What You Say Here, Stays Here!

Confidentiality is the very foundation of professional counseling, whether the setting is private practice, hospital based, or local mental health center. Unless the person seeking help feels certain that what he or she brings to the session will remain private, the chances are good that the decision to seek counseling will not be made. Trust is essential. The phrase, “What you say here, stays here,” is a simple way of stating that assurance. Written professional ethics, state licensing board rules, and, of course, HIPAA on the federal level, go one step further to provide virtual guarantees. Exceptions? Of course. Statements of self-harm, harm toward others, and the likelihood of abuse of children or elderly require that counselors respond in ways that are intended to maintain safety for those concerned and may require notifying other professionals. Short of that, however, counselors must always ask for written permission to share information with those whose involvement is likely to be beneficial to the client. So it is with Tanner EAP--without the signed consent, “What you say here, stays here!”