Confidentiality Plays A Big Part In The Client-counsellor Relationship, Says Family Counsellor

Basseterre, St. Kitts, September 24, 2021 (SKNIS): Family counsellor from the Counselling Department in St. Kitts, Valencia Byron, said that confidentiality within the client-counsellor relationship plays a big part and determines the success of any case with a counsellee.

“The counsellor must be warm and inviting and of course, my colleagues before stressed the ethical code of confidentiality, which must be upheld and is paramount in the counselling process,” said Mrs. Byron during her appearance on the September 22 edition of SKNIS’ ‘Working for You’.

“You must be able to engage with the client, make the client feel comfortable and provide a safe space for the client to be able to reveal private information to you and whatever information they want to share because that would help the therapeutic process along so that they’ll feel safe that whatever is said to this male or female, it is not going to leave this room,” she added.

Mrs. Byron also stated that “The counsellor must also ensure that they are non-judgemental as well and not to inflict none of their personal biases, beliefs, value system, onto the client and to accept the client for their reality and help them to process their feelings and normalise situations to get an understanding of what is happening to them so that they can be able to help themselves and build-up their strengths; motivate them to see that help is necessary and that we are here for them.”

She continued: “Therapy is forming an alliance with your client and it is not going to work by the counsellor alone; the client as well has to be engaging and be a part of the process so that the process can work and benefit the client.”

The family counsellor also spoke about not getting involved in dual relationships during the professional relationship between client and counsellor, or having family members as clients because these create conflicts of interest.