When you come to counselling, you need to know you are able to talk within a safe, confidential space. It is a key principle that only the counsellor gets to hear what you have to say. As the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy puts it: ‘Respecting client confidentiality is a fundamental requirement for keeping trust.’ (http://www.bacp.co.uk/ethical_framework/).
However, I am also ethically committed to acting in my client’s best interests. If you were at grave risk of harming yourself or others, you would clearly need a greater level of support than counselling could provide. It may well become important for your particular needs to be made known beyond the counselling room, but we would talk about this together before seeking that support through any outside disclosure.
