Conversations that take place in counselling sessions are treated with a high degree of sensitivity and never shared in a public setting (unless the client has strictly allowed their story - or elements of it - to be used in a case study for instance).
Our work is though routinely discussed with our professional supervisor, who is a senior and experienced counsellor that helps us develop our skills alongside helping keep clients safe, and who also treats the information with extreme care.
A rare but important reason that client information might be shared elsewhere is when the therapist believes that the client (or someone else), could be at risk of serious and/or imminent harm. In this case the clients doctor, the police or a mental health team may be informed.
To keep clients safe, therapists (me included) should have adequate training to practise (I hold a diploma in therapeutic counselling), have regular (monthly) supervision from a qualified senior counsellor, be insured to carry out client work, and ideally be registered with a professional regulatory association. I comply with all of the above.
Therapists that do private work and handle client information also need to be registered with the ICO (Informtion Commissioners Office) and adhere to their data protection rules, which I also do.
