Confidentiality is an integral part of any form of therapy; including individual and group therapies. The patient should be assured of the confidentially of the information at the beginning of the section. The assurance enables the patient to feel free and protected from embarrassment and ridicule in case the information given is leaked out. Therapies use the tool of talking as a remedy to various problems that have faced us or are currently facing us; a problem talked about is a problem half solved. In group therapy people talk about the many issues that have landed them into the present situation; many people are involved in addition to the therapist. All that is discussed should be left in the counseling room; anyone who discusses it with outsiders risks explanation from the healing process. In group therapy, there are several issues that the therapist should advise the patient to disclose to the group as crime, sexual abuse, and other more personal or private information that is referred to as privileged information which cannot even be disclosed to courts by the therapists. If disclosed to the group one may risk exposure and face consequences either by the legal system or avenging people in the group or outside.
These two forms of information are given to therapists; privileged and confidential. The latter is given to the therapist and the group in the assurance that it will not be let out of the bag for affects one’s emotional and mental health. The jeopardy mainly referred to in psychoanalysis is that of “life-change”; one psychological and emotional fitness affects how he or she takes action, acts in response, and how other people (particularly people who are close to that person) perceive their actions and react to them. Thus, as a child gets mature, he can disturb the fragile stability he might have with other people. Our associates and relatives are used to us acting in definite ways. Amend that, and you risk altering all of your relations. While an absolute repair rarely happens, it is best to be alert.
Exceptions to confidentiality
There are three exceptions where confidentiality can be breached legally:
- If the therapist feels that the information given could potentially harm the individual or the society. This can be in cases of frustrated people who feel the solution cannot be achieved hence are suicidal or want to commit homicide as a perceived way of liberation.
- In cases where the patient is mentality seek and infer to have an obsession with activities directed to harming the children; pedophiles sexually or otherwise.
- Despite the responsibility to protect the confidentiality of the patient’s information, sometimes the therapist may be obliged by law or self-conscience to disclose it to as in court proceedings. The information given could consist of prior unpunished severe crimes that if gone unpunished may recur; as serial killers or pathological sexual abusers.
In the above cases, the therapist will feel obliged to disclose the patient information to the relevant authorities or take upon himself or herself measures to curb harm to the mentioned parties. The latter is risky for it might implicate the specialist in crimes or setups.