Patient confidentiality?

[Techno Monster]

My mom is going to set up an appointment with a therapist, and I was wondering, if I tell him that my brother is addicted to cigarettes, and a bunch of other crap, can the therapist guy tell my parents any of that stuff? Believe it or not, my mom doesn't even know he is addicted. I miss the times when I could look her in the eyes without feeling like complete crap...

By the way I'm 14, so that is under 18.

[The Batman]

Think of it this way if he tells her then your mom can get your bro some help, but if he doesn't tell her then your mom won't know.

[Underground_Network]

There's 'supposed' patient confidentiality, but I've been backstabbed by therapists. I once told my therapist I was feeling suicidal, and he said everything I said was just between me and him, but then he walked up to my mom and told her basically everything I had said [including how I was feeling suicidal] and she kept bothering me about it, telling me how valuable life was and shit, when I didn't really want to hear it, if anything she just made things worse. After that I just stopped talking to the therapist, every time we would go there, he'd ask me questions I'd just say, "Fine", "Yes", "No", "Not really", etc... I wouldn't open up to him any more, because I couldn't trust him. Not all therapists are like that, and if you tell them not to tell anyone, they'll usually listen.

[Atonement]

Legally, a doctor cannot talk to anyone but your parents about your problems. If it is not a doctor and only a therapist, then chances are that the therapist will not tell your parents unless there is a pressing life or death matter or someone is in danger. Considering that the matter isn't way life threatening, I would say its safe to tell them if you specifically ask them to keep everything between only you two.

[byee]

OK, there's some confusion about this.

Basically, what you and your therapist discuss stays in the room, b'twn you and him. UNLESS you indicate that you are suicidal or homicidal, or you become psychotic. The reasons for this are fairly obvious, it's for protection.

Therapy is a private treatment that explores very personal things, and for it to work, there needs to be clear rules about what's private and what's not, otherwise, people wouldn't trust the doctor, and without trust, therapy is useless, as many of the things that need to be discussed won't be brought up. At the beginning of treatment, these things should be clarified and agreed upon, and I'd like to think that most (if not all) therapists do this.

if you're starting therapy for the first time, or with a new guy, you might want to clarify the limits of privacy at the onset, that way both of you will be assured about the expectations of confidentiality.