Therapists and supervisors are responsible for protecting the client's rights of confidentiality in the supervisory context by ensuring that shared information is disguised appropriately. Exceptional circumstances may arise that give the therapist good grounds for believing that the client will cause serious physical harm to others or themselves. In such circumstances, the breaking of confidentiality may be required, preferably with the client's permission, or after consultation with a therapeutic supervisor. Any breaking of confidentiality should be minimised both by restricting the information conveyed to that which is pertinent to the immediate situation and by limiting it to those persons who can provide the help required by the client. Agreements about confidentiality continue after the client's death unless there are overriding legal considerations.
Special care is required when using specific therapeutic situations for reports and publication.
The author must have the client's informed consent should there be any possibility of identifying the client. Contracts involving the client should be realistic and clear and the therapist needs to check that the client understands the contract. When a client is incapable of giving informed consent, therapists need to obtain consent from a legally authorised person. The wishes of that person should not be considered against the earlier expressed wishes of the client, for instance in a living will, or as was specifically expressed to the therapist. Any publicity material and all written and oral information should reflect accurately the nature of the service offered and the training, qualifications and relevant experience of the therapist.