Practitioners’ Ethical Decision-Making in Therapeutic Work with Young People

Psychologists working with young people have important ethical responsibilities. These responsibilities can create challenges, such as managing risky behaviours while balancing confidentiality and consent. For this reason, working with mature minors can introduces additional ethical strain. Despite these challenges, there is limited evidence to guide psychologists in making ethical decisions. This thesis explored mental health practitioners’ perspectives on ethical decision-making in therapy with young people, with a focus on psychologists. These insights were used to develop a reflective tool to help psychologists recognise common decision-making pitfalls. Using this tool may support better handling of ethical dilemmas and encourage deeper reflection in this distinct area of practice.