INFORMED CONSENT IN PSYCHOTHERAPY - SINGU LAR ACTION OR CONTINUOUS PROCESS - ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS ABOUT A CASE-STUDY OF CHILD-ABUSE

As compared with the broad discussion of ethical issues in medicine an d health care, there seems to be little awareness of central problems such as obtaining Informed Consent of the patient or client in psychot herapy or psychological counselling, respectively. Difficulties in inf orming about chances and risks and of obtaining Informed Consent prove to be challenging in the treatment of children and youths, particular ly in the context of relational problems in the family. Static and ind ividualistic concepts resulting from an orientation at a medico-legal interpretation of ''informed consent'' as a desicional action only - a s opposed to a dynamic process involving several participants - are no t helpful here. The problem is analyzed on the basis of a case study o f child abuse; considerations about problem solutions are discussed.