Confidentiality
If you are a student who is receiving services from the Counseling Center, you can count on the Center's staff abiding by professional ethics standards and state and federal laws that protect your confidentiality. Thus, all of the information you share about yourself at the Center - including the fact that you have even come to the Center - will be kept confidential. Without your written permission, NO personal or identifying information about you will be released to ANYONE outside of the Counseling Center, including LMC staff or faculty, friends and family members.
Exceptions to confidentiality may apply in the following situations:
- If your counselor believes that you or someone else is in danger of harming yourself or others, your counselor is legally obligated to inform proper authorities in order to prevent harm from occurring; in such cases your counselor may also decide that it is in your best interest to contact your family and LMC officials.
- If you provide information indicating that a minor or an elderly individual is being abused, your counselor is legally required to notify proper authorities.
- In rare cases a court may order your counselor to disclose information about you.
- If you are under 18 years old, your parents or legal guardian will have to grant Counseling Services permission to work with you. Your parents or legal guardian may also have access to your clinical record until you are 18.