Ask a Therapist! What to do when others disclose personal issues.
Have you ever had questions about your mental health? Or worried about a friend or family member? We teamed up with Joon Care, the teletherapy practice for teens and young adults, to get your questions answered. This month, our focus is on secrets and safety. What should you do when others disclose personal issues such as mental health problems, unsafe behaviors, or unsafe situations?

Being a teen or a young adult can be an especially challenging time for solving problems and keeping secrets. You may feel like it’s safer to talk to a peer than to an adult, because a peer may understand your situation better. And the reverse is true - your friends/peers may feel safer disclosing sensitive information to you than to a parent, teacher, or school counselor.

However, it is common to feel overwhelmed by others’ personal disclosures. You may worry about your friend, or want to help but not know how best to support them. You may feel like they need an adult’s advice or intervention but feel trapped by promises of confidentiality.

How can you handle others’ personal disclosures in a way that is supportive but safe?

Joon's clinical team of licensed therapists is led by psychologist Amy Mezulis, PhD, and they are here to answer your questions about mental health. Each month we will have a new topic and select several of your questions to answer and share with the entire community. Don't worry, all of the questions are completely anonymous so feel free to ask things that may be embarrassing or uncomfortable.
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Have your friends shared personal information with you about their mental health or safety?
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Have you worried about the mental health or safety of a friend?
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Have you wondered if you should involve an adult but wondered if that would hurt the friendship?
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Have you made promises of confidentiality that you later felt you might need to break?
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Do you have an adult that you feel comfortable reaching out to when you or someone you know really needs help?
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If you answered "Yes" to the above, who is that person?
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Do you have any questions for Joon's team of therapists?
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