Confidentiality with Children & Teens
“Your children are not your children. They are the sons and daughters of Life’s longing for itself. They come through you but not from you, And though they are with you yet they belong not to you..” -Kahlil Gibran
Teens and children often feel safer talking to their therapist if they know that the information is not being passed to the parents. Any person 12 or over can legally insist that their communication with the therapist remains confidential. At Shine a Light we have three levels of confidentiality that we negotiate with the families we see. They are described on the right.
We ask that parents cooperate with the confidentiality level that will most benefit their child’s trust in the therapist. We know it can be hard to feel like you are not being told everything, especially when it comes to your child.
Rest assured that out therapists always have it as a goal to empower the child and teen they work with to be as open and honest as possible with their parents. We believe that healthy communication in a family is always preferable to the power struggles, distancing, disrespect, and arguments that too often plague family unity.
Level One
In Level One the therapist will not engage in dialogues with the parents. This helps teens feel safe to speak to their counselor about things they fear their parents will have a reaction to. If the teen is in serious danger, however, our counselors will always break confidentiality to help keep everyone safe.
Level Two
In Level 2 the therapist is open to receiving information from parents, but does not engage in dialogue. This allows parents to inform the therapist of things the teen or child may not bring to therapy themselves. This input can be very useful to the therapist. But the therapist does not respond with more than an acknowledgement that the message was received, so the teen knows they still have confidentiality.
Level Three
Level 3 is primarily for families bringing a younger child to therapy. Younger children sometimes do not need strict confidentiality to use therapy effectively. Thus, a therapist may meet with the parents and discuss insights about how to best support the child. These conversations are best held at the beginning or before the end of a therapy session with the child, rather than outside of scheduled therapy session times. Optionally, a session with just the parents may be scheduled.
Level Four
In Level 4 the therapist is working with the whole family. Parents agree to reflect upon their own dynamics in the family system. The therapist may facilitate communication between family members during sessions. Parent education may be included.
Request an Appointment
We have openings in all our offices and via telehealth. You don't have to wait around on a wait list. Use our form to get matched with a therapist who will be a good fit for you.