Statement of Confidentiality

Why this page exists

You are going to tell us about the hardest relationships in your life. You should know exactly what happens to that information before you say a word of it.

This page tells you what we keep private, what we cannot keep private, and how we handle information when more than one member of a family is in the room. We would rather you know the limits up front than find out about them later.

1. Our commitment

What you share with us stays between us. We do not discuss your situation with your friends, your employer, your extended family, or anyone else, and we do not use your story as an example in our content, our marketing, or our social media.

Practically, that means:

• Session notes, Blueprints, and plans are stored in password protected systems with access limited to Variance Analytics
• We do not confirm to anyone that you are a client, unless you have told us we may
• If someone contacts us about you, we do not respond with information about you
• If we ever want to reference your experience publicly, even anonymously, we ask your permission first, and no is a complete answer

2. Who else may see your information

A small number of service providers hold information in the course of running the practice: our website and booking platform, our email provider, our video meeting platform, and our payment processor. They are listed in section 5 of our Privacy Policy. We do not give them access beyond what running the business requires.

We may also consult our own professional advisors, such as an attorney or accountant, who are themselves obligated to keep what they learn confidential. If anyone else ever works in the business with access to client information, they will be bound by a written confidentiality agreement first.

3. The limits, stated plainly

There are situations where we may have to share information without your permission. These limits exist to protect people:

Risk of serious harm to you. If we reasonably believe you are at risk of seriously hurting yourself or ending your life, we may contact emergency services, a crisis line, or a person who can help keep you safe.

Risk of serious harm to someone else. If we reasonably believe someone is at risk of serious harm, we may take steps to protect that person, which can include contacting them or contacting authorities.

Abuse or neglect of a child or a vulnerable adult. New Hampshire law requires any person who has reason to suspect that a child, or a vulnerable adult, is being abused, neglected, or exploited to report it to the state. That duty applies to us. We will make that report when the law requires it.

A court order or other legal requirement. If we receive a subpoena, a court order, or another lawful legal demand, we may be required to produce records or testify. Where the law allows, we will tell you promptly so you have the chance to respond. Because conflict coaching is not a licensed clinical or legal profession, our conversations are not protected by therapist privilege or attorney client privilege. A court can compel information that a licensed therapist or an attorney might be able to shield. This is one of the most important things on this page, and we want you to understand it before you begin.

To collect an unpaid balance. If an account goes unpaid and we pursue collection, we may disclose the minimum information needed to do that, such as your name and the amount owed. We never disclose the content of your sessions for this purpose.

If any of these situations arise, we will tell you what we have to do and why, whenever it is safe and lawful to do so.

4. What confidentiality does not mean here

Confidentiality and legal privilege are two different things, and they are easy to confuse.

Confidentiality is our promise to you, and we take it seriously.

Privilege is a legal protection that keeps certain conversations out of court. It applies to licensed therapists, to attorneys representing clients, and in some situations to formal mediators. Conflict coaching with Variance Analytics does not carry privilege.

Why this matters in real life: if your conflict later becomes a divorce case, a custody case, a lawsuit, or a criminal matter, our records and our testimony could potentially be subpoenaed. If you are already in, or expect to be in, a legal proceeding, please tell us. Please also talk to your own attorney about what you should and should not discuss outside of privileged conversations. That is not us pushing you away. That is us protecting you.

5. Family sessions, where more than one person is in the room

Family coaching is different from individual coaching, because more than one person is present and each of them has their own perspective on the same situation.

Agreeing the ground rules first. Before family coaching begins, we agree with all participating adults, in writing, on how information is handled: who the client is, what happens to something one person shares with us privately, and who may receive copies of shared materials. We also go over those rules out loud at the start of the first family session.

Shared materials. Unless that written agreement says otherwise, materials from a family engagement, such as the Blueprint and session notes, are released only with the consent of all participating adults.

What each person agrees to. Every adult in a family session is asked to keep what other participants share inside the room. Please understand what that is: an agreement between family members, not a promise we can enforce for you. We cannot control what another person repeats after the session ends.

If the family situation is contested. If members of a family are on opposite sides of a legal matter, such as a custody dispute or a separation, please tell us before we begin. Coaching is not designed to produce evidence or opinions for court, and Claire does not act as a custody evaluator.

6. Minors

A minor may take part in family coaching only at our discretion and with the written consent of a parent or legal guardian. Where parents or guardians share legal custody, we may ask for consent from both.

Before a minor takes part, we explain to the minor and to the parent or guardian what will and will not be shared with the parent, so everyone knows the rule before it is tested.

The safety limits in section 3 apply to minors in full, and they are not optional.

7. Recordings

We do not record sessions, or use transcription or note taking tools that record them, unless every participant agrees in advance. New Hampshire requires the consent of everyone in a conversation before it can be recorded.

Clients may not record a session without our written permission and the permission of every participant.

8. Your records

You may ask what we hold about you and request a copy of materials prepared for you, such as your Blueprint. You may also ask us to delete your information, as described in section 9 of our Privacy Policy. We may need to keep limited records for legal, tax, or accounting reasons.

Where materials come from a family engagement, requests are handled under section 5 above.

9. Questions

If anything on this page is unclear, ask before your first session rather than after. We would much rather answer it now.