How honest can I be with a therapist? What if what I'm doing that is causing me tension is illegal or immoral? Would I be reported?

This article, directly from APA's website, describes when a therapist needs to break confidentiality.

  • "...in order to protect the patient or public from serious harm" which typically covers suicidal intent (with an expressed plan) or an expressed threat to harm others,
  • "...ongoing domestic violence, abuse or neglect of children, the elderly or people with disabilities,"
  • "...if they receive a court order"

I'm not a professional and obviously I don't know when a therapist would need to disclose if it happens to deviate from the norm, but I hope this helps in addressing what is usually necessary for a confidentiality breach.

/r/askatherapist Thread