Problem: Before meeting with Emily alone, I would prepare by reviewing informed consent, confidentiality, and the limits of confidentiality in developmentally appropriate language. Because Emily is 12, it is important to explain that her parents have legal rights to general information about treatment, but the counseling relationship should still protect Emily's emotional safety and trust. I would also clarify that confidentiality may be broken if Emily is at risk of harming herself, harming someone else, being harmed, or experiencing abuse or neglect. In addition, I would prepare to assess Emily's emotional functioning, school concerns, peer relationships, family stress, possible exposure to parental substance use, and feelings about privacy, discipline, and parental conflict. I would also apply psychoanalytic family therapy concepts when working with Emily individually. Although she is being seen alone, her symptoms should still be understood within the family system. Emily's school avoidance, anger, withdrawal, and peer changes may represent deeper emotional distress. From a psychoanalytic perspective, her behavior may be a way of expressing feelings that she cannot safely verbalize at home. She states that when she feels angry or sad, she tends to hold it in (Course Transcript, n.d.). This suggests that Emily may be internalizing family conflict and expressing distress through behavior instead of words. Need Assignment Help?