I am under 16, will a doctor/counsellor have to tell someone about self harm?
When discussing self harm with a professional, there isn't one set rule that covers confidentiality, so it is best to ask your doctor/counsellor and be sure you understand how their confidentiality works. All staff working for the NHS have a legal duty to follow the
NHS Code of Practice on Confidentiality. This means they must ask for your consent before passing information to anyone else - this applies to whatever age you are.
If you're aged 16 or 17, the law sees you as an adult when it comes to confidentiality. Therefore, if you're 16 and you want a health professional to keep your treatment confidential then that should be respected.
However, there are exceptions to this rule where they have to let your parents, guardian or GP know something you've passed on to them. This is normally when they feel you don't have 'mental capacity', i.e. when you may not be able to make certain decisions because they feel you won't understand the advice, or your physical or mental health is likely to suffer unless you receive treatment or support.
This also applies where there are issues around child protection; when they are worried you may harm yourself more seriously than you meant to; if you're expressing suicidal feelings; you're being sexually or physically abused; or your self-harm will lead to permanent damage. If they decide to contact someone else, you should be told that they are going to do that first.
Adpated from http://www.thesite.org/healthandwellbeing/mentalhealth/selfharm/understandingconfidentiality.