My therapist googled my daughter

[VaseHalfFull]

Just started some psychotherapy as trying to process why my adult daughter who is struggling has again stopped speaking to me. In session 2 the therapist revealed that she had googled my daughter. I think this is not Ok. But not sure if this is now normal practice. Just asking for reality check in a wobbly time.

I'd be asking what it was you needed to know and why

Therapists work with what the client brings. It’s never appropriate for them to Google clients or anyone clients mention.

@samanthablues therapists don’t ‘diagnose’ their clients though. They don’t have patients. I think you are confusing them with psychiatrists.

Firstly I'm checking your not a weirdo or a criminal. Secondly I always think appointments especially mh appointments are so one sided (as they should be) you are potentially spending several hours a week with a person for years telling them every single part of your life and it kind of bugs me that I know nothing about them as a person. If I know a bit about their day to day life I feel like their more relatable. Plus I always have this weird thing where I fall in love and become obsessed with anyone who is nice to me 😬

That sounds disconcerting. I'd bring it up with your therapist, though, and tell her how you feel about it, rather than report her behind her back (unless she doesn't respond well or has upset you in other ways).

Your daughter wouldn't have known your therapist googled her if no contact was made, surely? I google all sorts of people, usually if someone is mentioned and I don't know them. I have no doubt therapists google their clients and people concerned with/related to them if they know their names but they don't do anything with the knowledge. They are strictly confidential, have to be and for good reason.

I am very surprised you were told, frankly. Don't tell your daughter if you haven't already (I have yet to read all your posts) !

This! I actually think some are worse than not having it at all because it’s so badly regulated and exploited, quite frightening really! I would recommend you look for a clinical psychologist who provides counselling as they are actually regulated!

If your therapist is a clinical psychologist (doubtful) then get in touch with the professional conduct authority about your concerns www.hcpc-uk.org/standards/standards-of-proficiency/practitioner-psychologists/

You cannot register with the BACP after a 6 week course.

My course has taken 3 years plus a minimum of 150 client hours as a trainee plus a VIVA before I can be registered with the BACP.

Last year I did CBT for anxiety and the first person I spoke to insisted I start talking about my kids, they wanted to know more about my kids than about my anxiety and they would not move on until I had answered their questions such as their full names and ages in the end I terminated the call and asked for someone else.

A psychologist is not a counsellor.

But what's better a treatment based on actual needs rather than a presumed treatment based on hypothetical?

Oh Jesus. If that's true then you sound liked a stalker.

It's actually fairly common in clients or patients that want to feel they have control over the people around them, usually due to not having much control in their life or childhood.

Googling patients can actually help therapists provide better and more informed treatment in certain situations. While there are ethical concerns, online searches can offer additional context about a patient’s background, lifestyle, or any public struggles they may not feel comfortable bringing up in therapy. For example, if a patient is hesitant to discuss their social or legal problems but has them publicly posted online, a therapist can better understand the full picture and adjust their approach accordingly.

Additionally, having access to this extra information can help therapists spot discrepancies between what a patient says and what’s happening in their life, allowing them to address any denial or avoidance that might be present. This can lead to more effective interventions, especially if the patient is struggling to be open about difficult topics.

Therapist providing counselling then! Regardless of the official terminology… I don’t work in healthcare but I do see a clinical psychologist for counselling which is part of my therapy! It’s been paid for by my Health insurance for years now.

Thankyou this is 100% correct and thanks for not thinking I'm a weirdo as I know how it sounds 🙈

I'm in therapy having been most of my life as you can see it's going great 🤣🤣

I've got to say this wouldn't bother me (I've done 10 years of intensive therapy). I can only give my perspective on the people in my life, and I can certainly envisage situations where a therapist might think it useful to see other people's perspectives. I'd prefer them to ask whether I minded them googling but, when it comes down to it, anybody can google, I can't stop them!

Can you put your finger on what disturbed you about this, @VaseHalfFull?

Am I missing something but how is it breaching confidentiality to look up public information?

If the therapist isn’t supposed to know about other members of a patient’s family, how are relatives of famous people ever supposed to get therapy if they need it?

Telling the OP about it was a bit of an oops, but there’s every chance social media algorithms could put two and two together and present a profile to the therapist anyway.

In the real world if a therapist looked up anyone online, that’s their business.
What is unprofessional is bringing into the room. You are the client, not your daughter, and the work is with you.
Make sure they are BACP accredited OP.

That is very shocking if just went for CBT for anxiety

Yes and it actually made me feel worse too. Thankfully the next one I had was brilliant.

Completely unacceptable. Your therapist shouldn’t have any need to Google your DD to gain any other perspective than yours. If this person isn’t a member of a reputable organisation such as BACP or UKCP (for which you have to study to a very high standard and have on going training). Then I’d suggest you find someone who is, if she is registered then she needs reporting. You no longer trust her in either scenario so that will be a block to therapy. She has seriously overstepped a boundary OP.

If this was a part of the initial assessment, then they are required to ask the ages at the very least of your children and their names because it’s for safeguarding reasons. For example if you were to disclose that their father was physically abusing them in a therapy session, they’d need to refer to social services. I don’t have children (yet) but if I did, I’ve no problem providing their names for this reason.

It is strange, but how old is your DD and is it relevant to what you spoke to her about? EG was there a situation you talked about and she was trying to get more information on it.