Confidentiality in Counselling
DENISE AMPS
November 2006
Essay on ‘Confidentiality’
CONFIDENTIALITY IN COUNSELLING
Confidentiality in counselling means, to me, providing a secure, trusting relationship with a client who knows that, within certain limits, he or she can speak to you about anything at all in the knowledge that whatever has been said will go no further. It is an intrinsic and imperative part of the trust that is required to develop a good working relationship between a counsellor and their client. My client will know that, excepting those limits noted below, I will hold safe everything they share with me; their thoughts, their worries, their deepest secrets, their life story and they will leave our counselling sessions with the surety that they have a safe haven within which to explore their issues or problems.
Similarly, if I speak to a friend, relative, or work colleague ‘in confidence’ I expect that what I have said will go no further than between ourselves unless I have told the listener otherwise and, by the same token, what they choose to tell me confidentially will not be shared by me with anyone else. If any acquaintance of mine, in any capacity, chose to talk to me about issues that may appear to be of a confidential nature, then I would implicitly consider that communication to be confidential unless that person advised me otherwise.
In a work situation or in any other role where I may have access to confidential information, e.g. pupils, personnel, various group members, governing body discussions; I need to be aware of the confidential aspects that are a part of that information and ensure that I do not ‘share’ with any other person or agency that does not have access to the same details. When I am given confidential information the person or organisation giving it to me needs to feel sure that it will be kept as confidential and not imparted to a third party.
“Confidentiality is fundamental to the trust and integrity of the counselling
November 2006
Essay on ‘Confidentiality’
CONFIDENTIALITY IN COUNSELLING
Confidentiality in counselling means, to me, providing a secure, trusting relationship with a client who knows that, within certain limits, he or she can speak to you about anything at all in the knowledge that whatever has been said will go no further. It is an intrinsic and imperative part of the trust that is required to develop a good working relationship between a counsellor and their client. My client will know that, excepting those limits noted below, I will hold safe everything they share with me; their thoughts, their worries, their deepest secrets, their life story and they will leave our counselling sessions with the surety that they have a safe haven within which to explore their issues or problems.
Similarly, if I speak to a friend, relative, or work colleague ‘in confidence’ I expect that what I have said will go no further than between ourselves unless I have told the listener otherwise and, by the same token, what they choose to tell me confidentially will not be shared by me with anyone else. If any acquaintance of mine, in any capacity, chose to talk to me about issues that may appear to be of a confidential nature, then I would implicitly consider that communication to be confidential unless that person advised me otherwise.
In a work situation or in any other role where I may have access to confidential information, e.g. pupils, personnel, various group members, governing body discussions; I need to be aware of the confidential aspects that are a part of that information and ensure that I do not ‘share’ with any other person or agency that does not have access to the same details. When I am given confidential information the person or organisation giving it to me needs to feel sure that it will be kept as confidential and not imparted to a third party.
“Confidentiality is fundamental to the trust and integrity of the counselling
Bibliography: Tim Bond 2000 Standards and Ethics for Counselling in Action Second Edition Sage Publications