Page 18 - March April 2017 FTM

PRIVACY IS DYING
(AND IT MAY NOT BE MISSED)
Millennial therapists—and their clients—challenge fundamental ethical principles.
Today’s therapy students are taught—like I was—that confidentiality is a cornerstone of effective therapy. Then they go into community mental health agencies where they learn the exact opposite.
The recovery movement in mental health encourages providers to engage in person- centered care, which is transparent, holistic, respectful, and individualized (SAMHSA, 2015). In practice, this means sessions can take place in parks, on sidewalks, or in semi- private cubicles where resources for housing, jobs, and other needs are close by. Clients may still have the option to speak privately to a therapist, but often, they don’t want it.
16 FAMILY THERAPY MAGAZINE