![]() ![]() The decision to seek mental health counseling can be a difficult one. If the doctor doesn’t ask you to leave the room, offer to do so - and make it clear that you don’t need to know what they talk about.By Bernadette Bruha and Andrea Watts, Contributors to In Public Safety That’s why my advice to parents is to not just let their teen have confidential time with their health care provider, but to encourage it. The best way to learn to do something is to practice it. It’s also normal to wonder if you can really trust the health care provider, or whether their values are the same as yours.īut besides the fact that what is most important is your child’s health and safety, the unavoidable truth is that teens grow into adults who need to learn to advocate for their own health and well-being. It’s normal to worry, and to not like the idea that they could keep secrets from you. I understand that it can be hard for some parents to let their teen have confidential alone time with their health care provider. Advice to parents about teen confidentiality They could miss the opportunity to get the treatment they need - or be reassured that they are fine. Sometimes there are physical concerns that a teen doesn’t want to talk about in front of a parent - because they think it is silly, or because they are embarrassed, or because they don’t want to worry their parents. It might include mental health concerns such as depression or anxiety, meaning a teen could miss the opportunity to get the mental health help they need. It might include substance use, meaning a teen could miss the opportunity to get the advice they need to make safe and healthy decisions about substance use - or the help they need for a substance use disorder. That might include things like sex or sexuality, meaning a teen could miss the opportunity to learn about or get birth control, get treatment for a sexually transmitted infection, discuss healthy relationships, or explore questions or feelings about sexuality. As anyone who has been a teen knows, there are things you don’t always feel comfortable discussing in front of a parent or guardian. It’s that last point that worries me the most. youth may lie about their risk behaviors or not seek health care when concerned about confidentiality.youth worry about privacy and future discrimination. ![]()
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