A quiet sunlit hallway with closed wooden doors and a garden window.

Is Group Therapy Confidential?

Understand confidentiality and its limits before deciding what to share.

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The Clinician

What Tatiana Is Bound To

As a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Tatiana is bound by law and professional ethics to protect your information. What you say in group, and the fact that you attend, is treated as confidential by her and by Cornerstone, within the limits below. The HIPAA Notice describes how health information may be used and disclosed.

When Tatiana May Have to Act

The Limits on Confidentiality

Confidentiality in therapy has limits, in group and in individual sessions alike. Depending on the situation, a clinician may be required or permitted to share information in order to protect someone or to comply with the law.

Suspected abuse or neglect of a child, an elder, or a dependent adult. Tatiana is a mandated reporter.

A serious danger of harm to yourself, or a serious threat of violence toward another person

A court order or other legal requirement

If you use insurance, your plan receives billing information

Tatiana can go over these limits with you at intake, and you can ask her about them at any time.

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Other Members

The Important Difference in a Group

Other group members are not licensed clinicians, and they are not bound by confidentiality the way Tatiana is. Every member is asked to agree to keep what they hear private.

But Tatiana cannot guarantee what another member does after they leave. That is true of any therapy group.

Protecting Yourself

Share at the pace that feels right, and leave out details you do not want repeated
You can talk about your own experience without naming others
Tell Tatiana if you know someone in the group
On telehealth, use headphones and a private space, and never record

If Privacy Is the Deciding Factor

Some things are better worked through one-on-one before bringing them to a group, if ever. That is a good reason to talk with Tatiana about individual sessions.

Group vs. individual therapy

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Questions People Ask

Will my employer or church find out I am in a group?

Not from Tatiana, except under the limits above or with your written permission. If your insurance comes through your employer, ask your plan what it shares. If you know someone in the group, raise it with her.

What if someone breaks confidentiality?

Tell Tatiana. She can address it with the member and the group, though she cannot undo what was said.

Can I use a first name only?

Ask at intake. Tatiana will need your full information for the record, and many groups use first names with each other.

Is this legal advice?

No. This page is general information about how confidentiality works in therapy. Ask an attorney about your specific legal situation.