Regarding Working with Minors and Parents

This is a practical post solely meant for minors who I work with and their parents

I always welcome questions or thoughts regarding how we will best work together. Often, parents will ask what communications are appropriate and how to best reach out to me.

Each person, family, and situation is different, so there is no hard and fast rule regarding this. However, here are some generalities.

Generally, when first working with someone, I ask for 4-5 weekly sessions just to establish a relationship and an idea of how we would work with each other.

Confidentiality is meant to protect the person I am working with and to insure them that they have a safe and private place to talk. It can be an essential element of building trust and serving the person’s wellness and positive growth. Confidentiality for anyone 13 years of age or older (in Washington State) is a legal right of the person and an ethical responsibility of the practitioner.

That said, supporting a young person’s growth often means supporting the family. My first duty will always be with my client. And if part of serving my client means supporting parents with helpful strategies, then it is wholly welcome. I will never violate confidentiality without written and verbal consent from my client (I’ll need to talk to both my client and the parents to see if this is truly consensual and will be beneficial.) Outside of that, I can still work with parents on general approaches that may be supportive for my client and the family.

If someone I am working with is young enough that I don't legally have to respect confidentiality, I still practice holding privacy for my client so that they know it is a place where they can speak freely. I will always welcome any questions about this.

So, in order to serve the healthy and supportive intentions of parents, I do also offer caregivers an occasional phone call (up to 20 min) when needed. I'll reach out if there's something on my end, but I generally invite any caregivers to reach out to me if you do have questions or would like to talk on the phone. Due to my obligations to other clients and my client load, I don't have the time or space for many long emails or frequent consultations. I do ask that check-in consultations happen only occasionally and with discernment. There's no hard and fast rule here, but we can communicate with each other as needed to find what works best. If you do need more than 20 minutes, I'll ask that we book a session for parent support and I'll bill accordingly.

Know that you are always welcome to send an email or leave a voicemail if something comes up that you want me to be aware of or that you are concerned about. This is the preferred method. If it is something general, I'll keep it in mind as I work with my client. If you do share something from my client's personal life with me, please let them know that you told me so that everything is out in the open. Of course, I suggest practicing discernment with this. It is important that they understand that I am there as a support for them, and not as an extension of your parenting. Again, I welcome any questions or thoughts around this.

I really appreciate that care, concern, and attention that you show.

May this serve wellness for all