Problem
In addition to confidentiality, another important part of informed consent is the fact that symptoms, feelings, and situations may get worse before they get better. When I say this, I am referring to the fact that therapy and counseling services can sometimes cause a temporary decline before there is some improvement. This worries me with adolescents because there is a risk that they will spontaneously terminate services when they are not experiencing improvement. Without parent involvement, what are some ideas on how to increase the adolescent's understanding of this and the risks associated with premature termination?