Confidentiality And Record Keeping In Counselling And Psychotherapy

This book provides an essential framework for understanding record keeping within legal, ethical, supervisory, and clinical contexts. More than a simple reference book, it introduces the concept of using records as therapeutic tools to strengthen the therapeutic relationship and facilitate clinical supervision

'This is an excellent book...Those involved in writing agency policy as well as therapists working within these structures and independently should view this as a mainstay of their reference library. Trainers and supervisors will also find it invaluable' - Therapy Today Journal, December 2008 `This book is an original, insightful, comprehensive and practical guide for all working in the field...a must read for any counsellor or psychotherapist or anybody else working in the field of psychological therapies' - Professor Cary L. Cooper, CBE, President of BACP `There are few legal issues as important to clients and their therapists as confidentiality and record keeping. This book is essential reading for all counsellors and psychotherapists' - Esther Rantzen, Chair & Founder of Childline and Vice President of BACP Confidentiality is an essential condition of counselling and psychotherapy that enables clients to talk honestly and openly about their situation. As a core aspect of everyday practice, therapists need to understand both the legal and ethical implications of providing confidentiality and of keeping records concerning their clients. Confidentiality and Record Keeping in Counselling and Psychotherapy provides a practical introduction to the topic, containing guidance on: - why and how records should be kept - how to balance therapeutic benefits from keeping records with potential legal ramifications - confidentiality agreements with clients in a variety of therapeutic settings - confidentiality in training and supervision.

This indispensible text is your students′ first point of reference when faced with a situation or dilemma of a legal nature regarding record keeping or confidentiality issues. Reflecting changes in policy and law and developments in practice since its last publication in 2008, this new edition has been expanded into 14 new and thoroughly revised chapters. New content includes: - The latest Data Protection Act guidance including data protection implications when working with technology and for online therapy - Greater content on sharing information, including sharing information in supervision, training, research, audit and, crucially, across professions - Expanded content on mental capacity with separate chapters for children and vulnerable adults - A new chapter on pre-trial therapy with adults and children, including Special Measures, Crown Prosecution Service guidance and victim support - A new chapter on practice dilemmas, providing advice and encouraging further discussion and reflection - The role of supervision and of the supervisor Using reflective questions, sample dilemmas and case scenarios throughout, the authors illustrate how to practically address the difficult confidentiality and record keeping issues that therapists regularly face. Current legal guidelines and frameworks are interspersed throughout the book which, along with revised disclosure checklists and links to useful organisations and contacts, ensure trainee and practising therapists are well versed in current best-practice.

This indispensible text is your students′ first point of reference when faced with a situation or dilemma of a legal nature regarding record keeping or confidentiality issues. Reflecting changes in policy and law and developments in practice since its last publication in 2008, this new edition has been expanded into 14 new and thoroughly revised chapters. New content includes: - The latest Data Protection Act guidance including data protection implications when working with technology and for online therapy - Greater content on sharing information, including sharing information in supervision, training, research, audit and, crucially, across professions - Expanded content on mental capacity with separate chapters for children and vulnerable adults - A new chapter on pre-trial therapy with adults and children, including Special Measures, Crown Prosecution Service guidance and victim support - A new chapter on practice dilemmas, providing advice and encouraging further discussion and reflection - The role of supervision and of the supervisor Using reflective questions, sample dilemmas and case scenarios throughout, the authors illustrate how to practically address the difficult confidentiality and record keeping issues that therapists regularly face. Current legal guidelines and frameworks are interspersed throughout the book which, along with revised disclosure checklists and links to useful organisations and contacts, ensure trainee and practising therapists are well versed in current best-practice.

This book introduces some of the specific contexts in which today′s counsellors and psychotherapists find themselves working. It draws upon the experience of counsellors active in their field and uses relevant examples of the potential pitfalls and rewards of counselling in diverse institutional settings. Counsellors are introduced to the regulatory, legislative, economic, social and cultural considerations relevant to the confidential work between counsellor and client. They are also encouraged to think beyond the therapy room to the institutional context of the encounter with the client while keeping professional identity and integrity at the forefront of their work.

`Jenkins′ book makes the law relevant, understandable and manageable to counsellors and psychotherapists. It makes clear, reassuring and essential reading for therapists in training as well as those in practice. [All] counsellors and psychotherapisys need to be up to speed with the law and with how it relates to their work. This book is more than timely with the impending introduction of regulation, and the fact that increasingly the work of counsellors and psychotherapists is being subjected to legal scrutiny′ - Healthcare Counselling and Psychotherapy Journal Counselling, Psychotherapy and the Law is the long-awaited Second Edition of Peter Jenkins′ comprehensive introduction to legal issues in relation to counselling and psychotherapy in the UK. This text has been fully updated to include coverage of the key developments in the law that have had major impact on therapists′ practice with regard to data protection and the management of confidentiality. The book breaks new ground by exploring in detail the relationship of ethics to the law and providing a framework for relating the BACP Ethical Framework to legal decision-making. Key features of this new edition include: " extensive use of case studies. These bring legal examples to life and give a human dimension to powerful ethical dilemmas such as seeking agreement to end medical treatment, or client′s gaining access to their own confidential records " key points, which provide quick summaries of complex material and reference guides for professional practice " the multiple points of crossover and intersection of law and therapy. These are identified and explored, ranging from the use of narrative theory, to the provision of pre-trial therapy for abused children, to the role of the therapist as expert witness. This new edition provides clarity and reassurance for practitioners at all levels about the exact nature of their responsibilities, and how these can best be managed, in order to enable them to comply with the law and focus on their therapeutic work with clients. Counselling, Psychotherapy and the Law, Second Edition provides an essential source of reference in a single volume, making a fascinating and complex topic understandable and bringing it to life. Peter Jenkins, formerly a member of the BACP Professional Conduct Committee and currently a member of the Ethics Committee of the UKCP, has been described by Counselling at Work as ′probably the foremost authority on legal issues in counselling′. He is Co-Director of the Counselling and Psychotherapy Directorate at the University of Salford. More reviews: `Despite requiring real concentration, this is an essential read for counsellors and psychotherapists irrespective of background and theoretical orientation. Trainers, supervisors and agency coordinators especially would benefit from the up to date material contained here′ - Therapy Today `Peter Jenkins has consulted widely over the content of this book, both within the psychological therapies field and with legal eagles. [His] use of clear flow diagrams and comparison boxes enable the reader to identify the similarities and differences between professional and moral/ethical debates. It is a thoroughly researched and accessible text′ - Association for University and College Counselling Journal `a comprehensive overview of a rapidly evolving field. This book represents a helpful addition to practitioners′ bookshelves as a reference work, but also a beneficial read to stimulate thoughtful responses to practical dilemmas. It provides a good support to both therapeutic and supervision practices across the spectrum of experience and theoretical models′ - The Psychotherapist

Developing and maintaining a secure framework for professional practice is a core part of any counselling and psychotherapy training, as all therapists need to understand the key values, ethics and laws that underpin the profession today. But what does being a member of a ′profession’ actually mean, and what does being a ‘professional’ actually involve? Structured around the BACP Core Curriculum, and with the help of exercises, case studies and tips for further reading, this book covers everything from the requirements of the BACP Ethical Framework to broader perspectives on good professional practice. It includes: Practising as a therapist in different roles and organizational contexts. Working with key issues, including difference, vulnerable clients and risk. Understanding the law and relevant legal frameworks for practice. Working ethically, including contrasting models and approaches to ethics.

Confidentiality and record keeping are essential aspects of everyday counselling practice. This book introduces you to the law, ethics, guidance and policy relevant to counselling records and confidentiality, using examples from practice to apply this to a wide range of counselling situations and dilemmas. This edition is fully updated to cover recent developments in guidance, professional ethics, policy and law, including new chapters on GDPR and data protection law and online and telephone counselling practice. With an extensive glossary, checklists and useful legal and other resources, this is an essential resource for trainees and practitioners in the helping professions.