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Your therapist has done everything possible to ensure that your online therapy is
private and confidential. Your therapist uses encryption for emails and chat sessions.
Your therapist's computer is password protected and only your therapist has the ability to
have an online session with you.
Your personal information is stored in a secure database and only the therapist and authorized
staff have access to it. Ultimately, privacy depends on you.
Unlike face-to-face therapy, where the main onus of privacy is the responsibility
of the therapist and how he maintains his office, in online therapy the level of privacy
depends equally on the steps taken by the therapist and the client. To maximize privacy,
the client also needs to use encrypted email and chat. The client's computer should
be password protected. Transcripts of sessions should not be saved unless under encryption
and password protection. Likewise emails should only be saved with encryption and
password protection. None of these should be saved on a network where others could
have access. Privacy should also be watched during the counseling session. The room
with the computer should be locked and no one else should enter.
When information is stored, it is never 100% secure. If someone is smart enough (or
forceful enough) he/she can break into any computer or decode any encryption, whether
the computer is in the therapist's office or in the client's home. If one follows
the above security measures, though, the risk is minimal.
If a client believes his rights have been violated unethically by the therapist, he
may submit a complaint to the state board where the counselor is practicing online
therapy.
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