Confidentiality

Sharing your experiences, your spiritual life with another person is deeply sacred work. What you share with me will be held in confidence. I adhere to the Code of Ethics For Spiritual Directors, the UUMA Guidelines for the Conduct of Ministryand the UUSCM Code of Professional Practice. As a Spiritual Director and clergy, I am ethically bound to confidentiality. This means that what you share with me in your spiritual direction session stays between us. You are free to share with me your experience, your feelings, your dreams and to know that it will be held closely to my heart in confidence. You, as a client, however, are not bound by confidentiality. You may share your experience with others as you desire. 

There are some important limits to that confidentiality: 

     Under Tennessee law, everyone is a mandated reporter of child and elder abuse, neglect and exploitation. This means that I will notify authorities if you tell me of or I suspect child or elder abuse. 

     I must also notify authorities (and the intended victim) should you threaten serious bodily harm or death of another person or persons.

     If you are in danger of suicide, I will bring in as many resources as possible that may help you to remain alive. 

     Supervision: The Code of Ethics for Spiritual Directors and the Ministerial Credentialing body of my denomination both require that I am in supervision with an experienced spiritual direction supervisor. The purpose of this supervision is to obtain feedback and improve my skills as a spiritual director. No names or specific identifying information is shared with my supervisor. And, the supervisor is also bound by confidentiality. The focus in supervision is primarily on my activity within the session – what did I ask, say, feel and so forth. This information is used to help me to grow.