What is the difference between confidentiality and privilege?

• A. Confidentiality is optional; privilege is ethical duty.
• B. Confidentiality is a legal protection; privilege is ethical duty.
• C. Confidentiality means records belong to the client.
• D. Confidentiality is the clinician's duty not to disclose; privilege is a legal protection against compelled disclosure in court.

Answer: (D)

The difference being tested is between an ethical obligation and a legal shield. Confidentiality is the clinician’s ethical duty to protect information shared in therapy from being disclosed without the client’s consent. It governs everyday practice, including how records are handled and what can and cannot be shared with others. Privilege is a legal protection that prevents a court from compelling disclosure of certain confidential communications during legal proceedings. It restricts what can be admitted as evidence, and it operates within the courtroom rather than in routine clinical work. So, confidentiality is the clinician’s duty not to disclose information, while privilege is a legal protection against compelled disclosure in court.