ABSTRACT
This chapter examines when an onward referral may be necessary, what form this might take, as well as how this might impact on the client and the therapy already being undertaken. One of the initial places where practitioners might look for support in cases where they feel an onward referral due to a mental health issue may be necessary, are the local child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS). The chapter also examines how a counsellor manages a consultation and CAMHS referral regarding one of her clients, and shows how a therapist might come to make the decision to refer without consent, and what the implications for the therapeutic relationship might be by using case examples. Therapists can find themselves making onward referrals to other agencies during the course of therapy with children and young people. These might be into primary care services but due to issues of physical rather than mental health.
