When it comes to your children meeting with a school counselor, you may feel some reluctance to support such a decision. You may have feelings of fear that your child will share “family secrets,” which will then be spread throughout the school; or, that all the teachers in the faculty lounge will learn of their child’s specific problems and hold it against the student.
Although this is a common fear, such concerns couldn’t be further from the truth.
A student’s right to privacy and confidentiality is the basis for an effective counseling relationship. Confidentiality ensures that school counselors won’t share students’ disclosures with others except when the student authorizes it, or when there is a clear and present danger to the student and/or to other persons.
Further, should parents to be called in to meet with the school counselor, in a collaborative effort to help the student, parents need to realize that confidentiality is the hallmark of a school counselor's work. When students enter into a counseling relationship with their school counselor, they will be educated about the purposes, goals, techniques and rules of procedure under which they may receive counseling. This disclosure notice, which the school counselor will explain in terms appropriate to the student’s age and cognitive ability, addresses the limits of confidentiality, such as the possible need to consult with other professionals, privileged communication, and legal or authoritative restraints. Many school counselors also address confidentiality during their introductory lessons with all classrooms at the beginning of each school year, and have their confidentiality statement posted in their office. Parents/guardians are informed of the confidential nature of the counseling relationship between the school counselor and student. Unless disclosure is required to prevent clear and imminent danger to the student or others, or when legal requirements demand that confidential information be revealed, all information within the counseling relationship is kept confidential.
As counseling with a student progresses, it may become beneficial or necessary for the school counselor to consult and collaborate with parents. Either the parent or the professional school counselor may initiate the collaboration process. The school counselor takes the responsibility of reaching an agreement with the student about what information to share with the parents. Unless, of course, there is a clear and imminent danger to the student or others.
The school counselor and parents need to build a relationship of mutual respect and trust to make the best decisions about the child, and confidentiality is a big part of that trust process. The relationship between parent and school counselor develops through working together. With a primary obligation to the student, confidentiality is balanced with an understanding of the parents’ legal and inherent rights to be the guiding voice in their children’s lives.
School counselors also adhere to laws, local guidelines, and ethical standards of practice when assisting parents/guardians experiencing family difficulties interfering with a student’s effectiveness and welfare. School counselors are sensitive to diversity among families and recognize that all parents/guardians, custodial and noncustodial, have certain rights and responsibilities for their children’s welfare. Additionally, school counselors make reasonable efforts to honor the wishes of parents/guardians concerning information regarding the student, and, in cases of divorce or separation, exercise a good-faith effort to keep both parents informed with regard to critical information, with the exception of a court order.
Confidentiality, however, is more limited, and is much more difficult to guarantee in group counseling than it is in individual counseling. Group counseling, which involves a number of students working on shared tasks and developing supportive relationships in a group setting, presents different issues. Group counseling is an efficient way of to deal with students’ problems and concerns, allowing individuals to develop insights into themselves and others. However, because confidentiality is much more difficult to maintain, school counselors will disclose these limitations as part of the group counseling process.
The limitations of confidentiality don’t include information of possible abuse or harm to a child. By law, school counselor must report any case of abuse or neglect to the appropriate authorities. Because school counselors are mandatory reporters, they face criminal action for failing to report possible abuse to a child.
School counselors inform parents/guardians or appropriate authorities when a student’s condition indicates a clear and imminent danger to the student or others. This is done after careful deliberation and, where possible, after consulting with other counseling professionals. The school counselor will attempt to minimize the threat to a student and may choose to: 1) inform the student of actions to be taken, 2) involve the student in a three-way communication with parents/guardians when breaching confidentiality or 3) allow the student to have input as to how and to whom the breach will be made.
Confidentiality of information received in the counseling relationship is protected to some degree by federal and state laws, policies and ethical standards. Counselors have a responsibility to protect the privileged information received through confidential relationships with students, parents or guardians and with staff. Such information is only to be revealed to others with the student’s informed consent, consistent with the school counselor’s ethical obligation. In some situations, school counselors must also respond when subpoenaed in court. If reports are required, the school counselor makes every effort to limit information to what is relevant to the legal proceedings.
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