AGREEMENT REGARDING MINORS

The involvement of children and adolescents in therapy can be highly beneficial to their overall development. Very often, it is best to see them with parents and other family members; sometimes they are best seen alone. I will assess which option might be best for your child and make recommendations to you. Obviously, the support of all the child’s caregivers is essential, as well as their understanding of the basic procedures involved in counselling children.

The general goal of involving children in therapy is to foster their development at all levels. At times, it may seem that a specific behaviour is needed, such as to get the child to obey or reveal certain information. Although those objectives may be part of overall development, they may not be the best goals for therapy. Again, I will evaluate and discuss these goals with you.

Because my role is that of the child’s helper, I will not become involved in legal disputes or other official proceedings unless compelled to do so by a court of law. Matters involving custody and mediation are best handled by another professional who is specially trained in those areas rather than by the child’s therapist. The issue of confidentiality is critical in treating children. When children are seen with adults, what is discussed is known to those adults who are present and should be kept confidential, except by mutual agreement. Children seen in individual sessions (except under certain conditions) are not legally entitled to confidentiality (also called privilege); their parents have this right. However, unless children feel they have some privacy in speaking with a therapist, the benefits of therapy may be lost. Therefore, it is necessary to work out an arrangement in which children feel that their privacy is generally being respected, while parents have access to critical information. This agreement must have the understanding and approval of the parents or other responsible adults and of the child in therapy.

The agreement regarding treatment of minors has provisions for inserting individual details, which can be supplied by either child or the adults who are involved. However, it is first important to point out the exceptions to this general agreement. The following circumstances override the general policy that children are intitled to privacy while parents or guardians have a legal right to information:

• Confidentiality and privilege are limited in cases involving child abuse, neglect, molestation or danger to self or others. In these cases, the therapist is required to make an official report to the appropriate agency, namely the Department of Social Development, and will attempt to involve parents as much as possible.
• Minors may independently enter therapy and claim the privilege of confidentiality in cases involving abuse or severe neglect, molestation, pregnancy or communicable diseases, and when they are married or officially emancipated. They may seek therapy independently for substance abuse, danger to themselves or others, or because of a mental disorder, but parents must be involved unless doing so would harm the child.

Now that the various aspects surrounding confidentiality have been stated, the specific agreement between you and your child follows: