Mandated Reportingadvanced
"If You Report This I Can't Go On"
Address a reporting duty and a client's own risk in the right order.
The situation
I am the therapist, and my client, an exhausted carer, has described leaving their elderly mother alone for days, and says if I report it there is no point going on. I need to address both the reporting duty and the risk to my client, honestly and in that order of urgency.
Who you will be talking to: Client in Crisis
They'll hint, minimise, and may disclose late in the session. Panic or lectures shut them down; calm, direct questions do not.
What tends to work
- Ask directly and calmly about plan, intent, means, and timeline
- Never promise secrecy about risk
- If it comes at the door, hold it — don't let them leave without a plan
One way to open: “What you just said matters. I want to slow down and ask you some direct questions about it.”
Say it out loud, then see what you said
Reading about a hard conversation is not the same as having it. You talk to an AI counterpart by voice, like a phone call, and afterwards get a scorecard that quotes your own words: what helped, and what to try next time.
More mental health scenarios
Dialoque is a practice tool for communication skills. It is not medical, clinical or legal advice. Read the disclaimer.