Here are your options, and what to know, if you want to seek help confidentially.
If somebody on campus refers you to the center, that fact may become part of your educational record.
Educational records are usually protected by a law called FERPA, the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act.
As theJed Foundation reports, FERPA allows school personnel to share information about you as needed.
Information that you tell to a therapist isnt automatically shared, so you do have some confidentiality.
They can also tell your parents about violations of an alcohol or drug policy.
If your school isnt listed, check out your student handbook.
This provides more confidentiality, and you get more control over your records.
Under HIPAA, you decide who may see your medical records.
As long as youre over 18, your parents wont have automatic access.
If youre on your parents insurance plan, they could end up getting a bill for your treatment.
Whether theyre able to do that, or must do that upon request, depends upon state law.
After all, you may want to keep your sexual health services confidential as well.
This could include your parents, if they think notifying your parents will help keep you safe.
And it could include law enforcement.
Other Options
You have more options than just on-campus and off-campus therapists.
Some of them may not be bound by HIPAA rules and may not even be required to report abuse.
So see to it to think about how you feel about your chosen services rules.
For example, you may be able to find a support group, or seek counseling through a church.
These include theNational Suicide Prevention Lifeline, and theTrevor Projectfor LGBTQ+ young people (ages 13 to 24).
