info on therapists

Thank you Chris.
I know how to protect my privacy, I am quite savvy about these things...however I cannot protect my children, nieces, nephews, uncles, cousins, friends, kids friends...etc. Anyone can make sure there's no bad stuff...but a lot of you aren't talking about finding bad stuff. You will take pictures and put them on your desktop. Check out their family's networking pages, find out where t's live, I've even heard of people driving past t's house. I honestly don't buy into "it's about feeling connected" or "I can't help myself" If you need info or photos to feel connected ask for them. It is not a physical addiction. If I can get off ativan, or quit smoking you can stop creeping on your t's.

I don't think it is a big deal to look. I don't think it is a big deal when students look me up (which they tell me they do, and tell me about other professors they have checked out and so on). I don't find it all that creepy. I don't think it is interesting, and I figure usually they are disappointed, but if they want to spend time on it, have at it. A couple have walked past my house on the way to a restaurant - somewhat out of the way to get there, but they were curious. I did not feel all worried and upset. We spoke about it and went on. I don't think it is a moral issue and I don't think all therapists are going to feel about it the same way. I have had a couple tell me to search for info on them (these were ones I was just making a first appointment with).
i just think it is something to realize not everyone is creeped out by the same things.

ETA - I have also had post-conviction criminal client's family members come to the house or threaten me and so forth. I don't like being threatened and so I straightened that out fairly quickly each time it happened. I understand being stalked is no fun. To me, threats and stalking are different from looking at info.

Of course i did a search just like I have with any professional I consider doing business with. I do not consider it an invasion of privacy the simple search I did. I would not research Facebook or LinkedIn but i did look at the local professional therapist site.

In our information age it is a given that we will gather as much info as possible - especially when we enter a relationship which will affect our sense of well-being.

Having said that, I must admit that my T has very little on the web so I was not able to find out any more than that she is a therapist, so many years experience, specialty and here's her address.

I believe that it's not only normal to investigate but it's probably a wise and intelligent thing to do.

I don't see anything wrong with doing a search. I don't see anything wrong with looking up their license or reviews. I have a big problem with repeatedly checking their networking sites (without their ok) and their friends, family etc networking sites. I have a problem with finding out where they live and driving by their homes. I have a problem with taking their photos and using them in ways other than they had planned. I have a problem with finding out what their hobbies are and frequenting their watering holes. That's what I have a problem. Go look at the fb pic, get it off your chest, but if your repeatedly doing it, you are stalking, and that ain't cool by me.

I think it is interesting to see where everyone draws lines. Repetition of looking at info does not equal stalking to me. I do like seeing what everyone thinks on this.

I would like to know how to do this.

In my search for a new T, I have googled them all multiple times. There is very little out there except listings in directories and ratings sites (and very few have any written reviews by clients). Oddly, the ones who had web sites kind of creeped me out. I'm afraid of finding out something I don't want to know or that would put me off. And what if I missed out on the "right" T just because I didn't like their pic or their website?

While seeing my xT, I don't think I ever did a search on him except maybe towards the end. I don't think the guy even has an email address, so his internet footprint is very small. After I was done with him, I looked up his license on the Board of Psychology in my state and he's listed his home address as his address of record. I was shocked and I don't think he realizes it's out there, visible. So far, I have kept myself from making a drive-by, but I don't know how much longer I can hold out.

I don't think there's anything wrong with doing a search. If T is stupid enough to have a public FB page, that's too personal for me. I wouldn't want to see family pics or read personal stuff about T. I don't want that stuff in my head so I can feed the fantasy that somehow I'm special. At least for 50 minutes a week.

I had this habit when I first started therapy, and towards the middle of therapy. I never thought to hide it, or not share it with her. I found a foreign newspaper article, and photo from 1973. I had a need to do this - I was looking for connection. I made connection, and haven't done it in six or seven months out of a total of 14 months in therapy. It just some how stopped on its own. I encourage others to share this practice with their therapist. There is material to work on with this topic. It's okay to want to need, connect, engage with one's therapist once outside the therapy door. Yes, I know some who read here don't need or want attachment with their therapist. I was broken because of parents that didn't meet my attachment needs, so my therapist on a computer was a part of my security, until I was able to move on - progress.

I can't quite figure out how to say this so please forgive me if it comes out wrong.

Just because I don't look up my T online or other sorts of things, doesn't mean that I don't have attachment issues. Actually I have major attachment issues and do struggle greatly and often feel the "need" for a connection with my T. There are even times when I feel the urge to look him up but I would never do something that I feel is an invasion of his privacy(not saying anyone else has to agree with me, this is just how I feel) in order to satisfy myself.

I in no way am discounting you or anyone else on how they see this situation. I stated a fact that I believe to be true, and then I went onto state this about myself: "Yes,I know some who read here don't need or want attachment with their therapist. I was broken because of parents that didn't meet my attachment needs, so my therapist on a computer was a part of my security, until I was able to move on - progress."

I'm sorry if my writing lead to you or others misunderstanding me.

This made me curious so I looked up the license of someone on my treatment team and it says their license is null and void... so what does that mean?

I would think it means they are not licensed to do some sort of treatment. But I think it depends on what license was suspended and what function they are performing on your team.

Also - it is fine to have the question here, but you might get more (and better/more knowledgeable) responses if you started a thread on it.

I looked up my T's license online and it said "inactive." Turns out that his "other" license was the active one. He started out as a licensed social worker and then became a licensed clinical social worker, so he let his regular social worker license lapse.

I am in a state other than yours, so I don't know what null and void means. It most likely means lapsed, which may mean that s/he is practicing under a different license. The penalties for practicing without a license are pretty steep, so I think it's unlikely that s/he doesn't have a valid license. It just might be one different than what you think it is. But as always, asking your T directly isn't a bad thing, too. I'm also not sure how reliable the online system is. A lawyer friend of mine was told by a client that she looked her up on the online attorney system and it said she had been disciplined back in 1987. Interesting, given that she wasn't even in law school then. So there are glitches in the system, maybe.

I've noticed that on t records - like old temporary licenses from their schooling don't disappear, they get declared nulll or whatever.

Ah that makes sense Anne, thank you!

Did you find her/his license under another category?