Counselor Confidentiality

When counseling students in a school setting the issue of confidentiality will occasionally come up. Sometimes students will come in and say, “Will you promise not to tell anyone if I tell you something?”  A counselor is required to report certain things such as mention of abuse, a life in danger or if a student is making a serious threat to harm someone. We are faced with a “trust” factor here. It is the expectation of students that when information is shared with a counselor it will be kept confidential. If this were not the expectation, most students would not seek the support of the school counselor. However, trust that parents will be informed if their child is in any danger or in need of parental intervention. It is the goal of the counselor to create a collaborative relationship with parents and where a student can feel safe and comfortable talking. When you as a parent have a concern, feel free to contact the counselor and have a discussion about what your concern is. Open communication between school and home can only lead to success as a team.