Things that therapists don't talk about are conversations with other clients, showcasing violent emotions, implying of any romantic or sexual interest in the therapist.
Therapists also don't talk about feeling incompetent, making mistakes, being caught off guard by fee entanglements, becoming enraged at patients, managing illnesses, understanding sexual arousal and impulses, praying with patients as part of their therapy or feeling ashamed or being fired and not knowing what they should do.
You can talk with your therapist about anything else you want to talk about and the therapist must keep everything you say to them confidential.
If you're a minor you cannot go to a therapist without telling your parents.
To be seen by a therapist you will need to provide informed consent from a parent or legal guardian.
Minors cannot provide the consent needed for therapist treatment or mental health treatment on their own.
A small number of states make exceptions for sensitive issues like mental health but the majority of states require parental consent to be treated or seen for mental health including going to a therapist.
However while you require parental consent to be seen by a therapist the therapist cannot tell your parents what you discuss with them unless you're really young.
Therapists are confined by confidentiality laws that protect what you say to the therapist.
So the therapist will not tell your parents what you say unless you consent to the therapist doing so in writing.
Legally speaking, people under the age of 18 do not typically have a right to confidentiality in therapy.
However, some therapists ask parents to agree to the therapist's confidentiality rules before they will treat the client.
While state laws cover alcohol and drug abuse, some specify only one or the other.
Some states prohibit disclosure to parents, some leave this to the physician's discretion, and others require disclosure under certain circumstances.
Therapists who break confidentiality laws may be sued by clients in some cases, and they can get into trouble with state licensing boards as a result.
HIPAA does also allow a therapist to secure a client's permission to share relevant information with a health insurer for the purpose of being reimbursed for claims.
Even if you confess to your therapist that you are guilty of multiple robberies, rapes, or murders, therapists cannot report this information to the police, as it violates patient confidentiality laws if they do.
The amount of information you share with a therapist is entirely up to you.
After all, you're the client.
Still, the more honest you are with your therapist, the better.
Giving your therapist a window into your thoughts, feelings, and experiences provides them with context and details, so they can best help you.