Consent and confidentiality

Consent comes from a parent

A parent or legal guardian signs the consent before the first session with a teen, and I do not start without it. State law has its own rules and exceptions, and I explain how they apply to your family at the first meeting.

Your teen has a private space

What your teen tells me stays between us. I share it only as the law allows, and I tell your teen what I would share before I share it.

What parents hear

I tell you how things are going, what we are working on and what might help at home. I do not repeat what your teen has said.

When I would tell a parent

A serious risk of harm to your teen or someone else, or abuse of a child. A court order can also require it. I go through these limits with you and with your teen at the start.

Parents who live apart

If parents live apart, I ask who holds legal consent for care and may ask for the court order, if there is one.

Records

Your teen's records are kept private and are shared only as the law allows. A parent can ask what the records contain.