Confidentiality is a complex issue that the counselor must work through. There are, however, basic guidelines of trust and confidentiality. For example, the counselor must not communicate to others the client’s shared feelings, thoughts, or any other personal information. Counselors should also be alert to the fact that absolute confidentiality can potentially leave them feeling trapped later in the counseling process. (The exception to this is where the welfare or safety of the client, or another individual, is potentially at stake. Generally speaking, if clients intend to take harmful, dangerous, or criminal action against another person – or themselves – then the counselor is legally obliged to inform those concerned, and the appropriate authorities).
Those whom the counselor may contact regarding a client include:
- The person (or his family, if they are being threatened).
- The family (if the client intends to harm himself).
- Local authorities (social workers, police).
Counselors should note that confidentiality must never be breached by speaking about clients whilst lecturing, teaching, sharing, or providing case studies. This is especially important when the client lives, or has lived, in the area where the counselor is speaking or, alternatively, if there is a chance that the client will be known by one or more listeners. (N.B. Identification of clients can be extremely easy if counselors supply sufficient information.)
Skilled counselors will always inform their audience that certain key facts concerning a client have been deliberately changed to safeguard their privacy. Adopting this policy will also safeguard the counselor’s personal and professional integrity. In addition to this, it assures the audience that they can share in confidence with you, without fear of details being shared at another class or lecture.
Where it is appropriate to share a case study, change the client’s name, age, gender (if appropriate), and other identifiable information. Before the presentation, read over the case study to check for a final time that the client could not be identified by the audience.
Write down the changed name of the client so that the client’s name is not inadvertently mentioned during the presentation.
It is a basic principle that counselors work through issues of confidentiality. The ACMPN (www.acmpn.org.ng) guidelines for the Employment of Counselors in General Practice states the following:
‘The counselor needs to negotiate the boundaries of confidentiality with the team and the client. An agreement needs to be arrived at on which information is shared either verbally or in a written form. The ACMPN Code of Ethics and Practice outlines the counselor’s responsibility in maintaining confidentiality and a copy of this is available from the ACMPN website.’
