Notification of Other Parent

Our practice is committed to transparent communication regarding a minor's care. Therefore, we notify both parents or legal guardians when their child begins treatment, regardless of the parents’ relationship status. This includes situations in which parents are separated, divorced, or were never married. Unless there are extenuating circumstances—such as a court order that specifically restricts communication with a parent, or a parent who has no legal custody—Spencer Psychology may communicate with both parents. We will also abide by the decision of either parent (with custody) to decline mental health services for their child. It is the responsibility of the parent or guardian to provide us with any relevant legal documentation that affects these communications or ability to consent to treatment.

Disagreement between Parents for Services

One risk of child therapy involves disagreement among parents and/or disagreement between parents and the therapist regarding the child’s treatment. We can hopefully resolve such disagreements, or we can agree to disagree, so long as this enables your child’s therapeutic progress. Ultimately, parents decide whether therapy will continue.

• If either parent decides that therapy should end, we will honor that decision, unless there are extenuating circumstances.
• If one parent declines treatment during the enrollment process (and has legal access to the child), we will not proceed to schedule your child.
• If services are already in progress, we will ask that you allow the therapist the option of having a closing session or two with your child to appropriately end the treatment relationship.
• A more common issue is that parents may disagree with each other about goals for their child, or disagree with each other about how treatment will proceed. This issue does happen occasionally, primarily with divorced parents. This can create barriers to the child’s progress in therapy. Family meetings can be scheduled to try to create mutually agreed upon goals, but if the parental conflict cannot be managed around the therapy goals, it is unlikely the therapy will be successful and the child may need to be referred out.
• The therapist cannot be in the role of a couples counselor or mediator and be effective with the child. The therapist will make efforts to keep both parents updated on progress, but it is not possible to do this exactly the same for both parents.

I understand the statements above regarding how Spencer Psychology will notify parents about a child's therapy .

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