[sulky]

A young child, very dear to my heart, is seeing a therapist who is very good friends with her step father. The step father, mother and child have visited the therapist in his home. During the visit the therapist has taken the child in a separate room for treatment purposes. Is this a code of ethics violation?

[Skeezyks]

Hello sulky: I don't know as I have the answer to your question. Perhaps some other members may have some thoughts they can share. My personal perspective would be that perhaps the therapist feels there are things the child would talk about if the parents are not present. Not knowing the circumstances, that seems like a valid rationale to me. However laws do vary as well. And so, to some extent, your question may be one that should be addressed by knowledgeable individuals where you live... such as mental health professionals within your state's governmental mental health services system.

I noticed this is your first post here on PC. So... welcome to PsychCentral! I hope you find the time you spend here to be of benefit. If you plan to continue on, here on PC, may I suggest you introduce yourself over on PC's New Member Introductions forum? Here's a link:

https://forums.psychcentral.com/new-...introductions/

Thanks for posting!

[amandalouise]

Originally Posted by sulky

A young child, very dear to my heart, is seeing a therapist who is very good friends with her step father. The step father, mother and child have visited the therapist in his home. During the visit the therapist has taken the child in a separate room for treatment purposes. Is this a code of ethics violation?

not as far as i know. here where I am there are many doctors and therapists that are opting for private practices in their homes where they designate one room in the home for the therapy or doctors office. basically getting back to that small town treatment providers of the past atmosphere. believe it or not there once was a time where it was hard to find a treatment provider with an actual office outside their homes and sometimes treatment providers did what they called home visits where they went to their clients homes.

here in the east coast there are many places that still have that small town home atmosphere of the past.

in some cases that I know if among my circle of family and friends, friends of friends the doctors and therapists like to show the child there is nothing to fear by the child and parents just visiting with the treatment provider before actual treatment begins.

also in many towns in the USA its almost impossible to not be friends with someone before they are ones treatment provider. many people in smaller towns have grown up with their treatment providers as friends first. example I went to high school with my present therapist, and my childrens medical doctor used to be the 4H and girl scouts den mother and still is very active in my community so we were friends first before they were my childrens doctor.

my suggestion is if this continues to bother you contact your locations board of ethics. they will tell you if this treatment provider is doing anything wrong in your location given how your town is set up and the laws and such where you are.

Does the therapist have the trust and permission of the parents?