One of the most controversial issues in counseling practice is the issue of confidentiality. When it comes to high school students, confidentiality becomes even more pressing of a legal and ethical issues because research shows that the ôàsecond highest reason students did not approach counselors was fear of inappropriate disclosure,ö (Froeschle, 2004, p. 234). When it comes to self-mutilators, counselors are in an even riskier situation because a breach of confidentiality may cause further harm for an already alienated students.
Further, the expectation of counseling is that client disclosure will remain private and confidential. According to Froeschle (2004, p. 234), this expectation is ôàcrucial to both the clientÆs willingness and ability to self-disclose.ö Adolescents are capable of understanding confidentiality and they desire it. Confidentiality belongs to the client. The American Counseling Association maintains that ôàcounselors respect their clientsÆ right to privacy and avoid illegal and unwarranted disclosures of confidential information.ö (Froeschle, 2004, p. 234). Because of this counselors are placed in the position of making every attempt to disclose information about adolescents only when such disclosure is ethically feasible.
Complicating the issue of high school counseling and confidentiality is the fact that research is unclear about the right of parents to access information shared by students in private counseling sessions. Froeschle (2004, p. 234) maintains that ôàethically the child is the client but legally the parent is the client.ö However, other research suggests that counselors have a right to secure the content of counseling sessions. Froeschle (2004) suggests that while parents may have a legal right to know what information is disclosed by their minor children, the counselor has an ethical responsibility to get the minorÆs permission before disclosi
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