Client Bill Of Rights.
Because as a client receiving therapy, you have rights. Here’s what they are.
The Right to Confidentiality
You have a right to confidentiality in therapy - this means that when you sign an informed consent, unless otherwise stated in your consent form, the only person who should be reading your notes - and who should have access to them - is your own therapist. This helps maintain your privacy.
Confidentiality also means that anything you share stays between you and the therapist - with a few exceptions. According to the College of Alberta Psychologist’s Standards of Practice:
“12. 4 A psychologist may disclose confidential information about a client without the informed, written consent of the client when the psychologist has reasonable and probable grounds to believe that disclosure is necessary to prevent imminent and grave harm to:
12.4.1 the client;
12.4.2 another person’s mental or physical health or safety; and/or
12.4.3 public safety
12.5 A psychologist may disclose confidential information about a client without the informed, written consent of the client when permitted or required by law.
12.6 A psychologist disclosing confidential information pursuant to sections 12.3 and/or 12.4 shall limit disclosure to persons who reasonably need to know, and to the extent necessary in the circumstances.”
The Right to Informed Consent
As the client, you have to right to ask questions about treatment, therapy process, record keeping, etc. When you start therapy with a new therapist, they should always be discussing informed consent with you - and often having you sign a consent form. You have a right to ask questions about anything on that form that you don’t understand or don’t agree with. You also have a right to retract your consent at any time.
The Right to End Therapy - and the Right to Continuity of Care
You have a right to end therapy whenever you see fit. You also have the right to switch to a new therapist if you feel that would be most supportive for you.
If you are working with a therapist at a private practice clinic and that therapist moves to another clinic, you have a right to continue to working with that therapist at their new clinic location, if you so choose (and of course, if the therapist also agrees). Clients always have the right to independently decide to reach out to therapists for continued care, even if that therapist is leaving a practice and relocating to a new one.