Confidentiality & Privacy Policy

Your privacy is very important to us.  The law protects the relationship between a client and a counselor, and information cannot be disclosed without written permission.  We will neither confirm nor deny that you are a client of ours.  We will not speak to friends or family members without your permission.  As a rule, if we happen to see you in public, we will not approach you unless you talk to us first. We will not leave messages on your phone unless you have indicated your permission for us to do so.  And although we work together, we never share information with each other about clients without their written permission.

Exceptions include:

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