Therapists Are Bound to Protect the Confidentiality Term Paper

Total Length: 565 words ( 2 double-spaced pages)

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Therapists are bound to protect the confidentiality of patients, except when the patient poses a risk to him or herself or to others.

Identify the potential issues involved.

The therapist is bound to report if a client has made credibly threatening gestures. The therapist must evaluate the client's words and actions to see if they are genuinely fall under the guidelines of breaking confidentiality.

Review the relevant ethics codes.

Counselors have a duty to warn the authorities when patients pose a potential risk to themselves and to others.

Know the applicable laws and regulations.

All states have 'duty to warn' laws, but they may vary slightly in wording.

Step 5: Obtain consultation.

In this particular instance, obtaining legal advice would be advisable.

Step 6: Consider possible and probable courses of action.

The counselor could report the threats to the authorities or remain silent.

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Step 7: Enumerate the consequences of various decisions.

If the threats are not credible, the relationship between client and therapist is likely to be broken, based upon the client's loss of trust; the client could also face legal difficulties that could impact his fragile state of mental health. He could also lose shared custody of his children. However, if the therapist does nothing, the client's wife and children could meet with real harm, and the therapist would be held liable for remaining silent if the client's threats came to light.

Step 8: Decide on what appears to be the best course of action.

Informing upon the client to the authorities is the best course of action.

Vignette 2

Step 1: Identify the problem or dilemma.

The client is expressing suicidal ideation.

Step 2: Identify the potential issues….....

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Latest APA Format (6th edition)

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"Therapists Are Bound To Protect The Confidentiality" (2013, March 23) Retrieved June 4, 2026, from
https://www.aceyourpaper.com/essays/therapists-bound-protect-confidentiality-102428

Latest MLA Format (8th edition)

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"Therapists Are Bound To Protect The Confidentiality" 23 March 2013. Web.4 June. 2026. <
https://www.aceyourpaper.com/essays/therapists-bound-protect-confidentiality-102428>

Latest Chicago Format (16th edition)

Copy Reference
"Therapists Are Bound To Protect The Confidentiality", 23 March 2013, Accessed.4 June. 2026,
https://www.aceyourpaper.com/essays/therapists-bound-protect-confidentiality-102428