Both Colorado law and the ethical code of the American Psychological Association require me to keep in confidence all the information you share with me. You may, however, grant me written permission to anyone whom you specify. This principle of confidentiality has limitations in situations in which I believe you are of danger to yourself or to others, and in certain kinds of criminal or delinquency proceedings. In addition, managed care poses complex issues which may affect the confidentiality of our work. I will attempt to explain the effect of third party involvement on the confidentiality of treatment if such an explanation becomes applicable. There is one other exception to confidentiality: if your account becomes more than three months in arrears, and you have not paid me for 90 days, you will have waived your right to confidentiality and I will be permitted to refer your account to a collection agency or to a court for assistance in collection.
I may occasionally find it helpful to consult other professionals about your case. During consultations, I always maintain confidentiality of your identity. Also, those that I consult with are governed by the same rules of confidentiality as I am.
For minors and their parents: From my experience, I find my work moves much better if I have parental consent to keep all but the regulated material confidential. It will allow your child to build a more trusting and forthright relationship with me if we all agree that I can keep his/her privacy. I will work with your child to increase skills in communicating with you. In addition, if material arises that seems beneficial to discuss with you, I will talk with your child and receive his/her consent to share this information. I will also be happy to speak with you about the sorts of issues we are looking at and whether or not we are engaged in meaningful work. At all times, I will want to hear your perspective on how things are going. I will be happy to consult with you on parenting issues that may arise in the course of treatment. Minors seeking psychotherapy services should be aware that the law may provide parents the right to examine your treatment records.