frequently asked questions

Is counselling confidential?

Confidentiality is a fundamental element within counselling . Your counsellor will not normally give information to doctors or anyone else without your permission. The only time a counsellor might break confidentiality is if there is a serious risk of harm to you or others, in very rare cases where required by law.

What is supervision in counselling?

Working under supervision means that a counsellor or psychotherapist uses the services of another counsellor or psychotherapist to review their work with clients, their professional development, and often their personal development as well.

Most professional bodies in the UK such as the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy require supervision, but it is also seen by many within the profession as ethically necessary. Counselling supervision is considered important to protect clients and to improve the ability of counsellors to provide value to their clients.

What does supervision mean to confidentiality?

Overall client confidentiality is still safeguarded because individually identifying information such as full names is not given. Also the supervisor is covered by the same code of ethics with regard to confidentiality as the counsellor.

Will the counsellor give me advice?

Counsellors don’t give advice since one of the purposes of counselling is to provide an environment in which you can make your own decisions. Careful listening is an important part of a counsellor’s role, this can help facilitate understanding which can help you define and work with your problem areas.