Therapy101 / Relationships
Parents, carers and children
Parenting and family relationships can be explored in different settings, with different people taking part.
Different settings
Parenting and family relationships can be explored in different settings, including child and adolescent mental health services, schools, community clinics and family centres. Work may involve a parent or carer on their own, a child or young person on their own, or parent and child together; the people taking part and the purpose of the work can differ.
Participation, consent and privacy
A child or young person’s participation, consent and privacy should be discussed with the service before work begins. Ask who will take part, what information may be shared with a parent or carer, and when the practitioner may need to share information to protect someone from harm. Rules differ by jurisdiction and setting.
A constructed example
Constructed for learning. Not a real case.
A fourteen-year-old and their parent attend an initial meeting at a youth counselling service. Before asking about the difficulties at home, the practitioner explains that the young person’s sessions will be private, except if someone is at risk of serious harm, and agrees with both of them that the young person can choose what summary is shared at a review meeting after six weeks.
An example from England and Wales
For school-based counselling, the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy describes how a child under 16 who has sufficient understanding to consent may access counselling without parental consent. Practitioners assess understanding in relation to the decision and consider confidentiality and safeguarding. Guidance and law differ elsewhere in the UK.
An example from the United States
Where the HIPAA Privacy Rule applies, parents are usually a minor’s personal representative, but there are exceptions. For example, when applicable law permits a young person to consent to a particular service and they do so, the parent may not be their personal representative for information about that service. State law and the type of service matter. Ask the provider how privacy and consent work in that setting.
Sources and inspection notes
Supports: School-based counselling consent and confidentiality in England and Wales; the guide distinguishes the legal position in Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Supports: US HIPAA guidance on parents as personal representatives and exceptions, including where a minor consents under applicable law. State law and the service involved affect the position.
NHS. Children and young people’s mental health services.
Supports: Examples of children’s mental health services and confidentiality with a safety-related exception in an NHS setting.