The Professional Secret: ‘Can My Psychologist Say What I Tell Him In Therapy?’
Are you afraid that your psychologist will reveal what you tell him/her? Do you avoid starting psychological treatment for this reason? Enter and find out if this could happen and in what situations professional secrecy can be broken.
One of the most common concerns that a person may have when they go to therapy is that the professional explains what they have exposed to their family, friends, etc. or, that exposes her personal information. Confidentiality is an essential aspect in creating the therapeutic bond since it is essential that people who come to therapy perceive that space as a safe place and that they can explain what worries them most freely.
If this issue worries you and you want to know when your psychologist can reveal what you have told him or her in therapy, continue reading the article to find out the exceptions.
The confidentiality that a psychologist has to maintain in psychological therapy is not something voluntary, but is an obligation of the psychologist. In this sense, professionals have a code of ethics , that is, a document that includes the standards, criteria and values ​​that all professionals must maintain for the correct exercise of their professional activity. He professional secret It covers many aspects, not only what is expressed within the session, but also the results of an evaluation, diagnosis and even the day and time at which the session is attended.
You may be wondering… what happens if it involves couples, family therapy, or therapy with minors? In these three cases, the course of treatment requires interviews with several people, but even in these cases the professional secret In this sense, the psychologist must be cautious and not reveal information without the patient’s consent, even when this information is from a minor. If you have to do so for some reason, the psychologist must inform the patient in advance of what is going to be communicated and the reasons. This must be done by adapting the language so that it is understandable and ensuring that the message has indeed been understood. However, while it is true that the psychologist must inform how he is going to proceed, there are certain cases in which the professional does not need the patient consent to reveal certain information, specifically, in the cases set out below.
In which cases can my psychologist break professional secrecy?
The confidentiality It is part of the therapeutic framework, that is, of the preconditions that psychologists must inform their patients. Therefore, when starting therapy, the psychologist is obliged to explain to his patient what the conditions, rules, guidelines, norms, etc. are. so that the therapeutic process develops effectively. Among these rules you can find the therapy schedules, what protocol will be carried out in cases of emergencies, fees, etc. and of course, confidentiality Therefore, in the first sessions the psychologist must inform his/her patient of the confidentiality and, therefore, of those exceptions in which the professional may break the professional secrecy.
Specifically, there are 5 general exceptions by which professionals can break the confidentiality contract:
Cases of sexual and/or physical abuse:
Sometimes patients come to therapy who express that they have committed sexual and/or physical abuse of a minor, or there are even minors who report it during the course of therapy. In these cases, the psychologist is obliged to notify the corresponding authorities and, in the event that the child lives with the abuser, she will do so without reporting to the family.
Suicide risk cases:
It is common for some patients to express suicidal thoughts in the therapeutic environment. At the moment in which the patient communicates it, the psychologist must assess whether there is an imminent risk that he will carry it out and, in the event that the professional, after evaluating him, has high suspicions, he must break the professional secret In these cases, with the aim of protecting the patient’s life, the family will be informed and referred to a professional/service that can offer continued care.
Aggression cases:
Any situation that the patient expresses that involves putting the patient’s own life or that of other people at risk must be reported to the authorities and, therefore, the psychologist will have to break the professional secret
Court cases:
Sometimes, some patients come to therapy because they are referred by a justice institution and, in these cases, the psychologist is obliged to reveal the information from, for example, a psychological evaluation.
By express authorization of the patient himself:
Sometimes, it is the patient themselves who gives their consent to reveal information to another person. An example of this would be in a situation in which a patient goes to individual therapy and, after evaluation, it is determined that it would be necessary to undergo couples, family therapy, or that the collaboration of a third person is needed. In this case, to be able to achieve this, you need the express consent of the patient in order to reveal certain information to the third person in question.
Remember that on occasions when professional secrecy is broken, it is done with the main objective of protecting physical and psychological integrity or offering better care. However, except in specific cases, the psychologist must inform you what he is going to communicate and to whom. If these are not situations mentioned above, the psychologist cannot break confidentiality under any circumstances.
