Total Health Guidance

– John Stiteler, PsyDn

Making the decision to start therapy is difficult for many people. We may wonder about certain things such as: Can I trust my counselor? Will he/she tell someone my secrets? Or, Will I run into someone who knows me at the counselor’s office?  While these concerns are valid for everyone, they may hold extra weight for high profile clients such as politicians, professional athletes, doctors, and other celebrities.

In terms of basic confidentiality, all licensed therapists are bound to keep everything that is discussed in the sessions completely private.  In fact, a therapist cannot even confirm whether any individual is actually a client, let alone what was discussed. Now, like with many things, there are a few exceptions. In Florida, the confidentiality contract between a client and a therapist can be broken under a few specific circumstances which are: If a client indicates that he/she is an imminent threat to self or another person, or if he/she discloses that they have sexually abused or child.  I have had different clients over the years confess to me that they have stolen items from Walmart, robbed a bank, and even committed murder. I had to keep all those confessions to myself and could not break confidentiality.

That answers the question of client/counselor confidentiality, but what about being seen in a therapist’s office – especially if you are well known?  At Total Health Guidance, we take the following extra steps to help ensure privacy for clients identifying themselves as high profile individuals:

1. We provide phone and/or video therapy, so celebrities never have to come to the office in person.
2. For those that prefer face-to-face therapy, we have a private entrance with an unmarked door.
3. We also provide a private waiting area if the therapist is still finishing up with another client.
4. We keep a payment method on file so there is no need to go through the “check-in” or “check-out” process.

We have worked with many high-profile individuals over the years including professional athletes, billboard attorneys, well known doctors, politicians, and corporate executives. If you are a high-profile individual in need of mental health counseling, marriage and family therapy, or addiction treatment, please know that you will be in quality, supportive, and confidential care at Total Health Guidance.