The Dexter Counseling Center is staffed by professional counselors who are bound by Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) to protect confidentiality. This means mental health records are protected and will not be released without explicit written permission by the student or a rare emergency situation in which lives are in danger. Counseling Center records are not part of the educational record. We will not answer questions about any student from parents, family, friends, significant others, professors, employers, or anyone else outside of the counseling center staff. There are a few limitations to confidentiality specifically related to safety, which your clinician will review with you in person.