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What are you not allowed to tell a therapist?
In general, therapists are required to keep everything you say in confidence except for the following situations: planned suicide intent. planned violence towards others. past, present, or planned child abuse. The short answer is that you can tell your therapist anything – and they hope that you do. It’s a good idea to share as much as possible, because that’s the only way they can help you. In almost every instance, therapy is absolutely confidential. You therapist is required to maintain confidentiality about everything said in sessions between the two of you, just like a doctor is required to keep your records private. Therapist Confidentiality and Crime Reporting They are legally required to tell the police or the potential victim if they believe a patient may hurt someone else. A psychologist is not required to report past crimes in most cases though.
When can a therapist break confidentiality?
Any time when the client poses an imminent danger to themselves or others where breaking therapist confidentiality would be necessary to resolve the danger. Any time when the therapist suspects child, elder, or dependent adult abuse. Laws in all 50 states require a therapist to contact authorities if a patient is a danger to themselves, to others, and/or if the therapist suspects that a known child is being abused. Can a therapist report a crime? Just as a therapist has the legal duty to reveal confidential information about self-harm or harming others to the police, therapists also must tell law enforcement about a potential future crime that a patient shares during a therapy session. We walk a fine line of being on your side but making sure that you are grounded and can maintain proper boundaries. So yes, we as therapists do talk about our clients (clinically) and we do miss our clients because we have entered into this field because we remain hopeful for others.
What do therapists not keep confidential?
The following situations typically legally obligate therapists to break confidentiality and seek outside assistance: Detailed planning of future suicide attempts. Other concrete signs of suicidal intent. Planned violence towards others. Psychotherapy is, for the most part, confidential. Patients of mental health providers like psychiatrists, psychologists, and social workers reasonably expect that their in-therapy disclosures will remain private. Violence against therapists by their clients are a common occurrence across clinical settings and may have a lasting impact on the clinician’s professional and personal functioning. Such efforts may include but are not limited to: facilitating the client’s hospitalization, consulting with their psychiatrist, increasing the intensity of the client’s treatment, asking the client to sign a no-self-harm agreement, attempting to increase the degree of social support available to the client, and … Turns out it’s pretty easy to find resources and articles that say no, it’s not recommended. The reasons given (often by therapists) include splitting, conflicting treatment plans, creating secrets (especially if they aren’t aware of each other or aren’t in communication). Let them know when you’re having a hard time After all, it does involve exposing your vulnerabilities and fears. You might feel tempted to lie if you don’t want your therapist to know just how much you’re struggling. But remember, a more accurate picture of what you’re experiencin can help them better support you.