CONFIDENTIALITY POLICIES OF THE PROFESSION

P R I V A C Y   &   C O N F I D E N T I A L I T Y :   Your privacy will be respected at all times. No information about you or your counseling sessions will be discussed with anyone without your permission. There are a few exceptions. In some situations, therapists are required by law or by the guidelines of our profession to disclose information. These include:

( 1 ) Cases of child abuse (children under 18 years of age), or abuse of vulnerable adults;

( 2 ) Times when a person intends to harm her/himself or others and has the plan and means to carry out this threat;

( 3 ) When a client is under 18 years of age, the privilege of confidentiality is held by the parents/legal guardians, and information shared during a therapy session with the minor child may be shared with the parent/legal guardian;

( 4 ) If you are involved in a court proceeding, a therapist may be required by court order to release information concerning your treatment if the court deems it to be relevant. If you are involved in or are contemplating litigation, you should consult with your attorney to determine whether a court would be likely to order a disclosure of information.

( 5 ) If a third party such as an insurance company is paying for part of your bill, we are normally required to provide dates of services and give a diagnosis to that third party in order to be reimbursed. Diagnoses are technical terms that describe the nature of your problems and something about whether they are short-term or long-term problems. All of the diagnoses are approved and defined in the professional reference book entitled the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10). (The previous taxonomic standard, The Diagnostic & Statistical Manual (DSM-V ), was abandoned in favor of the ICD-10 in October 2015).

R E C O R D - K E E P I N G :   We keep very brief records, noting only what general topics and themes we have discussed and what interventions happened in session. Additionally, in accordance with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), I maintain your records in a secure location that cannot be accessed by anyone else.

C O M P L A I N T S :   If you are unhappy with what is happening in therapy, please talk about it with your therapist so that s/he can respond to your concerns. We will take such criticism seriously, and with care and respect. You are also free to discuss your concerns about your therapist with anyone you wish, and you do not have any responsibility to maintain confidentiality about what we do that you do not like, since you are the person who has the right to decide what you want kept confidential. 

If you believe that your therapist has been unwilling to listen and respond, or that s/he has behaved unethically, please discuss your concern with the Clinical Director, Matthew Paymar, MA, LPCC. If you feel that you cannot discuss your concerns with the Clinical Director, you may also contact Core Psychotherapy’s practice consultant, Yvette Erasmus.