I have a duty of confidentiality to my clients, in accordance with my professional ethics. I will seek to protect their privacy at all times. I will not tell anyone else what it is being discussed, unless he/she gives me their written consent.

There are certain situations where I may be required to disclose information about them to someone else. These are the situations where I will break confidentiality:

    - My client and another person's safety is in significant danger.
    - A serious crime is likely to be committed.
    - A child, an elderly person, a disabled person or other vulnerable individual has been abused or is in significant danger of being abused.

In any of these situations I would take every opportunity to discuss the matter with my clients. Together we will explore what disclosure my clients or I might want to make to a third party. I will seek their permission for any disclosure I make, and only reveal the information that is necessary to protect my client or another person, and will not reveal everything my client has ever told me.

After each session I usually make a summary of what was told, and that summary is entered in a file and stored in a cabinet. Only myself can access those files. In case I need to refer to another service or professional, it will contain a brief description of the issues, a request for a particular treatment and any information that may help the referrer in establishing how quickly to offer an appointment.