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Wysteria · Jul 18, 2014, 01:18 AM

I don't think that anyone that is a professional would object to you searching the conglomeration of sites saying that they know all about your doctor. In reality, most are badly outdated and very few are respected enough by therapists and pdocs to keep profiles updated and correct. Professional googling or checking credentials is indeed expected. Checking on professional reprimands and such would be smart to protect your safety when choosing a doctor. Just remember that bad reviews are often incorrect, and services can be paid to clean up all those pesky "truthful but negative reviews"...

What I was referring to were the jokes about how to best gain access to PERSONAL information about your T. If you were to ask him those questions to his face, would he or she tell you? Do you think he would give you his personal email address, her home number, his social, who his friends are, what church she attends, his wife's maiden name, her house payment, pictures of their kids, or directions to his mother's backyard?
OF COURSE NOT!

What about all the lies that are told and where people have mis-identified your pictures on FB? What about the incorrect information that was picked up by one search engine and repeated ad nauseum because some nutcase out there has the same name as you?? What about the vicious ex boyfriend that posted naked pics of you? What about flat out misinformation because someone typed a letter wrong in a search engine? Wouldn't you feel so safe knowing your therapist has naked pics of you, or selfies when you were drunk in college, or knew how much you spent online? Maybe your arrest record where you were speeding or ran red lights or worse?

And of course, we the 'trustworthy' client would never drive to his home or attack his dog or peek in his windows or harass his wife at work right? But what about the other clients?
Do you want them to know all that information about you?
Should he give your name and information to the sexual predator and the sociopath clients he has? Perhaps the suicidal patient or the psychopath? Maybe all the people in his office?
Maybe, just maybe, there are very good reasons WHY they want their privacy respected. If you expect confidence, respect, honesty and safety, why wouldn't your T expect the same?

Therapy is not about the therapist, it is about US and our ability to communicate and develop a healthy relationship and good coping skills. Good therapy is the relationship and how you connect or disconnect with the world and people in your life. Relationships are based on trust over time and good communication. Lies are just not part of healthy relationships. These people are trying to HELP US!!!!

I don't have too be "of another generation" to understand basic ethics and boundaries. And when someone comes to the forum to ask for advice, I find it incredibly disheartening how many recommended lying to her therapist or hiding the truth.
Better yet, just blame the therapist for the misinformation on the internet or T's lack of computer savvy in order to satisfy their own morbid curiosity.
Or better still, use the "everybody does it" argument to justify the breaking of the bonds of trust and boundaries that your T clearly set, and are set by their professional organizations and Professional Code of Ethics that they unfortunately, are expected to uphold.

If you are so proud of the snooping and have no ethical qualms at all about what your are doing, why lie about it?
Print the reports and pictures and take them all to your therapist and see how she responds.
I can't imagine any professional being excited about putting their family's welfare at stake for your prurient interest.

I say clean up your own side of the street first.
But, everyone has an opinion, and I'm sure mine is worthless.