Confidentiality is a fundamental part of counselling and is taken very seriously. As a registered member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP), I follow the BACP Ethical Framework, which places strong emphasis on protecting clients’ privacy and personal information. This means that what you discuss in counselling sessions is normally kept strictly confidential and will not be shared with anyone else without your permission.

There are a few legal and ethical limits to confidentiality to bear in mind. Counsellors may need to break confidentiality if there is a serious risk of harm to you or to another person or if there are safeguarding concerns involving a child or vulnerable adult, or if disclosure is required by law (for example, through a court order). In such situations, the counsellor would normally try to discuss this with you first whenever possible.

Counsellors also have a professional responsibility to engage in confidential supervision, where they discuss their work with an experienced supervisor to ensure they are providing safe and effective support. In these discussions, identifying details about clients are kept to a minimum.

The West London counselling service that I offer provides a space in which you can speak openly and safely, with only a few clearly defined exceptions that exist to protect your safety and the safety of others.