While taking a class in my doctoral program, we were reviewing an intellectual test assessment of an adolescent that had been completed a number of years earlier. Suddenly, one of the students in the class yelled out, "That's me!" Apparently, although there was no identifying name on the report, he recognized it as describing him (he had been given a copy of the report previously). What would you do to ensure the safety of client records?

In psychological testing and counseling, confidentiality and anonymity play a major role in ensuring the safety of client records. Confidentiality is the condition where the therapist or mental health professional knows the identity of the client but takes steps to prevent others from recognizing or discovering the identity of that person at any point in the future. Anonymity also refers to the omission of not only names but any identifying information about the client. The following section illustrates how the researcher can ensure the safety of client records by taking measures to uphold confidentiality and anonymity.