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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>74220</law_id><section_number>8.01-400.2</section_number><catch_line>Communications between certain mental health professionals and clients (Supreme Court Rule 2:506 derived from this section)</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><referred_to_by><reference>16.1-245.2</reference><reference>32.1-127.1:03</reference></referred_to_by><structure><unit label="title" level="1" order_by="1" identifier="8.01">Civil Remedies and Procedure</unit><unit label="chapter" level="2" order_by="1" identifier="14">Evidence</unit><unit label="article" level="3" order_by="1" identifier="4">Witnesses Generally</unit></structure><text>
						<section><p>Except at the request of or with the consent of the client, no licensed professional counselor, as defined in &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Definitions" href="/54.1-3500/">54.1-3500</a>; licensed clinical social worker, as defined in &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Definitions" href="/54.1-3700/">54.1-3700</a>; licensed psychologist, as defined in &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Definitions" href="/54.1-3600/">54.1-3600</a>; or licensed marriage and family therapist, as defined in &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Definitions" href="/54.1-3500/">54.1-3500</a>, shall be required in giving <span class="dictionary">testimony</span> as a <span class="dictionary">witness</span> in any <span class="dictionary">civil action</span> to disclose any information communicated to him in a confidential manner, properly entrusted to him in his professional capacity and necessary to enable him to discharge his professional or occupational services according to the usual course of his practice or discipline, wherein such <span class="dictionary">person</span> so communicating such information about himself or another is seeking professional counseling or treatment and advice relative to and growing out of the information so imparted; provided, however, that when the physical or mental condition of the client is at <span class="dictionary">issue</span> in such action, or when a <span class="dictionary">court</span>, in the exercise of sound discretion, deems such disclosure necessary to the proper administration of justice, no <span class="dictionary">fact</span> communicated to, or otherwise learned by, such practitioner in connection with such counseling, treatment or advice shall be privileged, and disclosure may be required. The <span class="dictionary">privileges</span> conferred by this section shall not extend to <span class="dictionary">testimony</span> in matters relating to child abuse and neglect nor serve to relieve any <span class="dictionary">person</span> from the reporting requirements set forth in &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Requirement that certain injuries to children be reported by physicians, nurses, teachers, etc.; penalty for failure to report" href="/63.2-1509/">63.2-1509</a>.</p></section></text><history>1982, c. 537; 2005, c. 110.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
