Privacy & Policy

Confidentiality & Privacy Policy

Confidentiality is one of the most important components between a client and practitioner. Successful treatment requires a high degree of trust with highly sensitive subject matter that is usually not discussed anywhere but the practitioner's office. Every practitioner will provide a written copy of their confidential disclosure agreement, and you can expect that what you discuss in session will not be shared with anyone. This is called “Informed Consent”. Sometimes, however, you may want your practitioner to share information or give an update to someone on your healthcare team (your Nurse Practitioner, Physician, Naturopath, Attorney, etc.), but by law your practitioner cannot release this information without obtaining your written permission.

However, state law and professional ethics require practitioners to maintain confidentiality except for the following situations:

* Suspected past or present abuse or neglect of children, adults, and elders to the authorities, including Child Protection and law enforcement, based on information provided by the client or collateral sources.

* If the therapist has reason to suspect the client is seriously in danger of harming him/herself or has threatened to harm another person.

The law protects the relationship between a client and a psychotherapist, and information cannot be disclosed without written permission.

Exceptions include:

• Suspected child abuse or dependent adult or elder abuse, for which I am required by law to report this to the appropriate authorities immediately.
• If a client is threatening serious bodily harm to another person/s, I must notify the police and inform the intended victim.
• If a client intends to harm himself or herself, I will make every effort to enlist their cooperation in ensuring their safety. If they do not cooperate, I will take further measures without their permission that are provided to me by law in order to ensure their safety.