Counselors are expected to share with clients at the initial session information about counseling goals, techniques, counselor qualifications, and counseling limitations. This information is called:

• A. Duty to warn
• B. Release of information
• C. Professional liability statement
• D. Statement of disclosure

Answer: (D)

Sharing information about counseling goals, techniques, counselor qualifications, and counseling limitations at the first session is about informed consent and setting expectations. This upfront disclosure helps clients understand what to expect, how therapy will proceed, who is providing the service, and the limits of confidentiality. The term that best fits this practice is a disclosure statement, which explicitly communicates these essential elements to the client. Other terms describe different concepts—duty to warn relates to safety concerns for third parties, release of information concerns sharing records with others, and a professional liability statement is about risk management—so they don’t capture the broader upfront transparency involved in informed consent.