Therapist Googling Client

It doesn’t sound that she googled YOU. More like googled ethnic or geographical or what not origins of your last name. It’s not private info.

Of course coincidentally your family might be the only people on this planet with that name (like in my case) but I suspect therapist didn’t know that

Of course you could still feel bothered by it. But still I don’t think it’s the same as looking you up

If it was just the last name, maybe she googles anyone with an unusual last name. But, normally people would just ask the person where they are from instead of going through all of that. My last name is short and unusual, so many people ask my ethnicity instead of googling me.

I don't really see it as a moral issue, but it seems like bad therapy for a therapist to Google a client. The therapist is supposed to be working based on what the client presents with in therapy, not based on information gleaned from outside sources not introduced by the client. The only exceptions to this would be court mandated clients and minors, but even then it is acknowledged that having that sort exception is not ideal in therapy and has a negative effect.

It might feel weird to have a therapist learn things about you without your consent since many times, you provide official consent before your therapist will talk to someone about you. While your therapist doesn't technically have to get your consent to be on the receiving end of information (so long as they don't confirm you are a client in any way or say anything about you), I can't really think of any way therapists can initiate the receipt of information about clients other than the examples I mentioned that doesn't require client consent. Googling you sort of bypasses the issue since your therapist didn't have to identify you as her client - but I don't think what she did followed the spirit or intention of the rules regarding client consent for the release/exchange/receipt of information.

I think it's weird she Googled where you're from instead of just asking you - especially since she apparently had no problem telling you she was curious about it. I think being interested is good, but not to the point that she can't wait to ask you something until she sees you. Just seems odd.

You can't take out a restraining order just because someone Googled you. You couldn't even take out a restraining order if they were looking for personal information. Unless they threatened to physically harm you, or actually did so, it would be extremely difficult to get a restraining order. You might be able to get one if they harassed you after termination to the point that it amounted to psychological abuse and interfered with your daily life, but that has to be really extensive.

Confidentiality would make it even more difficult because you could actually get in trouble for sharing communication from the client if there was no imminent threat to you.

In any case, taking out a restraining order seems like a massive overreaction to me. If you didn't feel threatened or unsafe until you found out they had Googled you, then odds are you are overreacting - unless you're treating someone convicted of violent offenses or something. For example, if you are a woman treating a serial home invasion rapist and you find out, you might be worried. Anyway, the courts are not going to restrict someone's individual freedoms based on feelings - there has to be a clear threat based on persistent actions.

If you have a client you know is a stalker, has antisocial personality disorder, a history of harrassing other therapists, violence and so on...the therapist has got good grounds to be worried for her safety. There are some very dangerous people seeking therapy. You wouldn't know it if its not you, but your psychiatrist and psychologist certainly know who they are.

Hi Mindmechanic, I really like this topic. You have put a lot of thought into it, as have other members. In my opinion, no therapist should google their clients unless it is a matter of safety. The therapeutic relationship is inherently unsafe as it provides a power imbalance with zero accountability to a therapist. Perhaps some therapist can handle the impact that googling a client could have, but it certainly could create issues in the therapeutic alliance if those searches lead to any sort of counter-transference reaction. Considering how terrible and unethical the industry is when it comes to counter-transference, I would deem googling a client unethical and potentially dangerous. Thanks, HD7970ghz

Yeats ago we had a patient who after being with us for a while and discharged he started making death threats towards the psychiatrist. The doctor has very minimal online presence however if a person googles enough they can find his wife and then google a bunch more figure out about his children and where he lives.

The client also was able to figure out the Doctors work schedule. I was asked to help find a picture of the patient for the office he works at (if in the chart or whatever or even online if there was anything. I found own on FB. We had discussions with the hospital lawyer and management to see if it was ethical to use the pictures. It was decided that based on the severity and nature of the threats it was important to have a picture for safety reason. It was not handled lightly though

It's as if you didn't read my entire response. I specifically stated that there are exceptions and provided an example. I was responding to your blanket statement that you would get a restraining order if you found out they had Googled you. You did not qualify this statement by specifying the policy would only apply to certain rare types of clients.

The thing is this: if she googles you about something that she could have easily asked you, what if comes to something that is more invasive. Is she going to continue googling you?

I think if you are uncomfortable with her behavior, you should discuss it with her. If you don't find her helpful at all, I would just look for another therapist to work with.

I think the T acknowledged she messed up and won't do it again. Is it to be (for therapists): one mistake and they are fired? Isn't anyone allowed a second chance?

What if clients make many such mistakes? Are they to be given chance after chance?

There needs to be some perspective here. The T admitted what she did and held herself accountable. By all means, address the upset of T googling you if that is the case but yes, there needs to be some perspective. Is her blunder enough to get her fired? Or is she allowed to be human and as such, fallible

Now take notice that I said IF she is overall not helpful than why even bother continuing. I never said to just let her go because she googled her.