Young people and parents
Confidentiality and consent
What stays private, what does not, and who agrees to what.
Starting therapy under 18
A parent or guardian gives consent for therapy to begin. The consent form sets out who agrees to what at each age.
What stays private
What a young person says in their own sessions stays between them and their clinician. What a parent says in their sessions is not passed to their child. A family session is shared by everyone in the room.
The limits
A clinician may have to share what they hear when there is a risk of serious harm to the young person or to someone else, when a court orders it, or when the law requires a report. Your clinician explains the limits in writing before the first session.
Insurance can also reveal that a young person is in therapy: a plan may send a statement to the person who holds it.
If you are not out at home
Tell us when you write. We will talk through how to reach you, how to pay, and what a statement from an insurer would show.
Questions about consent?
Write to us before you start. We answer plainly.