[Saecularis Angel...]

Question, for outside perspective:

A counsellor is seeing a client. The counsellor's colleague wanders in during the session with a coffee for the counsellor (does not knock or anything first, just walks in). The client is very upset, feels that her privacy and confidentiality have been seriously breached, but the colleague seems to think what she did was normal.

WDYT? Random coffee deliveries in that setting, ok or not?

[Maple Leaf]

I would think not ok.

Most counsellors won't accept phone calls during a session let alone a random walk in with coffee.

[Guest_Dinah_Harris_*]

Not okay, and breach of trust and confidentiality in my opinion. For some, it's incredibly difficult to open up to one person, without someone else randomly wandering in.

[WithSprinkles]

No. I don't think it's very professional for a coffee to be drunk during a session either (unless the client also has a coffee).

[countrymel]

Definitely needed to knock first.

Absolutely.

That has happened to me - there was a knock and a muffled voice from the other side of the door, my counsellor asked "Oh do you mind if my colleague brings in a cup of tea?" I said "No." counsellor stood up went to the door took cup of tea and closed the door again.

Jeepers we don't even barge in when we are having a student chat! (although sometimes there is crying and counselling going on there too - not deliberately though!)

[Pompol]

All kinds of wrong.

Eta: misread the OP. what did the counsellor say/do?

This post has been edited by Pompol: 20/01/2013, 08:16 AM

[MrsWidget]

That is completely inappropriate.

[zrello]

Not a breach of confidentiality, as colleague could have seen her in the waiting room, and I would assume they stopped talking when colleague entered. It is unprofessional, but depends if appointment was scheduled at that time. If colleague thought counsellor was free & didn't realise they were with someone, that could explain it. But usually closed doors means you knock, counsellor goes to door, explains they are with someone & can they catch up later.
Coffee should be offered to patient, or not drunk at all.

[Sassy Girl]

Definitely not ok.

[Lucretia Borgia]

It probably wouldnt bother me....I mean the minute I heard the door open i would stop talking and presumably the counsellor would too...or would switch to something innocuous like "oh thanks for the cuppa" so I wouldn't expect anything private to be revealed in the presence of the third person.....it WOULD upset me if it were a drs room and I was...for example...being examined and had my gear off.....