⚖️Is Consent Sufficient for Publicly Sharing Client Stories?

This is a continuation of the previous two newsletters. Part 1- Ethics of Sharing Client Stories Online and Part 2- Writing Client Stories in Academia vs Social Media.

Let’s say a client consents to their story being shared on social media. Is consent really that simple?

Reading a therapist’s reflections on their journey might offer clients therapeutic benefits—especially within egalitarian, power-sharing frameworks. However, the process of obtaining consent is fraught with complexities that require deeper consideration-

• Is true consent even possible?

  Clients' unacknowledged or unconscious feelings toward their therapist can make true consent difficult. They could feel obligated, fear they might offend the therapist or fail to meet an unspoken expectation. The power imbalance inherent in therapy means that even well-intentioned requests for consent can carry subtle coercion.

• Affect of the request on the therapeutic relationship

  Regardless of intent, asking a client for consent to share their story introduces the therapist’s needs into the therapeutic space. This shift can have unintended consequences—if a therapist feels grateful, they may unconsciously become more lenient with payments or avoid challenging insights. If a client declines, the therapist might (even subtly) experience feelings f disappointment, resentment, or rejection.

• Impact of reading the therapist’s narrative

  Therapists carefully consider how and when to share their thoughts with clients in session. However, when clients read a therapist’s clinical narrative about them—especially outside the controlled space of therapy—it can be unsettling, even shocking. Moreover, can therapists fully capture the depths of a client’s experiences in ways that honor their perspectives?

This is just the tip of the iceberg in the ongoing debate around clinical writing and the use of client narratives to advance the field. If these ethical dilemmas are so complex, how can we justify obtaining consent in a quick exchange—or worse, not obtaining it at all—before sharing client stories on social media?

Until next week,
Suvrita

Help me reach 1000 subscribers! Share this newsletter with a colleague if you’ve found it insightful.