How Does This Work?

Confidentiality

All services are confidential. 

Because trust is so important to creating a safe environment everything you say during therapy sessions remains confidential except for the exceptions noted below.  If it would be helpful to your circumstances for there to be collaboration with other professionals, such as physicians, schools or psychiatrists, this will only be done with your written consent and only at your request.

We strive to protect your privacy and hold your information in confidence. Our procedures are in accord with professional and ethical guidelines established for counselors and psychologists by the American Psychological Association and the American Counseling Association and with the legal parameters outlined in statutes of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

All sessions are confidential, which means, what is said within the context of the therapeutic relationship stays between the client and their counselor. Each person has a right to privacy. There are, however, some exceptions to confidentiality. While these types of events are extremely rare, you should know that these possibilities exist.

Counselors are required to release certain information in situation that include:

1. If a counselor believes a client poses a clear and iConfidentiality and trust are very important to the counseling process. Our overall goal is to make this a place where you will feel safe to talk about personal concerns.mminent risk to him/herself or others, the counselor is required to notify responsible individuals in order to protect the client or specified others. The Counselor has a legal and ethical duty to do whatever is necessary to protect life.

2. If a client is under 18 years of age and a victim of child abuse or if information about another child undergoing abuse is revealed, a counselor is required to report relevant information to child protective services.

3. A counselor may be required to release information as a result of a court order in connection with legal proceedings.

4. Supervisory purposes. In order to provide the best possible treatment your counselor will meet regularly with his supervisor for on-going case consultation to discuss the information obtained in clinical or consulting relationships. Unless you object, your therapist will not tell you about these consultations unless your therapist feels it is important to our work together. The supervisor is of course legally bound to keep information confidential.

PLEASE NOTE: The exceptions to confidentiality are rare. If circumstances require a breach of confidentiality, whenever appropriate, an effort will be made to discuss such actions with you.