Professional secrecy
Introduction
Professional secrecy is at the core of the relationship between the psychologist and their patient or client. It is a fundamental pillar of trust, essential for the practice of the profession.
On this page, we will discuss the foundations of professional secrecy, the principles of shared professional secrecy, as well as the exceptions provided by law and their implications.
Professional Secrecy
Professional secrecy is obviously included in the code of ethics for psychologists, but also, and most importantly, in article 458 of the Penal Code:
"Doctors, surgeons, health officers, pharmacists, midwives, and all other persons entrusted, by their status or profession, with secrets confided to them who, except in the case where they are called to testify in court or when the law requires them to disclose these secrets, reveal them, shall be punished by imprisonment from 8 days to 6 months and a fine of 100 to 500 €".
Note that this article lists certain professionals subject to professional secrecy, but it also mentions "all other persons entrusted, by their status or profession, with secrets confided to them." It goes without saying that psychologists are among them!
The purpose of professional secrecy and its penalties is to preserve the trust a client/patient has in their psychologist and, more generally, in the profession. The content of professional secrecy refers to everything the psychologist has learned in the exercise of their profession. It aims to protect three values:
1. Private interests: respecting the privacy of the client/patient.
2. Interests of the profession: this is, in fact, the guarantee that psychologists have to successfully carry out their mission. It ensures that individuals with behaviors that are reprehensible are not excluded from the psychologist's field of work.
3. Public and social interest.
Shared Professional Secrecy
However, it is sometimes necessary for psychologists to collaborate with other professionals in the best interest of the client/patient. Fortunately, case law permits this sharing of information. Shared professional secrecy is also described in Article 14 of the psychologist's code of deontology.
« The psychologist may, under their responsibility, share confidential data in their possession to optimize the effectiveness of their work. To this end, they apply the usual cumulative rules for shared secrecy: prior information, consent of the holder of the secret, in the sole interest of the latter, limited to what is strictly necessary, and only with persons subject to professional secrecy working within the framework of the same mission. »
Thus, to share information that falls under professional secrecy, assuming it is shared professional secrecy, three prerequisites must be met:
1. Inform the holder of the secret and obtain their consent.
2. Share information only in the interest of the patient/client and limit it to what is strictly necessary
3. Share information only with individuals who are subject to professional secrecy and working within the framework of the same mission.
The consent of the client/patient is therefore crucial before communicating certain information. It is also very important to note that different professionals have different roles, and not all of them are subject to professional secrecy. For example, if they are not part of the same mission (the lawyer or expert psychologist have a different role than the therapeutic psychologist).
For more information on shared professional secrecy, feel free to check out our dedicated page on this topic!
Exceptions au secret professionnel
Consacré depuis longtemps par le Code pénal, le secret professionnel n'est plus aujourd'hui considéré comme absolu et connaît de nombreuses exceptions.
Naviguez dans ces différentes sections pour découvrir les principales exceptions à cette obligation (page en construction) :
Saisie de dossier
Consulter
Témoignage en justice
En savoir plus
Client victime d'une infraction
En savoir plus
Client auteur d'une infraction
Lire l'article
Etat de nécessité et non assistance à personne en danger
Sources
« Le code de déontologie des psychologues et le respect des dispositions légales relatives au secret professionnel » / Thierry Moreau in Journal du droit des Jeunes, 340 (Décembre 2014).
« Les secrets professionnels. Approche transversale. Actes du Colloque du 23 avril 2015 ». Sous la coordination d’Ivan Bouioukliev. Anthemis, Collection Jeune Barreau de Charleroi.
Colloque « Le secret professionnel en question. A propos du nouveau code de déontologie des psychologues » organisé par l’APPpsy le samedi 6 juin 2015.