At the same time, the therapist should be responsible not only to the visitors, but also to the society. In fact, by granting the qualification of mental health practice, the management organization has created a wider scope of professional responsibility, so this profession has far exceeded the personal wishes, needs or requirements of visitors.
Article 3 of the Code of Ethics for Clinical and Counseling Psychology of the Chinese Psychological Association stipulates the right to privacy and confidentiality.
Confidential content
The contents that need to be kept confidential include:
1. Contents exposed by visitors during psychological consultation;
2. The content of contact with help seekers in the process of psychological counseling.
Without the consent of the helper, the counselor shall not disclose the above information at will;
Psychological counselors are also not allowed to pry into the personal privacy of help seekers that has nothing to do with counseling.
Confidentiality exception
The helper agrees to disclose confidential information to others;
Judicial organs require psychological counselors to provide confidential information;
There are ethical or legal proceedings against psychological counselors;
There are legal restrictions on confidentiality in psychological counseling, such as child abuse and elder abuse;
The helper may cause immediate injury or death threat to himself or others;
The helper suffers from a life-threatening infectious disease.
When encountering the above-mentioned confidentiality exceptions, the psychological counselor should control the degree of disclosure to a minimum.
3 Privacy and confidentiality
Psychologists have the responsibility to protect the privacy of those who seek professional services, and at the same time clearly realize that privacy is protected and restricted by national laws and professional ethics in content and scope.
3. 1 At the beginning of professional services, psychologists have the responsibility to explain the confidentiality principle and its scope of application, confidentiality exceptions and sign an informed consent form to those seeking professional services.
3.2 Psychologists should clearly realize that the application of the confidentiality principle has its limits, and the following situations are exceptions to the confidentiality principle:
(1) Psychologists have found that people who seek professional services are in serious danger of hurting themselves or others;
(2) Minors who do not have full capacity for civil conduct are sexually assaulted or abused;
(3) Other circumstances required to be disclosed by law.
3.3 In the case of 3.2( 1) and (2), the psychologist has the responsibility to give an early warning to the legal guardian, identifiable potential victim or relevant department of the person seeking professional services;
In the case of 3.2(3), psychologists are obliged to abide by laws and regulations and disclose relevant information according to the minimum principle, but they are required to produce legal official documents and pay attention to the disclosure scope of information related to professional services.
3.4 Psychologists should create, use, save, transmit and process information related to professional work (such as case records, test materials, letters, audio and video, etc.). ) keep it strictly confidential in accordance with laws, regulations and professional ethics.
Psychologists can tell those who seek professional services how to keep case records and whether relevant personnel (such as colleagues, supervisors, case managers and information technology personnel) can access these records.
3.5 Psychologists should conceal relevant information that may identify those seeking professional services when using psychological counseling or treating cases in case discussion or teaching, scientific research and writing due to their professional work.
3.6 Psychologists should avoid using complete cases in teaching, training and popularization of science. If you have identifiable personal information (such as name, family background, special growth or traumatic experience, physical characteristics, etc.). ), necessary measures should be taken to protect the privacy of the parties.
3.7 If the team serves professional service seekers, the confidentiality principle should be established within the team, and relevant information can be discussed only when the privacy of professional service seekers is guaranteed.
In the process of continuous informed consent, make sure to mention all confidentiality exceptions to visitors, and make sure that they can understand these exceptions and your obligations in various situations (not only signing confidentiality agreements, but also ensuring that visitors receive and understand everything in confidentiality agreements).
Before breaking the confidentiality agreement, exclude other options that can deal with the danger, such as improving the treatment plan and civil imprisonment (that is, there is no need to break the confidentiality unless absolutely necessary. Come to think of it, what other options do you have? )。
When the obligation is unclear, make a detailed and thoughtful decision before taking action (refer to the decision-making process proposed by Chenneville in 2000) (ethics is relative, and you may often encounter uncertain situations, so choose carefully! Need supervision or consultation when necessary).