Is therapy confidential?

As a general rule, all therapy sessions are confidential and anything you discuss with your therapist will remain between the two of you, unless you request otherwise. This is the case for both in person and virtual sessions. The technologies and electronic platforms used for virtual meetings and to store electronic health information is secure, HIPAA-compliant, and encrypted end-to-end.

There are exceptions to confidentiality, however, and therapists are required to disclose information to appropriate bodies or people in these specific cases below:

  • If the therapist reasonably suspects abuse to a child, dependent adult, or an elder, or are made aware of domestic abuse. These situations all require the therapist to notify law authorities immediately.
  • If the therapist reasonably suspects an individual has caused, or is threatening to cause severe bodily harm to another person, therapists are required to report it to the police.
  • If an individual intends to harm himself or herself, expressing to the therapist for example, plans for suicide. While the therapist will attempt to work through this in the therapy session, if it appears to be unresolved or the client does not cooperate, additional action may need to be taken to ensure the safety of the client.

Rates & Insurance

Insurance:  Psychotherapy services may be covered in full or in part by your health insurance or employee benefit plan. Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Coverage Parity laws require most health plans to apply similar rules to mental health benefits as they do for medical/surgical benefits. Please check your coverage carefully by asking the following questions of your insurance provider:

  • Do I have mental health insurance benefits?
  • What services and licenses does my insurance cover?
  • How many sessions per year does my insurance cover?
  • What is the coverage amount per therapy session?