What is the primary purpose of assent in counseling with minors?

• A. Respect for the child's developing autonomy and obtaining assent alongside parental consent.
• B. To ensure the clinician can override parental decisions when necessary.
• C. To replace parental consent with the child's assent entirely.
• D. To satisfy legal formality without clinical impact.

Answer: (A)

Assent is about honoring a child’s developing autonomy and involving them in decisions about their care. In practice, that means explaining the proposed counseling plan in language that fits the child’s age and understanding, inviting questions, and seeking the child’s affirmative agreement in addition to obtaining parental consent. This helps the child feel respected, engaged, and more invested in the process, which can support better collaboration and therapeutic progress. It’s not a tool to override parents, not a replacement for parental consent, and not just a legal formality with no clinical impact—the assent process has real influence on how the child experiences and participates in therapy.