Is therapy confidential? What your therapist can and can’t share

In short: what you say in therapy is usually kept private. Registered therapists are expected to protect your confidentiality and to explain its limits before you start. Those limits usually include serious risk of harm to you or someone else, safeguarding, when the law requires it, and supervision. You can ask your therapist exactly what they would share, with whom and why.

It’s natural to wonder who will hear what you say before you open up. This guide explains, in plain English, what confidentiality means in counselling and therapy in the UK, when information might be shared, and the questions you can ask so you know where you stand.

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What confidentiality means

Confidentiality means your therapist keeps what you tell them private, and protects your personal information, such as your name, contact details and notes. It is one of the things that makes therapy feel safe enough to talk openly.

It isn’t unlimited, though. Most therapists explain the limits in their first session or in a written agreement (sometimes called a contract). If they don’t, you can ask. Knowing the limits in advance means nothing should come as a surprise.

What professional standards say

• BACP. The Ethical Framework for the Counselling Professions says members will protect clients’ confidentiality and privacy by, among other things, “informing clients about any reasonably foreseeable limitations of privacy or confidentiality in advance of our work together”, and “ensuring that disclosure of personally identifiable information about clients is authorised by client consent or that there is a legally and ethically recognised justification”. BACP says its Ethical Framework 2026 becomes mandatory from midday on 3 November 2026, so the wording may change.
• HCPC. For practitioner psychologists, arts therapists and other professions it regulates, the HCPC’s standards of conduct, performance and ethics say: “You must treat information about service users as confidential.” They say confidential information may only be disclosed if the registrant has permission, the law allows it, it is in the service user’s best interests, or it is in the public interest, “such as if it is necessary to protect public safety or prevent harm to other people”.
• UKCP. The UKCP Code of Ethics and Professional Practice asks psychotherapists to “Respect, protect and preserve clients’ confidentiality”, and to tell clients, when appropriate or on request, “that there are legal and ethical limits to confidentiality”.
• Other bodies. Other professional bodies, such as NCPS, BABCP, BPC or COSCA, have their own codes. Ask your therapist which one they follow, and check they’re on the register they say they are. Our guide on how to check a register shows you how.

When a therapist might share information

Each therapist’s limits are slightly different, but they usually fall into these groups:

• With your agreement. For example, if you ask your therapist to write to your GP, or to speak to another professional involved in your care.
• Serious risk of harm. If your therapist believes you or someone else is at serious risk, they may need to act, for example by contacting emergency services or your GP. BACP’s framework says that, even then, practitioners will do their best to respect the parts of your wishes and confidences that don’t need to be overridden.
• Safeguarding. If a child or an adult at risk may be being harmed, a therapist may need to tell the local authority or the police.
• The law. Sometimes the law requires information to be shared. The HCPC gives the example of a court ordering a practitioner to disclose information.
• Supervision. Your therapist discusses their work with a supervisor. See the next section.

If your therapist does have to share something, many will try to talk to you first, where it is safe to do so. You can ask how they would handle it.

Supervision

Most counsellors and psychotherapists have regular supervision: confidential time to reflect on their work with an experienced colleague. It’s a normal part of working safely, and it’s there to help your therapy, not to report on you.

BACP’s framework says that communications about clients in supervision “will be consistent with confidentiality agreements with the clients concerned”. Many therapists don’t use your name or details that could identify you. If you’re unsure, ask what your therapist shares in supervision.

If your therapist is in training, their course tutors or placement may also be involved. A trainee should tell you this at the start.

Notes, records and your right to see them

Most therapists keep some notes. Professional bodies expect records to be accurate and kept securely. You can ask your therapist:

• what they write down, and where and how it is stored
• who else can see it, for example an agency, a clinic or a booking system
• how long they keep it, and how it is destroyed

Under UK data protection law, you have the right of access to your personal information, sometimes called a subject access request. The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) says anyone can make one, you don’t need a solicitor, and organisations usually have one month to respond. Sometimes information can be withheld, for example to protect someone else. A therapist’s privacy notice should tell you how to ask.

Online sessions and messages

If you see your therapist online or by phone, confidentiality also depends on the space you’re in. You might:

• find a private room, use headphones, or sit in a parked car if home isn’t private
• ask which video platform they use and whether sessions are ever recorded (they shouldn’t be without your agreement)
• be careful what you put in emails or texts, and check who else can see your phone or inbox

Our online therapy safety checklist covers this in more detail.

If you’re under 18

Young people can often talk to a counsellor in confidence. Whether a parent or carer needs to be involved depends on your age, your understanding, the service and the situation. BACP’s framework asks counsellors working with young people to take account of their “capacity to give informed consent” and their best interests. Ask the counsellor at the start what they would share with your parents, carers or school.

You can talk to Childline free on 0800 1111, any time. Therapist Circle introductions are for adults, so a parent or carer may need to help you look for a practitioner. Our guide to getting help for a child’s mental health is written for them.

NHS, workplace, school or insurer-funded therapy

If someone else arranges or pays for your therapy, such as the NHS, your employer’s assistance programme, a school or university, or a health insurer, information may be shared within that service. For example, notes may sit in a shared record, or a funder may ask how many sessions you attended. It’s worth asking:

• Will anything be shared with my GP, employer, school or insurer? If so, what exactly?
• Who else in the service can read my notes?
• Will my employer or school know I’m having sessions?

Couples and family therapy

When more than one person is in the room, confidentiality works a little differently. Some therapists also see each person on their own. Ask how they handle something one of you shares privately, and whether they keep it separate or expect it to come into joint sessions. Our guide to family therapy and systemic psychotherapy explains more about this kind of work.

Questions to ask before you start

• What are the limits of confidentiality in your work with me?
• If you ever had to share something, would you tell me first?
• What do you take to supervision, and do you use my name?
• What notes do you keep, where, and for how long?
• Who else could see my information, for example a clinic, agency or booking system?
• For online sessions: which platform do you use, and are sessions ever recorded?
• If someone else is paying: what, if anything, do they get told?

Our printable questions to ask before you book and check before you book sheets cover registration, fees and safety as well.

If you think your confidentiality was broken

1. Talk to your therapist, if you feel able to. There may be an explanation, or they may be able to put it right.
2. If you’re seen through a service, such as the NHS, a charity or a clinic, use its complaints procedure.
3. Contact their register or professional body. Every register has a way to raise a concern. Our guide on raising a concern about a practitioner explains where to go.
4. For data protection issues, such as personal information being lost, sent to the wrong person or not given to you when you asked, you can raise a concern with the ICO. The ICO asks you to raise your concern with the organisation or practitioner first.

If you’d find it easier, someone you trust can help you write things down.

Common questions about confidentiality in therapy

Is what I say in therapy confidential?

Usually, yes. Registered therapists are expected to keep what you tell them private. There are some limits, for example if you or someone else may be at serious risk of harm, if the law requires it, or when your therapist discusses their work in supervision. Your therapist should explain their limits before you start.

Will my therapist tell my GP?

Not usually without your agreement, if you are seeing a therapist privately. If you are seen through the NHS, your workplace, a school or an insurer, information may be shared within that service, so ask at the start what is shared, with whom and why.

Can my therapist break confidentiality?

Only in limited situations. Professional standards say information should be shared without your consent only where there is a legal or ethical justification, such as protecting you or someone else from serious harm, or a court order. Even then, a therapist should usually share only what is needed.

What is supervision and will my therapist talk about me?

Supervision is regular, confidential time when your therapist reflects on their work with an experienced colleague. It is a normal part of safe practice. What is said should be consistent with the confidentiality you agreed, and many therapists don’t use your name. Ask how your therapist handles it.

Can I see my therapy notes?

In most cases you can ask. Under data protection law you have a right of access to your personal information, sometimes called a subject access request. The Information Commissioner’s Office says organisations usually have one month to respond, and sometimes information can be withheld.

Sources: BACP Ethical Framework for the Counselling Professions (confidentiality, supervision and working with young people) · HCPC standards of conduct, performance and ethics (standard 5) · HCPC guidance on confidentiality · UKCP Code of Ethics and Professional Practice (points 18 to 22) · ICO: getting copies of your information · ICO: data protection complaints. Last reviewed 22 October 2026. General information only, written for the UK. Not affiliated with or endorsed by BACP, the HCPC, UKCP, the ICO, the NHS or any professional body.

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