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Principle of Confidentiality in Counselling and Social Work

📄 Other By CampusDown Wiki Editorial Team Last updated
Quick answer: confidentiality means not disclosing what clients share without their consent, except where there is serious danger to self or others or a legal duty to report.
Contents
  1. 1. Meaning and rationale
  2. 2. Biestek's seven principles
  3. 3. Absolute vs relative
  4. 4. Exceptions
  5. 5. Guidelines
  6. 6. References

Meaning and rationale

Confidentiality underpins trust. Clients disclose freely only if they feel safe, which enables accurate assessment and respects privacy and self-determination.

Biestek's seven principles

Individualisation, purposeful expression of feelings, controlled emotional involvement, acceptance, non-judgemental attitude, client self-determination and confidentiality.

Absolute vs relative

Absolute confidentiality is rarely possible; practice relies on relative confidentiality (supervision, case conferences, legal demands), explained to clients through informed consent at the outset.

Exceptions

  • Serious danger to others: the Tarasoff decision (California Supreme Court, 1976) recognised a duty to protect third parties.
  • Risk of suicide or self-harm
  • Child or elder abuse, subject to mandatory reporting laws
  • Court orders and other statutory requirements

Guidelines

Disclose the minimum necessary to those who need it, inform the client where possible, and secure records. Professional codes such as the NASW Code of Ethics set these duties.

References

  1. Biestek, F. P. (1957). The Casework Relationship. Loyola University Press.
  2. Tarasoff v. Regents of the University of California, 17 Cal. 3d 425 (1976).
  3. National Association of Social Workers. (2021). Code of Ethics. NASW.
  4. Corey, G., Corey, M. S., & Corey, C. (2019). Issues and Ethics in the Helping Professions (10th ed.). Cengage.
  5. 한국사회복지사협회. (2023). 「한국사회복지사 윤리강령」.

Reports and materials that use this theory (Korean)

There are no materials dedicated to this theory yet, but you can search related reports in the CampusDown library (Korean).

Find more reports · Search '비밀보장 원칙' on CampusDown →
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This article was last updated on October 15, 2026. It is based on widely recognized original works and textbooks; when citing it in a paper, please check the original sources listed in the references.