Confidentialty ...What is Your Opinion?

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by jaymi elford on June 27, 2010 at 8:51pm

I believe in confidentiality. If I do need to "share" an experience, I never use names and I wait for a year or more to talk about it.

If I had the chance to meet a famous person and give a reading for them, I might ask permission to tell my friends that I met them (either at a reading or not). And if i was feeling bold, I might have asked for a recommendation on my site. :)

Just my thoughts.
/jaymi

Permalink Reply by Lillie Ruby on June 28, 2010 at 7:29am

I do have some at least locally famous clients and I definately don't talk about them or anyone else and their reading.

One person happened to see me with one of them and has been attempting to grill me about that person for the past 6-8 months, even saying over and over I'd really like to meet and get to know that person. I just don't comment.

I suppose it depends on what you are doing really. I've never had an instance where I shared anything from a reading, but I do sometimes say, I have another client who has this issue and we tried this and it worked. Would you like to try that? Again, though it's an entirely different modality and I've never said that for Tarot.

Permalink Reply by Katrina Wynne on June 28, 2010 at 10:21am

I'm on the same page with all of the responses, so far, literally and figuratively, HaHa.

I strongly agree with Eva and have had the same experiences. Since I am a trained psychotherapist, I live by the same rules of "duty to warn" in case a client presents a real harm to self or others, and in cases of child or elder abuse. Although this shows up in my counseling practice, it has not surfaced in my Tarot work.

When I have a particularly powerful or illustrative reading with a client who seems open to the request, I'll ask if I can use the reading with a different name as a teaching tool for my students or in a book. The answer has always been "yes" and I write down the date and name of the person with my copy of the reading. In some instances, I'll have the client sign the agreement in case I want to use it in a published work.

Living in a small community for 20 years and being the only counselor most of the time, I have very tight boundaries about protecting the anonymity of my clients. I tell them if I see them in town, such as the grocery store, I will not say "hello" to them unless they say it first. In my personal and my professional life, I'm not a gossip and have little interest in such exchanges if they are not for the benefit of those being discussed.

Lillie - Being "grilled" about a client by a friend brings up all kinds of thoughts and feelings for me, especially in terms of respect and boundaries. Perhaps, I'm assuming it is a friend. I've never been is that situation, but if I were, my style is rather blunt, yet kind, and I would find a time and a way to express my general values about my work with all clients and the importance of confidentiality.

In Spirit,
Katrina

Permalink Reply by Lillie Ruby on June 28, 2010 at 4:59pm

Katrina I agree with you, however, this is a person who is a New Age Roadie type person who likes to throw around who he knows and gossip. He is a person who simply chooses not to hear what you say He isn't respectful. I do know him personally and know what his patterns are. Therefore, I just ignore it and say absolutly nothing. While those are my personal ethics, regardless, people who maliciously gossip or gossip to name drop are a particular peeve of mine.

As to not greeting people from your practice in a small town. I certainly understand that importance. I did work in a Domestic Violence Shelter and was an absolute rule. We did not acknowledge anyone we saw outside of the shelter, for privacy and for safety.

I can understand using some readings (with permission) in published work. However, sometimes even that would be personal and too easily recognized. I'm certain you take precautions, but felt led to add that to this thread.

Lillie

Permalink Reply by Katrina Wynne on June 28, 2010 at 5:45pm

Yes Lillie, absolutely anonymous...thanks.

Making statements that seem obvious to some may have some benefit to others new to a situation or who lack experience. That's why I participate in these online discussions. I learn from others and perhaps they learn from me. I believe this open forum and opportunity to exchange is a valuable gift.

In Spirit,
Katrina