Read the following: formed consent is a legal and ethical term defined as the consent by a client to a proposed medical or psychotherapeutic procedure or for participation in a research project or clinical study. Informed consent refers to the client's right to agree (and/or disagree) to participate in the various forms of helping and the specific procedures and services to be applied. It is a "process of sharing information with patients that is essential to their ability to make rational choices [for psychotherapy] among multiple options in their perceived best interest" (Beahrs & Gutheil, 2001, p. 4). In order for the consent to be informed, the client must first achieve a clear understanding of the relevant facts, risks and benefits, and available alternatives.

The practice of gaining informed consent for treatment has its origins both ethically and legally in the medical profession. Although general medicine began incorporating informed consent in the late 1950s, psychotherapy avoided the widespread use of informed consent until the Osheroff v. Chestnut Lodge (1984) legal case during the 1980s. This case raised serious questions about the duty of providers to explain fully the diagnoses and alternative treatments (i.e., risks and benefits) to clients (Beahrs & Gutheil, 2001). While the practice of obtaining patient/client involvement in treatment decisions could be seen as somewhat contemporary, in employment as an ethical practice it has moved beyond that of a "nice" idea to become a more stringent requirement in recent years (Walker, Logan, Clark, & Leukefeld, 2005). Informed consent is a moral, ethical, and legal obligation in medical, psychiatric, and psychological treatment and research (Berg, Appelbaum, Lidz, & Parker, 2001) and is clearly articulated in all of our profession's codes of ethics (See Table 8.1).

in reference to informed consent, what are your thoughts about working with and getting informed consent from individuals with mental impairment or in working with minors? In your post support, your beliefs with quotes from your text or other sources.