Confidentiality and Privacy

Confidentiality is crucial to the counseling process. We believe that talking to us online is as safe as talking to us in person. We consider it our sacred duty to protect the confidentiality and privacy of our clients.  We will safeguard your personal information. 

Having said that, we must admit that confidentiality has never been, and is not now, 100% perfect, either online or face-to-face. 

The single most important thing that can be done to improve security is for you to safeguard your privacy on your end.  NEVER send us messages from your computer at work – your employer has a legal right to see your email!  And when using your home computer, make sure that only YOU have access to your email.

All payment transactions on this website utilize secure technology to protect your privacy and prevent any unauthorized access to your credit card information.

However, there are three important exceptions to the confidentiality rules we've just stated. State law in Washington and in every other state in the U.S. requires these exceptions as well, we believe.

• Licensed and registered therapists are required to notify the appropriate authorities in cases where we learn that a child, elderly or disabled person is being abused.

• We are required to notify the appropriate authorities if a client makes serious, credible threats to harm themselves or any other person.

• The courts can subpoena information from us in certain unusual legal situations. If any of these three situations were to occur, we would discuss the need to break confidentiality with you, if possible, before doing so.