Aparna went to her college counsellor with her problem that was causing her sleepless nights. Later, she realized that the counsellor had shared the details with the staff of the college. Aparna's faith was completely shaken, and she resolved never to trust any counsellor. Which one of the following ethics has been breached by the counsellor?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → Confidentiality of the client
Option (1) Informed consent — Incorrect. Informed consent is the client’s agreement to the therapy after being told what it involves. Aparna came of her own accord; the fault lay in what the counsellor did with her story afterwards.
Option (2) Confidentiality of the client — Correct. One of the ethical standards of psychotherapy is that confidentiality of the client should be maintained: what the client confides stays with the therapist. The counsellor shared Aparna’s details with the college staff, which broke this trust.
Option (3) Respect for human rights and dignity — Incorrect. This standard asks the therapist to treat every client with respect, without humiliating or exploiting her/him. The specific wrong here is the disclosure of private details, which is a breach of confidentiality.
Option (4) Professional competence — Incorrect. It requires the therapist to have the knowledge and skills to treat the problem. The question says nothing about the counsellor’s skill; it is about telling others what Aparna had shared.
NCERT (2025-26): “Ethics in Psychotherapy … Some of the ethical standards that need to be practiced by professional psychotherapists are :
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