Confidentiality

Counseling often involves sharing sensitive, personal, and private information by clients with their counselor.  Recognizing this, statutory laws and ethical guidelines require that all interactions with the Counseling Center remain confidential.  This includes content of your sessions, your records, scheduling of or attendance at appointments, and progress in counseling.  NO record of counseling is contained in any academic, educational, or job placement file.

Exceptions to Confidentiality

• For the vast majority of clients, no exceptions to confidentiality are made.  However, there are some exceptions to confidentiality which you should know about before you begin counseling:
  • You may request, in writing, that the Counseling Center release information about your counseling to persons you designate. 
  • If there is evidence that a student poses clear and imminent danger of harm to self and/or others, a mental health professional is legally required to report this information to the proper authorities for the protection of the student and the community.
  • If an individual is under 18 years of age and a victim of child abuse, state law requires a report of relevant information to child protective services. 
  • A court-ordered subpoena can require the Counseling Center to release information contained in records or require a counselor to testify in a court hearing.