Duty To Warn

Duty to warn describes the obligation of a therapist to warn others if a patient reveals they pose a threat to themselves or another person. Doctor-patient confidentiality prohibits a therapist from revealing any information about what their client shares with them. The only exception is known as the duty to warn obligation. If a patient shares a plan to harm themselves or another person when the therapist has the ethical responsibility to share this with authorities or another third party (such as a parent or spouse).