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ABOUT PSYCHOTHERAPY
Choosing a Therapist
Types of Therapists
Risks and Benefits of
Therapy
Process of Therapy
Confidentiality
Ending Therapy
Contact Dr.
Nash
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Confidentiality
Is what I talk about in therapy private and confidential?
All information disclosed within sessions is confidential and I do not
release any information to anyone without your written permission
except where disclosure is required or permitted in the following circumstances:
- In the State of California, the law requires disclosure if I have
reasonable suspicion or knowledge that a child (a person under
the age of 18) or an elder (someone 65 years or older) or a dependent
adult (someone with a physical or mental limitation that restricts
his or her ability to carry out normal activities of daily living) is
being abused. Regarding children, such abuse includes, but may not be
limited to sexual abuse, consensual or non-consensual intercourse, or
sexual activity (e.g., lewd and lascivious acts or conduct), physical
abuse, or neglect. Regarding elders and dependent adults, abuse includes,
but is not limited to physical abuse, isolation, abandonment, abduction,
financial abuse or neglect.
- Disclosure may be required if I have reasonable cause to believe that
you may be dangerous to yourself (actively suicidal) or that
you are seriously threatening bodily harm to another person or
to the property of another. In either case, I will take steps to protect
you or the other person. This may involve seeking hospitalization for
you or contacting family members or others who can help provide protection
for you. In the case of potential harm to others, this may involve notifying
the potential victim, notifying the police, or seeking hospitalization
for you.
- Disclosure may also be required pursuant to a legal proceeding, e.g.,
in child custody proceedings or in situations in which you claim
that your emotional condition is or was an important element. Be
aware that if you waive confidentiality related to a legal proceeding,
you waive it in full, and all that you have disclosed in therapy can
become part of the legal record. In addition, litigation can lead to
termination of our client/therapist relationship. In no case will I
or can I ethically act as an expert witness in your behalf.
- When I am out of the office and have arranged for another therapist
to be on call for me, I may need to share information about you with
that professional. That professional is also ethically bound to maintain
confidentiality.
- When working with couples, I disclose no information to anyone outside
the couples work without the written consent of both parties in the
relationship.
- Occasionally I participate in case conferences or seek consultation
on a case with another professional. Although case details are discussed
with other professionals at such times, names and identifying data are
not revealed. Furthermore, the consultant is ethically bound to keep
all information confidential.
- Be aware that email correspondence is not necessarily confidential.
When a file is deleted from a disk on the computer, Windows (which I
use) does not erase the contents of the files from the disk. It only
deletes "references" to these files from file tables. Contents
of the deleted file continue to be stored on the disk and can be recovered
using any unerasing utility. Therefore it is best to restrict the use
of email to making or changing appointments.
- My email has a spam screen that requires that you apply to send me
an email. If I have sent you an email first, you are automatically admitted
and able to send me email. I also have firewall protection between my
computer and my online connection. The purpose of a firewall is to protect
from unauthorized intruders (hackers, port snoopers) from gaining access
to my computer. My email is also protected against email viruses by
Norton Antivirus program.
- I am the only one who answers my voice mail, but messages you send
by cell phone or cordless phones are not necessarily secure. Digital
mobile phones (GSM, CDMA, TDMA bands) are secure for our purposes. However,
eavesdroppers can hear analog mode with a scanner, or accidentally when
a cell site makes an error in the handoff to another cell site if you
are moving. Many mobile phones are multi-band and can automatically
switch to the unsecured analog mode if digital service is not available.
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