Confidentiality & Privacy Policy
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.
You should also be aware that most insurance companies require you to authorize your therapist to provide them with a clinical diagnosis. Sometimes your therapist has to provide additional clinical information such as treatment plans or summaries, or copies of the entire record (in rare cases).
This information will become part of the insurance company files and will probably be stored in a computer. Though all insurance companies claim to keep such information confidential, I will have no control over what they do with it once it is in their hands. In some cases, they may share the information with a national medical information databank. I will provide you with a copy of any report I submit, if you request it.