Modern day consumers Google their doctors, shrinks, counselors, car dealers, massage therapists, Pilates teachers, psychics, and most anyone else whose services they seek.
Therapists must expect modern clients to Google them and should neither feel offended nor intruded by it
Clients can discover a lot about their therapists even if their therapists do not have their own websites or Facebook profiles
Therapists should realize that an online search is a legitimate and reasonable way for modern day consumers of mental health services to screen, compare and locate a good therapist
Simply enter your name and degree in different combinations, such as "Mark Smith, Ph.D.," "M. Smith, Ph.D.," "Dr. Smith, San Francisco," etc.
Consider the Following:
Clients' online searches can range from simple and curious to intrusive and illegal
Assume that what you write on public blogs (original posts and comments on other people's blogs), public social networking sites, listserves, online bulletin boards and chat rooms can be read by clients
If you want to keep a blog or a social networking profile for friends and family, be smart about your privacy settings. If you are not sure how to do this, ask a nearby digital native
Be careful in discussing case studies online, and make sure that you either get permission from the client to discuss it, or assure that you 'de-identify' your clients' identifying information
Be aware that your clients may read your online case presentations or what you have posted as advice to other therapists
While it is not easy, there are several ways one can try to remove negative or misleading information about one's practice online. For more info, click here
