Ethical Considerations when Involving Guardians in Therapy

Come explore the ethical challenges clinicians face when working with children and their guardians in play therapy. Treating young clients requires balancing the child’s emotional needs, developmental level, and treatment goals while also managing caregivers’ expectations, reactions, and involvement. Complicating factors often include co-parent conflict, custody arrangements, differing parental perspectives, and limits of confidentiality.

Through interactive discussion and case-based scenarios, participants will learn to identify common ethical dilemmas related to guardian involvement, including information sharing, consent, safety concerns, and boundary setting. The training emphasizes practical decision-making frameworks to help clinicians navigate “gray area” situations with greater clarity and confidence, while maintaining ethical integrity and supporting the therapeutic alliance with both child and caregivers.