Confidentiality Statement
Confidentiality refers to the privacy of information that students share with their counselor. Students may share information with others as they wish, but counselors are legally and ethically obligated to keep information students share with them as confidential as possible. We will guard that privacy as much as is permitted by the law, ethics, and school rules. We recognize the legal rights and responsibilities of parents in doing what is in the best interest of their children. With student permission, we may discuss issues with parents when ethically warranted and/or requested.
Both students and parents should be aware that there exist exceptions where school counselors are obligated to break student/counselor confidentiality.
These circumstances include potential harm to students themselves or someone else, state laws that mandate reporting of child abuse, or a court of law that requires testimony and/or student records. As counselors, we will occasionally consult with other school and mental health professionals, but in such cases only information necessary to achieving the goals of the counseling relationship will be shared.