8-53.3. Communications between psychologist and client or patient.
No person, duly authorized as a licensed psychologist or licensed psychological associate, nor any of his or her employees or associates, shall be required to disclose any information which he or she may have acquired in the practice of psychology and which information was necessary to enable him or her to practice psychology. Any resident or presiding judge in the district in which the action is pending may, subject to G.S. 8-53.6, compel disclosure, either at the trial or prior thereto, if in his or her opinion disclosure is necessary to a proper administration of justice. If the case is in district court the judge shall be a district court judge, and if the case is in superior court the judge shall be a superior court judge.
Notwithstanding the provisions of this section, the psychologist-client or patient privilege shall not be grounds for failure to report suspected child abuse or neglect to the appropriate county department of social services, or for failure to report a disabled adult suspected to be in need of protective services to the appropriate county department of social services. Notwithstanding the provisions of this section, the psychologist-client or patient privilege shall not be grounds for excluding evidence regarding the abuse or neglect of a child, or an illness of or injuries to a child, or the cause thereof, or for excluding evidence regarding the abuse, neglect, or exploitation of a disabled adult, or an illness of or injuries to a disabled adult, or the cause thereof, in any judicial proceeding related to a report pursuant to the Child Abuse Reporting Law, Article 3 of Chapter 7B of the General Statutes, or to the Protection of the Abused, Neglected, or Exploited Disabled Adult Act, Article 6 of Chapter 108A of the General Statutes. (1967, c. 910, s. 18; 1983, c. 410, ss. 3, 7; 1987, c. 323, s. 2; 1993, c. 375, s. 2; c. 553, s. 78; 1998-202, s. 13(c).)
Structure North Carolina General Statutes
North Carolina General Statutes
Article 7 - Competency of Witnesses.
§ 8-49 - Witness not excluded by interest or crime.
§ 8-50 - Parties competent as witnesses.
§ 8-50.1 - Competency of blood tests; jury charge; taxing of expenses as costs.
§ 8-50.2 - Results of speed-measuring instruments; admissibility.
§ 8-50.3 - Expired September 30, 2007.
§ 8-51.1 - Dying declarations.
§ 8-53 - Communications between health care provider and patient.
§ 8-53.1 - Physician-patient and nurse privilege; limitations.
§ 8-53.2 - Communications between clergymen and communicants.
§ 8-53.3 - Communications between psychologist and client or patient.
§ 8-53.4 - School counselor privilege.
§ 8-53.5 - Communications between licensed marital and family therapist and client(s).
§ 8-53.6 - No disclosure in alimony and divorce actions.
§ 8-53.7 - Social worker privilege.
§ 8-53.8 - Counselor privilege.
§ 8-53.9 - Optometrist/patient privilege.
§ 8-53.10 - Peer support group counselors.
§ 8-53.11 - Persons, companies, or other entities engaged in gathering or dissemination of news.
§ 8-53.14 - Communications between behavior analyst and client or patient.
§ 8-54 - Defendant in criminal action competent but not compellable to testify.
§ 8-55 - Testimony enforced in certain criminal investigations; immunity.
§ 8-56 - Husband and wife as witnesses in civil action.
§ 8-57 - Husband and wife as witnesses in criminal actions.
§ 8-57.1 - Husband-wife privilege waived in child abuse.
§ 8-57.2 - Presumed father or mother as witnesses where paternity at issue.
§ 8-58.1 - Injured party as witness when medical charges at issue.