(1) For purposes of this section:
(a) A “psychotherapist” is:
1. A person authorized to practice medicine in any state or nation, or reasonably believed by the patient so to be, who is engaged in the diagnosis or treatment of a mental or emotional condition, including alcoholism and other drug addiction;
2. A person licensed or certified as a psychologist under the laws of any state or nation, who is engaged primarily in the diagnosis or treatment of a mental or emotional condition, including alcoholism and other drug addiction;
3. A person licensed or certified as a clinical social worker, marriage and family therapist, or mental health counselor under the laws of this state, who is engaged primarily in the diagnosis or treatment of a mental or emotional condition, including alcoholism and other drug addiction;
4. Treatment personnel of facilities licensed by the state pursuant to chapter 394, chapter 395, or chapter 397, of facilities designated by the Department of Children and Families pursuant to chapter 394 as treatment facilities, or of facilities defined as community mental health centers pursuant to s. 394.907(1), who are engaged primarily in the diagnosis or treatment of a mental or emotional condition, including alcoholism and other drug addiction; or
5. An advanced practice registered nurse licensed under s. 464.012, whose primary scope of practice is the diagnosis or treatment of mental or emotional conditions, including chemical abuse, and limited only to actions performed in accordance with part I of chapter 464.
(b) A “patient” is a person who consults, or is interviewed by, a psychotherapist for purposes of diagnosis or treatment of a mental or emotional condition, including alcoholism and other drug addiction.
(c) A communication between psychotherapist and patient is “confidential” if it is not intended to be disclosed to third persons other than:
1. Those persons present to further the interest of the patient in the consultation, examination, or interview.
2. Those persons necessary for the transmission of the communication.
3. Those persons who are participating in the diagnosis and treatment under the direction of the psychotherapist.
(2) A patient has a privilege to refuse to disclose, and to prevent any other person from disclosing, confidential communications or records made for the purpose of diagnosis or treatment of the patient’s mental or emotional condition, including alcoholism and other drug addiction, between the patient and the psychotherapist, or persons who are participating in the diagnosis or treatment under the direction of the psychotherapist. This privilege includes any diagnosis made, and advice given, by the psychotherapist in the course of that relationship.
(3) The privilege may be claimed by:
(a) The patient or the patient’s attorney on the patient’s behalf.
(b) A guardian or conservator of the patient.
(c) The personal representative of a deceased patient.
(d) The psychotherapist, but only on behalf of the patient. The authority of a psychotherapist to claim the privilege is presumed in the absence of evidence to the contrary.
(4) There is no privilege under this section:
(a) For communications relevant to an issue in proceedings to compel hospitalization of a patient for mental illness, if the psychotherapist in the course of diagnosis or treatment has reasonable cause to believe the patient is in need of hospitalization.
(b) For communications made in the course of a court-ordered examination of the mental or emotional condition of the patient.
(c) For communications relevant to an issue of the mental or emotional condition of the patient in any proceeding in which the patient relies upon the condition as an element of his or her claim or defense or, after the patient’s death, in any proceeding in which any party relies upon the condition as an element of the party’s claim or defense.
History.—s. 1, ch. 76-237; s. 1, ch. 77-77; s. 22, ch. 78-361; s. 1, ch. 78-379; s. 40, ch. 90-347; s. 1, ch. 92-57; s. 19, ch. 93-39; s. 475, ch. 95-147; s. 28, ch. 99-2; s. 5, ch. 99-8; s. 1, ch. 2006-204; s. 30, ch. 2014-19; s. 7, ch. 2018-106.
Structure Florida Statutes
90.103 - Scope; Applicability.
90.105 - Preliminary Questions.
90.106 - Summing Up and Comment by Judge.
90.107 - Limited Admissibility.
90.108 - Introduction of Related Writings or Recorded Statements.
90.201 - Matters Which Must Be Judicially Noticed.
90.202 - Matters Which May Be Judicially Noticed.
90.203 - Compulsory Judicial Notice Upon Request.
90.204 - Determination of Propriety of Judicial Notice and Nature of Matter Noticed.
90.205 - Denial of a Request for Judicial Notice.
90.206 - Instructing Jury on Judicial Notice.
90.207 - Judicial Notice by Trial Court in Subsequent Proceedings.
90.301 - Presumption Defined; Inferences.
90.302 - Classification of Rebuttable Presumptions.
90.303 - Presumption Affecting the Burden of Producing Evidence Defined.
90.304 - Presumption Affecting the Burden of Proof Defined.
90.401 - Definition of Relevant Evidence.
90.402 - Admissibility of Relevant Evidence.
90.4025 - Admissibility of Paternity Determination in Certain Criminal Prosecutions.
90.4026 - Statements Expressing Sympathy; Admissibility; Definitions.
90.403 - Exclusion on Grounds of Prejudice or Confusion.
90.404 - Character Evidence; When Admissible.
90.405 - Methods of Proving Character.
90.407 - Subsequent Remedial Measures.
90.408 - Compromise and Offers to Compromise.
90.409 - Payment of Medical and Similar Expenses.
90.410 - Offer to Plead Guilty; Nolo Contendere; Withdrawn Pleas of Guilty.
90.501 - Privileges Recognized Only as Provided.
90.5015 - Journalist’s Privilege.
90.502 - Lawyer-Client Privilege.
90.5021 - Fiduciary Lawyer-Client Privilege.
90.503 - Psychotherapist-Patient Privilege.
90.5035 - Sexual Assault Counselor-Victim Privilege.
90.5036 - Domestic Violence Advocate-Victim Privilege.
90.5037 - Human Trafficking Victim Advocate-Victim Privilege.
90.504 - Husband-Wife Privilege.
90.505 - Privilege With Respect to Communications to Clergy.
90.5055 - Accountant-Client Privilege.
90.506 - Privilege With Respect to Trade Secrets.
90.507 - Waiver of Privilege by Voluntary Disclosure.
90.508 - Privileged Matter Disclosed Under Compulsion or Without Opportunity to Claim Privilege.
90.509 - Application of Privileged Communication.
90.510 - Privileged Communication Necessary to Adverse Party.
90.601 - General Rule of Competency.
90.603 - Disqualification of Witness.
90.604 - Lack of Personal Knowledge.
90.605 - Oath or Affirmation of Witness.
90.606 - Interpreters and Translators.
90.6063 - Interpreter Services for Deaf Persons.
90.607 - Competency of Certain Persons as Witnesses.
90.609 - Character of Witness as Impeachment.
90.610 - Conviction of Certain Crimes as Impeachment.
90.611 - Religious Beliefs or Opinions.
90.612 - Mode and Order of Interrogation and Presentation.
90.613 - Refreshing the Memory of a Witness.
90.614 - Prior Statements of Witnesses.
90.615 - Calling Witnesses by the Court.
90.616 - Exclusion of Witnesses.
90.701 - Opinion Testimony of Lay Witnesses.
90.702 - Testimony by Experts.
90.703 - Opinion on Ultimate Issue.
90.704 - Basis of Opinion Testimony by Experts.
90.705 - Disclosure of Facts or Data Underlying Expert Opinion.
90.706 - Authoritativeness of Literature for Use in Cross-Examination.
90.801 - Hearsay; Definitions; Exceptions.
90.803 - Hearsay Exceptions; Availability of Declarant Immaterial.
90.804 - Hearsay Exceptions; Declarant Unavailable.
90.805 - Hearsay Within Hearsay.
90.806 - Attacking and Supporting Credibility of Declarant.
90.901 - Requirement of Authentication or Identification.
90.903 - Testimony of Subscribing Witness Unnecessary.
90.952 - Requirement of Originals.
90.953 - Admissibility of Duplicates.
90.954 - Admissibility of Other Evidence of Contents.