Your counselling sessions are confidential and this confidentiality will apply to any records in accordance with the Data Protection Act. Counsellors in the UK are generally required to be in supervision. I may discuss aspects of our work together in supervision, but will take care to preserve your anonymity. There are some other exceptional circumstances where I may share information with third parties:
- Where you as a client give explicit consent.
- Where I believe you or someone else is at risk of serious harm. (I would want to discuss this with you first, but might also take appropriate action to help protect the person at risk. For example, if you were feeling suicidal, I might inform your GP.)
- Where I am legally compelled by a court of law.
- Where I to need to defend my reputation from false or misleading allegations in a court of law or in a professional conduct procedure.
- Where the law requires me to inform the relevant authorities. (For example, in case of terrorist activities.)