Is It Confidential?

Counseling often involves sharing sensitive, personal, and private information by clients with their therapist. Feelings of trust and safety are critical for persons to grow and learn about themselves. Visits to the University Counseling Center are private and no one outside the center is given any information regarding what is revealed in counseling or even that you have made an appointment to see a counselor unless we have your written permission to do so. This includes, but is not limited to, family, spouse, romantic partners, friends, co-workers, employers, professors, or university officials outside the University Counseling Center. No information becomes part of a student's academic record.

The counseling staff at the University Counseling Center operates as a team. Therefore, from time to time, your therapist may consult with other staff members or receive supervision from a clinical supervisor. These consultations are for professional and training purposes only and are aimed at providing the best possible care for all clients.

Because confidentiality is so important we encourage students who have questions about it to talk to the person they will work with at the beginning of their first visit so they can know if the legal limits of confidentiality will effect them. You'll be given a sheet before you see a therapist that explains the confidentiality of our services.

A Few Exceptions to Confidentiality

The law in the State of Ohio provides the following exceptions to this rule of confidentiality.

• If we believe that you are immediately and seriously dangerous to yourself or to an identifiable third person, we are legally required to try to keep you safe and to warn anyone else you might try to harm.
• If we hear about child abuse or neglect taking place in the present we are required to report this to appropriate state authorities.
• If disclosure is made necessary by a court order in a legal proceeding.