Can my parents force me into therapy???!
Question: I am in recovery for an eating disorder, and although i have rough days, i feel im doing ok. Recently, my mom made me see this therapist, but i don't want to! Now, the therapist is making my whole family do family therapy for my eating disorder, but i really don't want to!
I'm 16, going on 17 and i was wondering if my parents could force me to do this therapy. Don't i have any rights? If so, what are they?
Thx in advance
Answers: Well, the fact that it's family therapy is GREAT!! Basically, the family therapy (if it's a family therapist specifically, and hopefully even if its not) will mean that all of your family will have to take responsibility for what each one of them does to keep you sick. In other words, you are about to have an opportunity to tell the therapist exactly how it is with your family there. This is a very effective form of therapy and can be so hard hitting that most families don't stick to it. This is your time to bring up everything to the therapist that keeps you "Sick" and your family dysfunctional. If I were you, I'd make an agreement with my parents that they were to go to every session and do everything the therpist asks and you will do the same (so you'll have to hold up your end of the bargain)... I feel very confident in saying that your eating disorder is the SYMPTOM of of a great illness or trauma and your family has a lot to do with it.
TO answer your questions, I advise you to ask the therapist what your rights are. Each state varies. Most likely, you have the right to not go, the right to not talk, etc. You may also want to ask the therapist what the limits on confidentiality are- times when they will have to share, etc. Short of being mandated by a court, any reason you HAVE to be there is because your parents are making you.
Me? Oh, I'd love to tell my parents exactly what I thought of them with a mediator telling them to be quiet so he/she can hear what I am saying... and I'm 28!!!