Problem:
After completing the self-inventory in Chapter 6, I found myself reflecting on how complex confidentiality really is in practice compared to how straightforward it can seem in theory. Many of the questions forced me to think about situations where protecting client privacy can be difficult when thinking about legal and ethical responsibilities, especially when safety is involved. Reviewing the ethical codes related to confidentiality, limits of confidentiality, and duty to protect and warn made it clear that while confidentiality is a foundational part of the helping relationship, there is more to it. Most professional codes emphasize that counselors must clearly explain these limits to clients from the beginning. Examples of this are in cases involving danger to self or others, abuse, or court orders.
Erica's case: If I were the counselor, I would not introduce Erica to my friend as my client because doing so could violate her confidentiality. Even though we ran into each other in public, it is important to protect her privacy. I would keep the interaction brief and professional and let Erica decide how much, if anything, she wanted to share. When my friend asked who Erica was and how I knew her, I would give a general response such as, "I know her from campus" or "I know her through work." This answers the question without revealing any personal or counseling-related information. If Erica acknowledged that I was her counselor in front of my friend, I would respond politely but not expand on it. I would likely say something simple like, "It's good to see you," and move on. I would plan to follow up with Erica privately later to talk about the interaction. If Erica began discussing her counseling sessions in public, I would gently stop the conversation and suggest that we talk about those topics during a scheduled session to protect her confidentiality and maintain professional boundaries.
Serena's case: If I were asked the same questions as Serena, I would respond by protecting student confidentiality and not sharing specific information. When teachers or staff asked about students, I would explain that I cannot discuss individual cases and remind them that counseling must remain private. This helps keep students safe while maintaining professionalism. To protect student privacy without alienating staff, I would calmly and consistently explain why confidentiality is important and encourage respect for boundaries. I would focus on educating rather than refusing abruptly, so staff understands the purpose behind my limits. When explaining confidentiality, I would adjust my language based on who I am speaking to. With teachers, staff, parents, and administrators, I would explain that student information cannot be shared unless it is ethically necessary. With children, I would use simple language to explain that counseling is a private and safe space. I would be open to listening to school personnel to gather general information if it helped support the student, while still being careful not to share private details. I would also consider collaborating with school personnel when appropriate, as long as confidentiality and student privacy are respected.
Jeremy's case: The counselor may have acted inappropriately by speaking with Jeremy's sister to investigate the alleged stealing. Jeremy shared this information in counseling and asked that it not be shared, so involving his sister risks breaking trust and confidentiality. Based only on the information given, there is no clear legal obligation described, since the situation mentions stealing but not abuse or immediate danger. Calling Jeremy's mother would need caution. Jeremy fears how she might react, so contacting her could harm trust. However, a meeting might help address family concerns if handled carefully. If the stealing is due to financial hardship, referrals could include food programs, financial assistance, and employment resources. There are ethical and clinical concerns about the counselor acting like a "detective," as the role should focus on supporting Jeremy, not investigating his mother. If I were counseling Jeremy, I would focus on his feelings, clarify confidentiality, and prioritize his emotional well-being.
Isaac's case: Dr. Schultz appears to have taken careful steps to manage the situation. Isaac came in angry and intoxicated and talked about shooting his friend, but she extended the session, worked to calm him, asked him to call her daily, and created a safety plan that included not going to the man's house or acting on his urges. Because she assessed him as not being a violent person and believed the risk had decreased, she decided not to follow through with the duty to warn. The following week, Isaac reported feeling less angry and said he would not "land in jail," which suggests the intervention helped. She did take responsibility by having Isaac call her daily and by developing a safety plan. These actions show she took his threats seriously and worked to reduce the risk before ending the session. Dr. Schultz chose not to warn because she believed the risk had decreased after calming Isaac, creating a safety plan, and requiring daily check-ins. Although he made a specific threat, she used her judgment and saw improvement, so she decided breaking confidentiality was not necessary at that time. Key factors include how specific the threat is, whether the client has the means to carry it out, their emotional state, and how likely they are to act. The fine line is between overreacting when the client stabilizes and failing to act when a serious, clear threat is present. I would advise her to carefully reassess the seriousness and immediacy of the threat, document everything, consider access to a weapon, and evaluate whether the safety plan was strong enough. If there was serious doubt about safety, she should consider warning. There is no clear evidence of negligence. She took the threat seriously, extended the session, created a safety plan, required daily contact, and saw improvement the next week.
Vijay's case: Dr. Roshawn's behavior was likely unethical based on the fact that the doctor reassured the parents not needing to worry, despite knowing that Vijay had expressed thoughts of suicide. This downplayed a serious risk and potentially prevented the parents from taking appropriate action. Confidentiality is important, but the potential harm typically overrides standard confidentiality in this case. There would be a difference if Vijay was 25 years old. the laws and guidelines for an adult are different when it comes to sharing information with the parents. Dr. Roshawn does have an ethical obligation to inform of his client the conversation that went on with the parents. Being transparent is a key component of building trust in this type of relationship. Dr. Roshawn does not have an obligation to say more detailed information based on the professional boundaries and confidentiality. The therapist also didn't have sufficient information to justify telling parents they don't have to worry. It is a significant risk factor, and it should be treated as such.
Emmanuel's case: I think therapist did her best to help her client and treat him using different techniques and approaches. If this were my client I would have tried to dig deeper on his feeling toward suicide being the only option. I would not have solely focused on experimenting to search for the positive things in his life. My viewpoint on suicide would influence my approach because I would not have stopped talking about the suicidal feeling completely. I think focusing on what happens once he is gone would have been an interesting topic for him to sit with. I would be trigged based on the seriousness of the situation and having known people that these thoughts have affected. Following this event, I would also talk to someone in the counseling field and make sure I had someone to talk to and help me process this. Need Assignment Help?
American Counseling Association. (2014). ACA code of ethics.
Corey, G., Corey., M. Corey, C. (2019). Issues and ethics in the Helping Professions (10thed.). Cengage Learning.
My question is to reply to a post to the student