Are counselling sessions confidential?

“A wave of anxiety rushed through me as I waited to walk into my first counselling session. Can I trust this person with my inner world? Will everything I share with them truly be kept between us…?” 

Have you ever had these thoughts run through your mind as you contemplated whether or not you should book a session with your counsellor? 

You are not the only one. To ease your mind and clarify what you can expect - the basis of the therapeutic relationship is built on trust. 

As counsellors, it is our duty to create a safe environment for you to be able to explore your vulnerabilities and internal world while feeling heard and supported. 

In almost every instance, everything discussed within sessions remains confidential. This includes both the verbal discussion as well as the notes taken by the counsellor during the sessions. As mental health professionals, we belong to professional bodies (e.g. the Health Professional Council of South Africa) that govern and regulate the work we do with clients. These bodies exist to ensure that clients are protected and that medical professionals are adhering to the guidelines set out in the codes of practice. 

According to the Guidelines for good practice in the healthcare professions (2016), it is the responsibility of health care professionals to keep patients' private and sensitive information safe. The National Health Act (Act No. 61 of 2003) states that all patients have a right to confidentiality, and this is consistent with the right to privacy in the South African Constitution (1996).

Therefore to sum up, according to the law and ethical guidelines it is our job as mental health practitioners to keep the information that you share with us in sessions confidential and safe. 

Can the clients’ confidentiality ever be broken?

The only circumstances that warrant confidentiality being breached include instances where you disclose to your counsellor that you plan to harm yourself or others, or where a child may be endangered. There may also be times when you (or your counsellor) would like your counsellor to consult with someone else about your treatment plan, such as your doctor or psychiatrist, in order to coordinate care or clarify information. In these cases, your counsellor would get your written permission in order to release your personal information to others. 

Your counsellor will explain and explore these instances with you in your initial session together. If you do have any concerns about confidentiality, you can always explore these concerns in session (or prior to sessions) with your counsellor. 

As mental health practitioners, we are trained to treat the information you share with us with the respect and dignity that you deserve and that you have the right to. It is a very courageous act to explore your internal world with a stranger, and it’s our role, together with you, to build a therapeutic relationship that’s founded on trust so that you feel safe enough to explore as you need to. 

Knowing that you can say anything to your counsellor, and that it will remain in the room helps you feel safe and helps build trust between you and your counsellor. By being open with your counsellor, you equip them with the information they need in order to provide you with good mental health care.

I hope that this gives you the reassurance that what is shared in your sessions with your counsellor will remain between the two of you.

If you have any further questions about the process of counselling, pop me an email at info@therapywithkelly.co.za