Sarah Morris Therapy

Privacy Policy

All counselling is confidential subject to the constraints of English law and ethical practice. Sarah has a legal duty to report anything to do with terrorism or acts of terror or FGM.

If you were to disclose matters involving a serious/life-threatening risk of harm to self or others, Sarah might have to act on it. If something like that came up, she would talk with you about it. Where possible, she would not break confidence without your prior knowledge and, ideally, consent.

Sarah will not tell your GP or anyone else that you are coming to counselling unless you ask her to. So, attending private counselling would not go on your medical records. Occasionally clients ask Sarah to make a GP referral or write a letter to give to their GP. She would discuss and agree on the contents of the referral letter with you before sending it.

If you are coming as a couple or family group, there are occasions Sarah might see you as individuals, too; for example, as part of the assessment process.

Almost anything said in the one-to-one session stays confidential between you and Sarah. Some things, however, are too big to contain without damaging the couple/family work. If something came up that needed further exploration, Sarah would ask if you would be happy to bring the matter up in the larger group and obtain your permission to discuss so that she could continue to work with you both together.

Sarah can only work with children with parental consent. Having a safe space is a vital part of counselling so we would discuss nothing a child says with their parents (unless the child was at risk).

Older children might self-refer, depending on age and understanding. Clients would be given exactly the same level of confidentiality afforded to an adult client.

Counselling is confidential, even if a third-party (such as an employer or family member) is paying for it. The client still has the same rights to confidentiality, whoever foots the bill. It is also important to note that regardless of who pays, this will not influence the clients right to seek the assistance and direction they feel they need within their counselling. Paying for counselling for someone does not mean they will come around to your way of thinking!

Where a third party referral is completed in sessions, Sarah may have to share some information with the third party client, to get paid. Typically, this is a confirmation of your attendance and participation (or otherwise). Third party referral companies often required to complete a discharge summary. If that is the case, you would be made aware of this at the beginning of therapy in discussion with your care provider.

All professional bodies in the UK require counsellors to have regular clinical supervision. Sarah Morris might discuss her work with you in supervision, without breaking confidentiality. You would not be identified to her supervisors.

At present, there is no legal duty on counsellors in independent practice to disclose any form of abuse, even child abuse. However, Sarah holds a strong ethical and moral responsibility for your wellbeing and the wellbeing of others. If she felt that you or someone you told us about was at imminent risk of serious harm, she might have to act on that. Should something like this come about, Sarah would discuss it with you so you could agree on a way forwards. Only in the most exceptional circumstances would we make a report without your prior knowledge and consent. We would much prefer to empower you to make the report yourself, even if that takes a little longer.

Sarah does not report self-harm (including drug use and eating disorders) or suicidal ideation, except in the most extreme situations. She would much prefer to work with you, helping you to find more helpful coping strategies.

If you were to disclose anything to do with acts of terror or the funding of terror activities Sarah has a legal duty to report this. If Sarah Morris Therapy receives a court order or coroner’s request, we have to comply. We would not release your notes without such order, or your written consent. Sarah Morris has a legal duty to immediately report Female Genital Mutilation to the police.