Autonomy: respect for the client’s right to be self-governing
This principle emphasises the importance of recognising at all times that a child/young person is an individual in their own right who has the capacity to enable their own healing and development through the therapeutic process. Although the use of therapy may be prescribed or requested by an adult responsible for the child's well being the practitioner must regard the interests of the child as being paramount.
Practitioners who respect their clients' autonomy: ensure accuracy in any advertising or information given in advance of services offered; seek freely given and adequately informed consent from the child or, when the child is not competent to give valid consent from the person legally responsible for the child; engage in explicit contracting in advance of any commitment by the client; protect privacy; protect confidentiality; normally make any disclosures of confidential information conditional on the consent of the client/carer concerned; and inform the client and their carer(s) or those persons legally responsible for the child in advance of foreseeable conflicts of interest or as soon as possible after such conflicts become apparent.
The principle of autonomy opposes the manipulation of clients against their will, even for beneficial social ends.
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