Confidentiality

The need for confidentiality in psychoanalytic work is akin to, but goes well beyond the need for medical confidentiality generally and beyond that required by psychiatrists and psychologists. Central to the psychodynamic approach is the exploration of interpersonal processes with attention to underlying unconscious activity.  Very strict confidentiality is an essential prerequisite for the focus on and the use of this sensitive material.  The disclosure of such material to third parties can be acutely damaging to the process and it will be resisted, unless it is absolutely necessary, such as when there is a clear threat to the life of the patient or another person.  A copy of the basic minimum data must also be held for use in emergency situations such as the death or incapacity of the practitioner. Notes function as an aide memoire, for supervision in which the patient details are anonymised. Such material also has a broader research, educational and communicative value and may form the basis of (again totally anonymous) clinical papers or reports. These notes do not constitute part of the permanent record of the patient and will be destroyed once they have served the purpose for which they are made.