Positive recovery post - Confidentiality Please help

holly1975 · 06-04-2013, 11:05 PM

Hi, i was just wondering, im 16 and if i was to go to a counsellor, or doctor and talk about self harm and suicidal thoughts, do they by law have to tell my parents or can everythng be kept away from my parents without them ever finding out as i am 16? Im in the UK.

DontLookUp · 07-04-2013, 11:54 AM

I think that because you are 16 they have to keep these things confidential unless they think you are a danger to yourself. eg. if you were going to act on these suicidal thoughts or if they believe you are not capable of making decisions yourself.
But you should be ok and able to keep things confidential. It might also reassure you if before you disclosed anything you ask the GP/counselor about the confidentiality policy to reassure you?

Chrissy9310 · 07-04-2013, 03:12 PM

I'm pretty sure they keep it to themselves. Most counselors tend to tell you what they can and can't keep quiet in the first session anyway :)

yoyogirl · 07-04-2013, 04:15 PM

when you speak to your councellor he/she will explain the conifentiality policy to you but please be aware they will only pass information to relevant people and not your parents as you are over 16. As for doctors, i think the same rules applies.

Gem-Louise · 07-04-2013, 06:05 PM

hi ,they would keep it to themselves unless they thought that you were in any danger or harm but other than that yes because your 16 they will keep it confidential ,well at least that's how it is where I come from x

random.swirls · 07-04-2013, 07:17 PM

As others say they would keep it yourself unless they are worried about you.

I see a counsellor and she broke my confidentiality on a couple of occasions when I revealed that I wasn't particularly safe and each time I have ended up in hospital. I have talked about self harm and suicide at other points and she hasn't broken my confidentiality on these occasions

sirius · 07-04-2013, 11:48 PM

In the UK, it is completely confidential, unless you are a really serious danger to yourself or others, and by that it means that you have actively planned to hurt someone else. It's something you can always discuss with the counsellor and just say that you don't want your family to find out.
If you do get referred to hospital, your parents shouldn't find out (due to confidentiality again).

Just bear in mind that confidentiality means between you, the counsellor and anyone else in a medical team taking care of you. A lot of people don't know that their information may get passed on to other staff! But again with counselling it's only if there is a serious risk of you actively planning something.