Your new client describes a past career of bank robberies, including carrying a gun and shooting at off-duty officers. As a licensed counselor you are required to:

Prepare for the LPCC Law and Ethics Test 2. Use flashcards and multiple-choice questions with explanations. Enhance your understanding of ethics and legal standards for effective counseling practice.

Confidentiality is the default stance in counseling ethics, with only a few clear exceptions. You disclose information only when there’s a credible risk of harm to someone or when required by law. In this scenario, the client is describing past violent crimes, including gun use, but there is no stated current threat or plan to harm others. Because there isn’t an imminent danger, you maintain confidentiality and continue the therapeutic relationship.

If the client later reveals an intent to commit violence in the near future or provides a credible plan, you would then act within the duty to warn or protect and take steps to inform those at risk or authorities, consistent with applicable laws. Mandated reporting obligations (for things like child or elder abuse) would override confidentiality in those specific contexts, but they don’t apply to this situation as described.