Until Death do us Part: an Exploration Into Confidentiality Following the Death of a Client

Anne Sexton, a renowned poet, committed suicide in 1974. In the mid 1980s one of her psychiatrists released several hundred hours of her therapy tapes to her biographer. Because of the controversy that resulted from this release, this article will reexamine issues of confidentiality after a client has died. Matters of public trust in the profession & the future training of psychologists are also discussed. The article concludes with some suggestions for addressing these concerns. (17 refs.)