Ethics FAQ

Maintaining confidentiality is the cornerstone of safe, authentic practice and is embedded in the values and principles of psychologists’ codes of ethics. In fact, confidentiality is considered so important that it is mentioned at least 18 times in the CPA Code of Ethics for Psychologists (2017). 

Confidentiality means that what we talk about is between us and only us and helps us to establish a safe and productive relationship. You should feel completely free to discuss things with me; I will not discuss your case with anyone other than you unless you specifically give me permission.

You should know, however, that I have an ethical and legal responsibility to report illegal activities to the appropriate authorities. I may be required to break confidentiality if you tell me about something that is illegal and/or potentially harmful to yourself or others.

During our first session we will discuss how we will work together and how we will maintain confidentiality.

This is a great question and is something we both need to consider. I think the best way to look at this is to think about maintaining confidentiality. Our work together is confidential and we should avoid discussing it in public.

When meeting in public we can (1) avoid each other all together, (2) acknowledge that we know each other, or (3) acknowledge that we know each other and that you are seeing me in a professional capacity. Which one of these 3 feels the best to you? Which is the most practical? Is there a fourth alternative that we should consider?

We are really talking about relationship boundaries here. What are your boundaries when meeting in public? What are mine? We need to be clear with each other so that we can maintain professional boundaries that are acceptable to both of us and to help us maintain confidentiality.

I believe we need to acknowledge and respect each others beliefs, plain and simple, whether it is religion, politics, or any other beliefs we may hold. I have lived and worked in a number of different countries and cultures where my religious and political beliefs were vastly different that those of the prevailing culture and people I worked with. We learned from each other and I found that we were not that different and really just wanted what was best for ourselves, our families, and our children.

The CPA Code of Ethics for Psychologists (2017) encourages psychologists to understand how our own biases, our beliefs, may influence how we think and act (sections II.10, III.9). By being aware of my biases I am better able to maintain objectivity in our work together. If I think my beliefs and biases may get in the way of our work together I will tell you so. 

I hope that by creating a safe environment you will feel the same way and we can develop an open and trusting counseling relationship.

Virtual counseling, also called Telepsychology, is an option to consider especially when you find it difficult to get to my office (distance, scheduling, etc.). There are several things that we should think about when considering virtual counseling:

1) We need to be as conscious of confidentiality when engaging in virtual counseling as we do when meeting in person. That means we will need to ensure that we are in private spaces where the likelihood of anyone hearing or perhaps seeing us is minimized.

2) Just as with in-person sessions, you will need to be fully present and not attempting to multitask. To get the most out of our sessions together we need to stay focused and not be distracted by external things in our environment.

3) Video conferencing technologies such as Skype can help us bridge distances and scheduling challenges but they are still not quite powerful enough to convey the full range of cues that are available when in-person. Fewer cues means the risk of misunderstandings may be greater than if we were in-person.

4) I am sure you can relate to this one … does the technology actually work when needed? Do you have a computer that will support the video conferencing software? Is your connection secure? Will your internet connection support video conferencing? And so on.

5) Boundaries are as important in virtual counseling as they are with in-person counseling. I keep normal office hours and maintain professional contact information (email, phone, etc.) and I do expect these to be respected.

The College of Alberta Psychologists developed a set of telepsychology practice guidelines for psychologists that explains in a bit more detail the above points plus a few more to consider:

Telepsychology Services: A practice guideline (2018)

Yes, I am legally and ethically required to report criminal activities to the proper authorities.