Informed Consent

Imagine that you are a counselor who will be meeting with a wife, husband, and their children (ages 17, 13 and 9) for an initial counseling session. This is the first time anyone in this family has been in counseling, and during your initial phone call with the wife it was apparent that neither she nor her husband fully understood what the counseling process was really about.
What are your responsibilities regarding informed consent and confidentiality when working with a family? Cite specific ethical standards and state laws that are relevant here.
What would be important to discuss with this family about the counseling process during the first session? How would you know whether this information had been understood clearly by each family member?

¦