Client confidentiality in therapy is a growing concern
Client confidentiality in therapy has come under scrutiny following a recent BBC File on 4 investigation into the employee assistance programme provider Health Assured.
In March, File on 4 reported claims that helpline calls from vulnerable people were not always handled appropriately. Since then, dozens more complaints have come to light.
Further to this, there have been articles in the media relating stories from BetterHelp, with the MailOnline reporting in July: “The company is accused of employing under-qualified staff, pushing its employees to take on overwhelming caseloads, and offering unprofessional guidance that could actually harm a patient's mental health.”
At Fortis Therapy, we have been disappointed, though not surprised, by all these revelations. Unprofessional and inadequate therapeutic support is something we hear about all too often and one of the main reasons why our Managing Director, Alexis Powell-Howard, became a therapist and founded Fortis Therapy and Training.
At just 19, Alexis experienced a life-altering car accident, leading to a diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder.
“I was broken,” she says of that time. “I couldn’t sleep, eat, or escape the flashbacks. My anxiety was overwhelming, my mood was low, and I felt lost.”
Alexis initially sought help from a therapist, but the experience was far from supportive.
“He took me to restaurants, bought me lunch, and pushed me to apply for university,” she recalls. “His comments were inappropriate, and his overall approach, as I later learned during my own training, was unprofessional. But at the time, I was too unwell to recognise this.”
The second therapist Alexis sought help from fell asleep.
Frustrated and unsure where to turn, Alexis decided to take matters into her own hands and enrolled in a course to become a therapist herself.
Now, with over 20 years of experience, both as a therapist and in training other professionals, Alexis has become more determined than ever to provide the quality of service that clients deserve. “I knew it could be better, and working with the Fortis team, we have made it better,” she says.
After working in the NHS and as a university lecturer, Alexis opened Fortis Therapy in 2012. Today, the organisation provides therapeutic and emotional wellbeing services to private clients, schools, and organisations, fulfilling Alexis’s goal to make high-quality therapy accessible to everyone.
“The programme from the BBC File on 4 investigation revealed very worrying ways of working,” says Alexis. “Practices like this damage the trust clients have in mental health service providers. There is work being done constantly to reduce the stigma around mental health and asking for help, but concerns like these affect people’s confidence. Employee assistance programmes are often underutilised, with the reasons being linked to not feeling services are trustworthy. A lack of trust that personal information will not be kept confidential will only make this worse.”
At Fortis Therapy, we are committed to upholding the highest standards of confidentiality and ethical practice. We ensure that all interactions with clients are conducted with the utmost respect for their privacy. Our therapists adhere to strict professional guidelines, and we continuously review our practices to maintain and enhance our commitment to confidentiality.
If you are struggling and looking for support, but are unsure how to find the right therapist for you, here are some tips:
- The Relationship is Everything
When working with a therapist or counsellor, the relationship between you is like no other. Finding someone you feel you can trust, or that you can work towards trusting, is really important.
- Trust Your Instincts
You should feel comfortable with your therapist. If not, it’s fine to find another one.
- Recognise You Might Not Know What You Need
At Fortis, we know you might not know what will help. We listen to your reasons for wanting to access support and then match you with the right therapist for you – someone who has the right qualifications, experience, and approach to enable you to have the very best experience.
- Decide What Works for You
Decide if you prefer in-person or online sessions. Both work well, and at Fortis, we often find we do a mix of both for clients so they can still have sessions when working away from home or being on holiday, for example.
- Check Confidentiality
Confirm the therapist follows strict confidentiality rules.
Fortis is here to support everyone.
Fortis Therapy & Training is a team of expert therapists, counsellors, trainers, coaches, and mediators working across Lincolnshire and the UK. We provide face-to-face and online therapy, mediation, therapeutic coaching, and training for individuals, businesses, emergency services, and schools. If you think you need support, we can help.
