Generally, yes.

What you share in counselling is kept confidential within the limits of applicable law and professional standards.

Your counsellor won't routinely share what you've talked about with family members, friends, employers, schools, or other people in your life without appropriate consent or another legal or ethical basis for doing so.

You should be able to speak openly without wondering who is going to hear about it afterward.

There are circumstances where information may need to be shared without your consent. We'll explain those limits as part of the informed consent process.

Confidentiality isn't absolute.

There are circumstances where a counsellor may be required or permitted to disclose information because of a serious safety concern, a legal requirement, a court order, child protection legislation, or another applicable obligation.

The specific requirements can vary depending on where you and your counsellor are located.

When information does need to be shared, we aim to disclose only what is necessary and to involve you in the process whenever possible.

We won't promise that something can always remain confidential if there are circumstances where the law or professional obligations require otherwise.

Working with adolescents involves a particular balance.

Young people need space to develop their own voice, explore difficult experiences, and build a trusting relationship with their counsellor. Parents and caregivers may also have an important role in supporting their wellbeing.

We don't believe that effective counselling requires parents to know every detail of what a young person says.

At the beginning of counselling, we'll talk with the young person and their parent or caregiver about how privacy will work, what information may be shared, and what circumstances could require information to be disclosed.

The approach may depend on the young person's age, maturity and capacity, the nature of the counselling, family circumstances, and applicable law.

The goal is to create enough privacy for honest counselling while making sure the adults responsible for the young person's care can be appropriately involved.

This is a very reasonable question for parents and caregivers.

You may want to know what is being discussed because you care about your teen and want to support them.

At the same time, young people may be much more willing to talk honestly when they know that every detail of the conversation won't automatically be passed along.

Parents or caregivers may be involved in discussing goals, general progress, strategies for supporting their teen, or specific concerns when appropriate.

That doesn't necessarily mean receiving a detailed account of everything their teen has said.

The specific boundaries will be discussed before counselling begins.

This can be difficult for parents.

You may feel that if something is important enough for your teen to talk about in counselling, you should know about it too.

At the same time, some degree of privacy can be an important part of creating a counselling relationship where a young person feels able to speak honestly.

Protecting a young person's privacy doesn't mean leaving parents out of the picture.

It means finding a thoughtful balance between the young person's developing autonomy, the family's role in supporting them, and any concerns about safety.

If information needs to be shared because of a safety concern or legal obligation, we'll explain what is happening and involve the young person as much as we reasonably can.

You may have reasons for wanting counselling to feel like your own space. You might be worried about being judged, misunderstood, or having things shared before you're ready.

We take those concerns seriously.

At the same time, counselling with a young person can involve parents or caregivers in different ways, depending on the young person's age, capacity, circumstances, safety, and the laws that apply where counselling is taking place.

We won't assume that parental involvement needs to look the same for every young person or every family.

We'll talk openly about what privacy means, what information may be shared, and when there may be reasons for a parent or caregiver to be involved.

Our goal is to create a counselling relationship where you can speak honestly while also making sure the people responsible for your care can be appropriately involved when needed.

If information does need to be shared because of a safety concern or legal obligation, we'll explain what's happening and involve you in that process as much as we reasonably can.

Talking about suicidal thoughts, self-harm, abuse, substance use, or another difficult experience does not automatically mean that everything you've said will be shared with someone else.

We'll first work to understand what's happening and consider the circumstances and level of concern.

There are situations, however, where a counsellor may have a legal or professional obligation to act.

If confidentiality needs to be limited, we'll explain what is happening and share only the information that is necessary whenever possible.

With young people, this may also include child protection obligations that vary by province.

Counsellors have legal and professional responsibilities when they have reasonable grounds to believe a child may be in need of protection.

The specific requirements differ across Canada.

This means that we cannot promise absolute confidentiality when information raises concerns that fall within applicable child protection legislation.

If a report needs to be made, we will involve the young person and family in the process as much as we reasonably can, while meeting our legal obligations.

We take the security and privacy of your personal information seriously.

Sholinder Counselling Collective uses Jane as our practice management and electronic health record platform. Your counselling information and records are maintained through systems and processes designed to support the privacy and security of your information.

We also have policies and procedures in place for things such as:

• How personal and counselling information is collected and used

• Who has access to client information

• How counselling records are maintained and stored

• How information is communicated electronically

• How information is shared with other people or professionals

• How privacy and security concerns are handled

Protecting your information is more than choosing a secure platform. It's also about how we use, access, communicate, and manage that information every day.

Because Sholinder Counselling Collective works with clients across Canada, the privacy requirements that apply can vary depending on where you and your counsellor are located. We'll provide you with the information relevant to your circumstances as part of the informed consent process.

If you have questions about how your information is stored, who can access it, or how we communicate with you, please ask. You deserve to understand how your information is handled before you begin sharing personal information with us.

Clients generally have rights relating to their personal information and counselling records, although the specific process and any applicable exceptions depend on the circumstances and the law that applies.

If you want to understand how access to your records works, your counsellor can explain the process and any relevant considerations.

Sometimes involving another person can be helpful.

You may want your counsellor to communicate with a physician, another healthcare provider, school professional, family member, or another person who supports you.

When consent is appropriate, we'll talk with you about:

• Who you want information shared with

• What information you want shared

• Why it would be helpful

• How the information will be communicated

You should understand what you're agreeing to before information is shared.

Privacy can look different when more than one person is participating in counselling.

With couples or family counselling, there are multiple people involved in the therapeutic relationship, so confidentiality and information-sharing expectations need to be clear from the beginning.

We'll discuss these expectations before the counselling relationship begins so everyone understands how privacy will work.

Privacy and confidentiality are part of informed consent, not something you should have to figure out as you go.

Before counselling begins, we'll talk about things such as:

• What confidentiality means

• The limits of confidentiality

• How your information and records are handled

• When information may need to be shared

• How communication with you will happen

• Whether and how other people may be involved in your care

• How confidentiality works when counselling involves a young person, couple, or family

• Any questions or concerns you have about privacy

If you're unsure about something, ask.

You should feel comfortable understanding the boundaries before you begin sharing personal information.