Informed Consent for Couples

Couples therapy offers unique clinical, ethical, and legal challenges. This Informed Consent for Couples outlines these challenges. It explains the process, roles, and policies related to couples therapy and provides options for decision-making about how you as the therapist manage them in your practice. It has been reviewed and approved by two attorneys, a bioethicist, and a medical editor.

This informed consent covers the following clinical, legal, and ethical issues:

• The Purpose of Couples Therapy
• Risks and Benefits of Couples Therapy
• Description of Treatment
• Confidentiality and Limits to Confidentiality
• Release of Information
• Legal Issues
• Conflict of Interest and Dual Relationships
• And more…

For all other practice policies concerning treatment and payment please refer to the Informed Consent for Services and Practice Policies.

Customization
Because each therapy practice is different, this document can and should be customized to reflect your practice needs and state requirements. For example, this consent is written for a therapist who does not provide expert testimony. If you do provide expert testimony, you may add your policies about providing expert testimony. Areas that may need to be customized are highlighted in yellow. You may make any changes needed other than the copyright. This document is not a substitute for legal advice.