⚖️How to respond to clients Googling you?

This is a continuation of a series on Social Media and Psychotherapy. Read last week’s edition on What happens when clients Google you?

In the past, therapists would have a conversation with clients about what happens if we bump into them outside of therapy. Today, the ‘bumping’ can happen online.

Kolmes & Taube (2016) found that while most people had a neutral to positive response to finding information about the therapist online, 1/4th experienced distress and discomfort. Part of the time, this was because they feared an adverse reaction if they disclosed that they searched about the therapist online- further leading to shame and embarrassment.

Here are some suggestions for proactive steps that can be taken to prevent these situations-

• Normalise curiosity: In the beginning itself, let clients know that it is okay for them to be curious about the therapist from the outset and they are welcome to talk about what they find if `they act on it.

• Explore client’s motivations: Clients might have different motivations for looking up their therapist- curiosity, desire for connection, frustration about not knowing enough about the therapist. It can be therapeutic to understand and explore these together.

• Invite discussions about what they do not like: Previously, therapists’ responses in therapy could lead to a rupture. Now, ruptures can unknowingly happen as a result of clients finding the therapist’s online activity. Acknowledge this from the start and encourage them to bring these to therapy.

Social media is changing the world and we need to evolve therapeutic processes to adapt to it.

Until next week,
Suvrita

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