Confidentiality
Helping relationships are built on trust that any information you share about your life will only be used in ways that serve you best. All information you disclose to your counselor will be treated as confidential and will not be shared outside the counseling staff or pastoral staff unless you sign a release of information form.
If you choose to release your information for the purposes of serving you best then you decide what information is to be shared and with whom. Such releases are valid only for a specified amount of time.
There are three exceptions to confidentiality that affect all people from the helping professions:
- Your counselor is required by law to take steps to protect you or another if he/she believes you or they may be harmed, even if it violates your confidentiality.
- If a child (minor) or an elder is being abused, then the counselor must act in order to protect that person.
- In very rare circumstances a court may order counseling records to be revealed.
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