefits of services, along with any other pertinent information. It is also the responsibility of the counsellor to disclose relevant information to clients so that they understand the process of consent. This includes disclosing the type of information which may have to be reported to a third party and the limits to confidentiality. The requirement for counsellors to keep all information confidential is not absolute since disclosure may be required in any of the following circumstances:

• There is an imminent danger to an identifiable third party or to self

• When a counsellor has reasonable cause to suspect abuse or neglect of a child

• When a disclosure is ordered by a court

• When a client requests disclosure

• When a client files a complaint or claims professional liability by the counsellor in a lawsuit

  It is also important to outline as we work with youth under the age of 18 that parents and guardians do not have an absolute right to know all the details of their child’s counselling, but rather, each request should be evaluated on a ‘need to know’ basis. As previously stated, the obligation of the counsellor is with the client and not the parents/guardians regardless if the client is a minor.