Confidentiality and Mandatory reporting

Understanding how confidentiality works when you're a health professional seeking psychological support

Why This Matters

Seeking psychological support is part of looking after your wellbeing, just as seeking medical care is part of looking after your physical health. For health professionals, recognising when you need support and acting early can be an important part of sustaining your wellbeing, quality of life, and capacity to work effectively across a demanding career in health. You do not need to reach a point of crisis before asking for help.

We also understand that seeking support can feel different when you work in healthcare. Health professionals can experience anxiety, depression, burnout, and other personal or professional challenges, just as anyone else can. Being a health professional does not mean having to navigate these challenges without support. At the same time, concerns about privacy and professional implications can make reaching out feel more complicated.

That’s why open conversations about confidentiality are an important part of our approach. We will explain how confidentiality works, the circumstances in which it applies, and its limits, so you can understand what this means for you as a health professional and make informed decisions about your care.

How confidentiality works in psychological treatment

Confidentiality is a foundation of psychological treatment and an essential part of creating a safe and trusting therapeutic relationship. At MINDCHECK HP, our psychologists are committed to protecting your privacy and are bound by professional and legal obligations regarding the management of client information, Psychology Board of Australia’s Code of Conduct for Psychologists.

In practice, this means that what you discuss with your psychologist remains confidential. We do not share information with employers, colleagues, professional associations, or registration bodies without your consent. We also do not confirm that you are accessing psychological support without your permission, unless required by law.

Are there limits to confidentiality?

While confidentiality is a core part of psychological practice, there are some circumstances where information may need to be disclosed without your consent. These situations are limited and generally relate to legal or safety obligations, including:

where there is a serious and foreseeable risk of harm to you or another person
where disclosure is required by a court order or subpoena
where mandatory reporting obligations apply, such as concerns relating to child abuse or neglect
where mandatory reporting requirements under the Health Practitioner Regulation National Law apply

Your psychologist will discuss confidentiality and these limits with you at the beginning of treatment, so you understand how your information is managed.

Making the decision to seek support

We know that reaching out for psychological support can feel uncomfortable, particularly when you are used to being the person caring for others. You may have questions or reservations about seeking help, and we hope that understanding how confidentiality works helps make the decision feel a little easier.

Access to psychological support is an important part of wellbeing, and you do not need to wait until things become overwhelming before seeking it. MINDCHECK HP was created to provide a space where health professionals can access psychological support with an understanding of the professional context in which they work.