Confidentiality is fundamental to the relationship we build with our clients. We want you to feel safe to speak openly, knowing that the personal information you share is treated with respect, care and professional discretion. This statement explains how confidentiality is maintained throughout our counselling and coaching services and the limited circumstances in which confidentiality may need to be broken.
Our commitment to you
Everything you share during your counselling or coaching sessions is treated as confidential. We will not disclose that you are a client of Counsel & Coach, nor will we share information about your sessions with anyone else without your knowledge or consent, except in the limited circumstances described below.
Our aim is always to create a safe, trusting and supportive environment where you can explore your thoughts, feelings and experiences with confidence.
The limits of confidentiality
While confidentiality is a cornerstone of our work, there are exceptional situations where we may have a legal, ethical or professional responsibility to disclose information. These may include circumstances where:
- there is a serious and imminent risk of harm to you or another person;
- there are concerns about the safety or welfare of a child or a vulnerable adult;
- disclosure is required by law, a court order or another lawful request from a competent authority;
- disclosure is necessary to comply with our legal or professional obligations.
Where it is safe, appropriate and lawful to do so, we will discuss the situation with you before sharing any information. Any disclosure will be limited to the information necessary to address the specific concern.
Professional supervision
To maintain high standards of professional practice, we engage in regular professional supervision and consultation. During supervision, client information is discussed only as necessary to support ethical and effective practice. Wherever possible, identifying details are removed or minimised, and supervisors are themselves bound by professional duties of confidentiality.
Record keeping
We keep brief, secure records that support the safe and effective delivery of counselling and coaching services. These records are stored securely and accessed only by authorised persons. Further information about how records are stored, retained and protected can be found in our Privacy Policy.
Couples and relationship counselling
Where we work with couples or more than one person, confidentiality is considered a shared responsibility. At the beginning of our work together, we will explain how confidentiality operates within the relationship and agree expectations with everyone involved.
As a general principle, Counsel & Coach operates a "no secrets" approach in couples counselling. Information shared individually that has a material impact on the therapeutic work or the relationship may need to be brought into the joint sessions. We will always encourage and support clients to disclose such information themselves wherever possible before considering any further action.
Communication
We will agree with you how you would like us to contact you and will take reasonable steps to protect your privacy when communicating by email, telephone or other agreed methods. Please let us know if there are particular contact methods, telephone numbers, email addresses or times that should be avoided. Please note that while we take reasonable precautions, email and other electronic communications cannot be guaranteed to be completely secure.
Questions about confidentiality
If you have any questions or concerns about confidentiality at any stage before or during our work together, we encourage you to discuss them with us. Understanding how confidentiality works is an important part of building a safe and trusting therapeutic relationship.
Changes to this statement
We may review and update this Confidentiality Statement from time to time to reflect changes in our professional practice or legal obligations. The latest version will always be available on our website.