Abstract

Hitherto, the arising issue concerning counselors is whether counselors understand and aware on legal and ethical issues of confidentiality amongst them. The purpose of this study, hence, was to investigate the contribution of awareness, legal and ethical understanding on the confidentiality practice amongst counselors. A survey involving a sample size of 602 was conducted by sending questionnaires to counselors in Malaysia. The linear regression analyses yielded that only the awareness amongst counselors had significant contribution towards the practice of confidentiality. Other factors such as legal and ethical understanding did not show significant contribution. This study adds to the scarce literature on the upholding practice of confidentiality in counseling which is an essential element in the process. Moreover, the study is beneficial for researchers, counselors and educators in designing guidelines or codes of ethics in an organization. Future research should look into ways to uphold confidentiality practice amongst counselors from the perspectives of clients, teachers and the public as their views can form effective guidelines and procedures to confidentiality practice in Malaysia.

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