Can Children or Youth Seek Therapy Without Parental Consent?

"Ordinarily, when children under 18 years old need health or mental health services, the clinician requests consent from their parents or legal guardians (Maslyanskaya & Alderman, 2019; McNary, 2014).[1] Parental consent not only ensures that parents know about the services that their children are receiving, but also that the services are helpful and actively support treatment progress. In some situations, however, children-particularly older teenagers -may wish to engage the services of a clinician without parental knowledge or consent."

"These situations may arise when: there is an emergency situation and parents are not immediately available (e.g., a child with plans for suicide or other self-harmful behavior; a child is experiencing an acute episode of anxiety, panic, or distress); a child is embarrassed about a situation and does not want their parents to know about the concern (e.g., a lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or questioning youth who has not come out to their parents and is afraid of their response; a youth with questions about safer sex or possible pregnancy; or a youth experiencing problems with alcohol, drugs, or the criminal justice system); a child experiences bullying, abuse, or neglect, but fears rejection or retaliation from their parents if they reach out for help; parents may not have health insurance coverage and cannot afford to pay for therapy; or a child is aware of societal, cultural, or religious stigma about mental health services and does not want to bring shame or disapproval to the family."

Minors typically require parental or guardian consent to receive health and mental health services, which supports treatment and parental awareness. Older adolescents may seek counseling without parental knowledge in specific circumstances. Exceptions include emergencies when parents are unreachable, concerns a youth fears disclosing (such as sexual orientation, pregnancy, substance or legal issues), experiences of bullying, abuse, or neglect with fear of retaliation, lack of insurance or affordability barriers, and cultural or religious stigma around mental health. Different situations call for different approaches. Youth should be aware of available emergency, safety, and ongoing support services.

Read at Psychology Today