##### The following are legal exceptions to your right to confidentiality. I would inform you in advance of any situation when I think I will have to put these into effect.

- 1. If I have good reason to believe that you will harm another person, I must attempt to inform that person and warn them of your intentions. I must also contact the police and ask them to protect your intended victim.
- 2. If I have good reason to believe that you are abusing or neglecting a child or vulnerable adult, or if you give me information about someone else who is doing this, I must inform Child Protective Services (CPS) within 48 hours and Adult Protective Services immediately. If you are between the ages of 16 and 18 and you tell me that you are having sex with someone more than 5 years older than you, or sex with a teacher or a coach, I must also report this to CPS. I would inform you before I take this action.
- 3. If I believe that you are in imminent danger of harm or for harming yourself, I will explore all options to ensure that you are willing to take the necessary steps to ensure your safety. If you are unable or unwilling to guarantee your safety, I must legally and ethically break confidentiality and call the police, your spouse, adult emergency point of contact, or your parent/legal guardian if you are a minor under the age of 18 years. I am obligated to do this, and would explore all other options with you before I took this action.
- 4. If a court or child protection worker orders a release of information.
- 5. Couples Therapy. This stipulation is not a legal exception to your confidentiality; however, it is a policy that I require if you are in couples therapy. If you and your partner decide to schedule individual sessions as part of the couples therapy, what you say in those individual sessions will be considered to be part of the couples therapy, and can and probably will be discussed in our joint sessions. Do not tell me anything you wish kept secret from your partner. I will remind you of this policy before beginning such individual sessions.
- 6. Parents and Minors. While privacy in therapy is crucial to successful progress, parental involvement can also be essential. Parents are a vital part of therapy with a child and may be asked to actively participate during the session. For children 13 and older, standard practice includes the sharing of general information about treatment progress and attendance, as well as a treatment summary upon completion of therapy. All other communication will require the child’s agreement, unless the counselor feels there is a safety concern (reference all aforementioned sections on Confidentiality for exceptions), in which case the counselor will make every effort to notify the child of his/her intention to disclose information ahead of time and make every effort to handle any objections that are raised.
- 7. Adolescents. Except for those situations listed above, I will not disclose to your parent or guardian specific things you share with me in our private therapy sessions. However, if you are engaging in risk- taking behavior, then I will need to use my professional judgment to decide whether you are in serious or immediate danger of being harmed. If I feel that you are in such danger, I will first encourage you to share this information with your parents. Should you be unwilling to do so, I will communicate it to your parent or guardian directly. You should also know that, by law in Virginia, your parent/guardian