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NC General Statutes

N.C. Gen. Stat. § 8-53.8 (2026)

Counselor privilege

✓ current as of July 2026
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No person, duly licensed pursuant to Chapter 90, Article 24, of the General Statutes, shall be required to disclose any information which he or she may have acquired in rendering clinical mental health counseling services, and which information was necessary to enable him or her to render clinical mental health counseling services: Provided, that the presiding judge of a superior or district court may compel such disclosure, if in the court's opinion the same is necessary to a proper administration of justice and such disclosure is not prohibited by other statute or regulation. (1983, c. 755, s. 2; 1993, c. 514, s. 2; 2019-240, s. 3(a).)

 

Notes of Decisions
Cited in 5 cases, 1986–2012 · leading case: In Re the Investigation of the Death of Miller, 584 S.E.2d 772 (N.C. 2003).
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In Re the Investigation of the Death of Miller, 584 S.E.2d 772 (N.C. 2003). · cites it 3× “7 (1999)), in the professional counselor privilege (N.C.G.S. § 8-53.8 (2001)), and in the optometrist-patient privilege (N.”
Spangler v. Olchowski, 654 S.E.2d 507 (N.C. Ct. App. 2007). · cites it 2× “7 (2005) (for social workers); N.C. Gen. Stat. § 8-53.8 (2005) (for counselors).”
State v. Newell, 348 S.E.2d 158 (N.C. Ct. App. 1986). · cites it 2× “3 (psychologist-client privilege), or G.S. 8-53.8 (counselor privilege). Under these circumstances, we cannot find that the trial judge abused his discretion in quashing the subpoenas duces tecum.”
Young v. Kimberly-clark Corp., 724 S.E.2d 552 (N.C. Ct. App. 2012). · cites it 2× “Gen. Stat. § 8-53 (2005) (for doctors); see also N.”
Jane Student 1 v. Williams, 206 F.R.D. 306 (S.D. Ala. 2002). “§ 45 :8B-49; N.C. Gen.Stat. §§ 8-53.8, 90-330; N.D. Cent.”
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