Posted by Dinah on October 30, 2006, at 12:57:56
In reply to Should a therapist keep a personal blog?, posted by indigogal on October 30, 2006, at 11:17:57
I'm surprised that anyone internet savvy enough to keep a blog would be shocked or surprised that she was being googled.
I google my therapist on occasion. He knows it, and on occasion I mention something, if it has a bearing on what we've talked about.
I've also googled my psychiatrist and a few doctors. It's a good place to find out about lawsuits filed against them, etc.
It occurs to me that perhaps she is more naive of the internet than she realized. That perhaps she didn't realize the consequences of having a public blog under her own name to make private information available. And perhaps upon becoming aware of the fact that not only you, but likely every other internet age client she has has had access to her blog, she grew distressed.
However, that is her issue and not yours. A therapist must recognize that her private life is somewhat limited by her profession. My therapist and I were talking about it recently, in connection with someone here running across her therapist on a dating site. He was a bit rueful, but quite accepting. And I have reason to believe he keeps an eye on google himself to make sure that he knows what's out there on himself.
If she was unaware of the fact that clients googled their therapists on occasion, then by all rights she should thank you for enlightening her. And then take responsibility for making private what she wishes to remain private.
Has she made her blog private since she found out that it was open to all her clients and potential clients?
Someone here has posted that putting something on the internet is like putting it on a supermarket bulletin board, only indexed and searchable. There is a great deal of truth to that.
Should she keep a personal blog and then ask her clients not to read it? Well... I've asked my therapist not to read here, and I trust him to honor his word that he won't. I'd like to think that if he specifically asked me not to look at something, I wouldn't. But I'd probably be angry with him for dangling something so enticingly just out of reach. After all, there is a power and information imbalance in the relationship that sometimes creates a desire in us to find out something about the "real person" behind the therapist.
poster:Dinah
thread:699020
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/psycho/20061026/msgs/699040.html