Also, client records should be kept confidential and not laying about where they might be read by non-staff. Client information should be stored in a lockable cabinet or a passworded computer. Your licensing jurisdiction may have some regulations about record keeping, such as how long they may have to be kept or what information they should contain. The NCBTMB’s Standard III Confidentiality also has some language concerning this subject.

Hidden cameras are everywhere. I was surprised the other day to discover my therapist had one of those motion detector cameras in his treatment room. It could easily have been there for years, for all I know. He may have put it there for self-protection. Perhaps he had a problem at one time. In today’s business environment video taping is very common. If for security reasons, one felt it necessary to videotape or make an audio recording of a client’s session without the client’s permission, they would be violating the client’s expectation of privacy. Doing so may be illegal. California is one example. It might have been better if he had just left his treatment door open. In some states it may be against the law have a live camera in the lobby without posting a notice.

Certain models of cell phones are now capable of taking photographs, some in low light. You may want to consider banning cell phones to protect client’s confidentiality and privacy. Numerous businesses and government offices have done so. My doctor has a notice on the front door “No cell phones allowed.”