[me05]

Do you have to be 18 to get a T without parents knowing?

[skeksi]

It depends. You can ask to see a counselor at school, but that is usually time-limited (they don't do long-term treatment). That counselor can give you better advice about how to go about finding a T.

I don't know your situation, but have you considered asking your parents to see a T without telling them why? You can simply tell them you need help with something private. Your school counselor could also help you with this.

Please let us know how your search is going!

[KUREHA]

I'm not sure, but you could try a counselor at school, then they definitely won't know.
Or you could ask your GP about it.

One thing though since you're under 18 - if you say something that would make you a danger to others or yourself, then the therapist has to tell someone so your parents will know.
That nearly happened to me, but since I'm 24 - I don't think my parents would have needed to know what it was about.

[DoggyBonz]

Originally Posted by me05

Do you have to be 18 to get a T without parents knowing?

It really depends on where you live. If you are in school and go and talk to a counselor I don't think they are obligated to tell your parents unless as said, you say something or do something that would indicate you are a harm to yourself or anyone else. It might be odd to talk to someone at school but they can be really helpful and if you need more help often times they can help explaining it to your parents.

If you are not in school or you don't feel comfortable then you can always get a referral or call a teen help line and speak with someone on the phone about how they would handle it and help you find something that is best for you. Here is a link that I came acroos when I just did a general search.

http://teenadvice.about.com/od/crisi...ort_Groups.htm

Also, I'm not sure what your situation is, but you might be under your parents insurance plan so the question of how your therapist is getting paid might become an issue.

When I was 16 I found a therapist to work with and did not go through school but it was under their insurance so they knew. They did not know what was said and he did not ask for family meetings.

Let us know how it is going.

[sunrise]

Originally Posted by me05

Do you have to be 18 to get a T without parents knowing?

me05, if you want your parents' insurance to pay for it, they will know because they will get the statements from the insurance company. If you are willing to pay the whole fee yourself, they might not need to know. I know my daughters can go get birth control on their own starting at age 14, I think. And they don't need to tell parents or insurance as long as they pay themselves. Maybe mental health is the same. I bet your counselor at school would know the answer to your question. Good luck.

[me05]

thanks everyone for the replies. I'm just scared about what will happen. It doesn't seem like an option for a T right now. I was just curious because I wish it was an option.

[DoggyBonz]

Originally Posted by me05

thanks everyone for the replies. I'm just scared about what will happen. It doesn't seem like an option for a T right now. I was just curious because I wish it was an option.

Ok, but if you are sad and you feel that you need to talk to a professional then please take care of yourself whether it means going through school or calling a hotline to see what your options are. You don't have to go through this alone and there might be help available with someone face to face that does not involve your parents. Take care of yourself...

((((((((((((((((((me05))))))))))))))))))))

I really needed therapy in high school and it absolutely wasn't an option for many reasons.... I did see the counselor at my high school, and while it wasn't "therapy", it did help me survive a few rough years, and my parents never had to find out about it.

Is there someone at your school you can talk to? I'm sorry about your situation - I remember feeling SO TRAPPED at that age....the counselor at school didn't "fix" it, but it did help some.

[me05]

In Junior High I got help from a counselor, and it did help a lot. But my mother found out and I had to stop seeing my counselor. My mom is very controlling and feels that if she can't help then nobody should be able to... that is just a LITTLE bit of the reason my parents can't know. If I feel this getting any worse, I guess I will have to go to my high school counselor. It has been 4 years since the one in Junior High.

[skeksi]

I'm sorry your mom reacted that way. A counselor can be so helpful for a person at any age, but it can really help a young person.

I think talking to your high school counselor is an excellent idea. She can help you figure out how to handle counseling and/or your parents. I wish I had been brave enough to talk to my junior high and high school counselors when I was young. It would have helped me a lot!

Keep us updated, okay?