Psychologists are ethically bound to protect your privacy, and information about you will generally never be released without your permission. However, there are limits to confidentiality that you should understand before you agree to begin psychological assessment or treatment.
There are situations in which, as a psychologist, I am required by law, to release confidential information. A psychologist is required to do whatever is necessary to protect life; therefore, if there is a concern for the safety of either yourself (i.e., if you are at risk to harm yourself), or someone else, information necessary to preserve that safety will be released.
Under the Ontario Child and Family Act, I must report child abuse. If you give information about past or present abuse of a person who is still a child, and this information is not already known to the authorities, I must report such information.
If you are involved in a legal action or court case, your psychological file may be subpoenaed by the court, in which case that material would no longer be private. You should discuss this possibility with both your lawyer and with myself.
In order to meet mental health needs within the community during the current global health crisis, we at Associates in Psychology are offering videoconferencing and telephone appointments to safely support new, former, and on-going clients. Please directly contact Ramsay and Associates individual clinicians for appointments.