Relationship therapy works best when the focus of my work is on your relationship. When working with you, it is expressly understood that my patient is both your relationship and each of you as individuals. In order to maintain fidelity to both of you and to your relationship, I ask for your consent on the following agreements.
CONFIDENTIALITY
All information disclosed within sessions is confidential and may not be revealed to anyone without written permission except where disclosure is permitted or required by law. Those situations include but are not limited to:
(a) when there is reasonable suspicion of abuse to a child or to a dependent or elder adult;
(b) when the client communicates a threat of bodily injury to others;
(c) when the client is suicidal/homicidal
(d) When the client has been physically injured due to violence
(e) When disclosure is required pursuant to a legal proceeding
During the course of my work with a couple or a family, I may see a smaller part of the treatment unit (e.g., an individual or two siblings) for one or more sessions. These sessions should be seen by you as a part of the work that I am doing with the family or the couple, unless otherwise indicated. If you are involved in one or more of such sessions with me, please understand that generally these sessions are confidential in the sense that I will not release any confidential information to a third party unless I am required by law to do so or unless I have your written authorization. In fact, since those sessions can and should be considered a part of the treatment of the couple or family, I would also seek the authorization of the other individuals in the treatment unit before releasing confidential information to a third party.
RECORDS
This written policy is intended to inform you, the participants in therapy, that when I agree to treat a couple or a family, I consider that couple or family (the treatment unit) to be the patient. For instance, if there is a request for the treatment records of the couple or the family, I will seek the authorization of all members of the treatment unit beforeI release confidential information to third parties. Both partners must provide their consent to release couples/family counseling records. If one partner does not provide consent, records will not be released.
NO SECRETS POLICY
This "no secrets" policy is intended to allow me to continue to treat the couple or family by preventing, to the extent possible, a conflict of interest to arise where an individual's interests may not be consistent with the interests of the unit being treated. For instance, information learned in the course of a session may be relevant or even essential to the proper treatment of the couple or the family. If I am not free to exercise my clinical judgment regarding the need to bring this information to the family or the couple during their therapy, I might be placed in a situation where I will have to terminate treatment of the couple or the family. If you feel it necessary to talk about matters that you absolutely want to be shared with no one, you might want to consult with an individual therapist who can treat you individually.
COURT PROCEEDINGS /Subpoena of Records
It is understood that the purpose of marital/couples therapy is for the amelioration of distress within a relationship. Therefore, if both partners request my services as a psychotherapist, they are expected not to use information given to me during the therapy process against the other party in a judicial setting of any kind, be it civil, criminal, or circuit. Likewise, neither party shall for any reason attempt to subpoena my testimony or my records to be presented in a deposition or court hearing of any kind for any reason, such as a divorce case.