Purpose
This confidentiality policy (“Policy”) is intended to protect the privacy of the client (“Client”) in
their therapeutic relationship with the counsellor (“Counsellor”). The purpose of this Policy is to
outline the ways that counsellors working for Serenity Counselling will ensure a secure
environment that fosters trust, openness, and effective therapy.
Extent Of Confidentiality
All communication between the Client and the Counsellor, whether verbal or written, will be treated with utmost confidentiality. This includes counselling sessions, notes, reports, and other personal information. The Counsellor will be responsible for securely storing these records within all applicable legal and ethical guidelines.
Limits Of Confidentiality
While the Counsellor is committed to maintaining confidentiality, certain circumstances may necessitate the disclosure of information. These situations include:
- When the Counsellor believes that the Client poses a risk to their safety or the safety of others.
- When the Counsellor is under legal order to disclose information.
- In cases where consultation with other professionals is needed, either by the client’s suggestion, or if the Counsellor is providing a referral to another service, the Counsellor will only disclose information necessary for the consultation. This information will only be supplied with the Client’s permission, and the Client must fill in a Permission to Disclose form, supplied by the Counsellor.
In any of these circumstances, your Counsellor will notify you in advance (unless this is not
possible for legal reasons). Your Counsellor will discuss with you the extent of the information
provided.
Client's rights
The Client has a right to privacy and to understand the steps taken to protect this right.
The Counsellor will maintain secure records of all counselling sessions and related information.
These records will be kept for a period of seven years after the client has been discharged from the service, after which they will be destroyed.
The Client has a right to request a summary of these records. This request must be submitted in writing via email.
Client's responsibilities
The Client is responsible for protecting their own privacy outside of the counselling context. This includes understanding the potential privacy implications of email, texting, or social media interactions.
The client is also responsible for refraining from infringing on the personal privacy of the counsellor, including making contact with them via the counsellors personal phone or email.
Agreement to terms
Clients must read and sign a Counselling Confidentiality Agreement form, provided by the counsellor, prior to the commencement of their first session. This form acknowledges that the client understands and consents to the terms of the Agreement.