Don’t let the cat out of the bag: record keeping issues with 2SLGBTQIA+ clients

Abstract

This project critiques the generalist ethico-legal tools and regulations for counselling psychologists in terms of their limited ability to protect the privacy and moral rights of closeted 2SLGBTQIA+ clients. A detailed analysis of extant research, legislation, and ethical guidelines is first presented. To compensate for the limited available literature on this topic, a modified form of the Canadian Psychological Association’s (2017a) ethical decision-making model is then applied to a fictionalized case study to indicate the value of an emic, socioculturally contextualized approach to decision-making and recordkeeping. The project concludes with a series of recommendations to mitigate outing risks and enhance the ethicality of recordkeeping outcomes, followed by a draft manuscript to be submitted to a peer-reviewed publication.