PRIVACY & CONFIDENTIALITY

Confidentiality Standards

At New Counseling Services we adhere to strict privacy and confidentiality standards. As part of our professional practice, our clinicians maintain personal information about you and your health and follow HIPAA regulations to safeguard your records. State and federal law protects this information by limiting its uses and disclosures.

Are there exceptions to confidentiality?

While every effort is made to protect your privacy, Washington State law requires psychotherapists to break confidentiality and inform the appropriate agency or persons during the following instances:

  1. If we have reason to believe your life or someone else’s life, safety, or property is threatened or endangered.
  2. If there is evidence or even suspicion of physical or sexual abuse, or neglect of a minor child, dependent, developmentally disabled adult, or elderly person.
  3. If a judge orders certain information disclosed in a legal proceeding.
  4. In legal proceedings when your psychological health is an issue (e.g., work related stress, divorce, custody battles, etc.), the attorney for the opposing side may have certain information subpoenaed. In that case, we would inform you of the subpoena. If you object to my complying with the subpoena, we may still be required to release the information.