Final answer:
Counselors should respect privacy, protect from harm, preserve confidentiality, and seek consent before breaching confidentiality.
Step-by-step explanation:
Before breaching confidentiality, counselors should follow several important steps:
- Respect the rights to privacy and dignity of the subjects.
- Protect subjects from personal harm.
- Preserve confidentiality.
- Seek informed consent.
These steps are essential in maintaining trust and safety within counseling sessions. Counselors must ensure that participants are fully informed and have given their consent before sharing any confidential information. They should also be familiar with the applicable agency, state, and federal confidentiality rules and regulations. By following these steps, counselors can effectively protect the privacy and well-being of their clients.