Virtual Counseling

What you need to know about confidentiality and virtual counseling:

On campus, the school counselor conducts sessions behind closed doors to protect the privacy of the student. The counselor has an ethical and legal obligation to keep information contained within the student/counselor relationship. This relationship is built on trust and respect. The counselor adheres to a conduct of confidentiality with only a few exceptions.*

In the virtual atmosphere, it is likely that other persons are in the vicinity where counseling is taking place. It is recommended that the student finds a private place to speak with the counselor, and even uses headphones if they are available. The counselor also takes all measures to ensure confidentiality, but it cannot be 100 percent guaranteed in a virtual setting.

*The exceptions for confidentiality include: the student expresses he wants to harm himself, harm someone else, or someone is harming him.

(Please see the American School Counselor Association's (ASCA) full statement regarding Confidentiality )