We will treat all the information you share with
great care. It is your legal right to have sessions and
records about you kept private. That is why you will
be asked to sign a "release of information" form
before discussions or correspondence is shared with
anyone. In general, no one will be told what is
shared during a session, as a matter of fact, we will
not even reveal that you are receiving treatment.

Please note, with the exception of rare situations,
your confidentiality is protected by state law and by
the rules of our profession. The following are the
most common cases in which confidentiality has
limited protection:

• If you were sent by the court for an
evaluation or treatment, the court expects a report.
If this is your situation, please talk with your
therapist before sharing anything you do not want
the court to know. You have the right to tell your
therapist only what you are comfortable with telling.

• Are you suing someone or being sued? Are
you charged with a crime? If so, and you tell the
court that you are seeing a counselor, then the
therapist may be ordered to show the court treatment
records. Please consult your attorney about these
issues.

• If you make a serious threat to harm
yourself, another person or the community; the law
requires the therapist to try to protect you, the other
person and/or the community. The result is that the
therapist will have to tell the authorities about the
threats.

• If we believe a child or an older adult has
been or will be abused or neglected, we are legally
required to report the information to the authorities.

• Please keep in mind that if you limit telling
your therapist information, treatment outcomes will
be limited.