Have you ever googled your therapist?

You drove 30 miles just to drive by his house, that sounds very creepy.

I've found quite of bit of info about my former T, but mostly from other people than T herself putting things up. I did find her address, because it pops up in the first two pages of google search without even clicking a link since she is a home owner. I never have and never will even go to that part of town, because that's her space. I like learning as much about her as possible and enjoy the pictures I've found, but I would never infringe on her privacy and impose myself into her life.

My current T accidentally added me as a facebook friend a couple years ago via the add email contacts thing, so I knew she had a profile. (Yes, she deleted me when I alerted her to it at the time). Since I started seeing her again, I mentioned to her that her profile is public (and that I've looked at it) so she would know. She said she was aware and isn't worried about what she posts, so it was a non-issue.

Nope, I actually haven't had any interest in doing so.

I have always wondered if people would have a problem with having their Therapist as a friend on Facebook, personally I would never add my Therapist as a friend (since I don't know how she would take it) but if she added me than I would have no problem with it (I have been known for accepting virtually all friend requests).

I rarely use facebook, but I would never choose the friend indicator for any professional I employ. They are not my friend. I am not their friend. I do not care to read anything they may post. I don't find the therapists all that interesting.
I don't want them posting on anything I have. For me, that would cross my personal boundaries.

But than again most of my "friends" on Facebook aren't my actual friends in real life in fact the majority of my friends (at least 80% and rising) I have never me before and likely never will. I have friends from everywhere (East Asia, Europe, Middle East, Latin America, even a few from Africa) some of them don't even speak my language .

An old boss of mine did add me as a friend but I declined it mainly due to the fact the we had a bad professional relationship when I was working with him. I am friends with some people who I used to work with (including at least 1 former boss).

I would love to be friends on FB but would never send an invite. I just assume there is no way they would friend clients. My t have a FB page for his practice which I can see and follow but obviously that is all just professional articles etc.

I wouldn't mind being facebook friends, but I could tell she added me on accident so I let her know. Plus now that I'm her client again, it wouldn't work until we terminate and there is no chance of seeing each other in therapy again.

I'm not so sure about that, I really don't think that it breaks any ethical codes.

Well, it's her policy. And I see where she's coming from.

Yup but not to find out about her but to rate her on websites that allow it. I will "rate" her very low until I feel satisfied I have made my point.

I have noticed when I have googled a handful of therapists is that they tend to either have 1s or 5s. People are either really grateful or really pissed.

And I find neither of those ratings helpful. The 5s tend to mean they are idealizing their T, and the ones might mean that had a rupture that went badly.

Although there usually is specific questions that determine what the ratings will be, so maybe there are real 5s and 1s. The questions usually refer to specific things like keeping appointment times, and whatever else (I don't remember)

Back to my original issue, if anyone is still following..
I had another session last night, 2nd since confessing to being a google stalker. I hadn't planned on talking about it again but T did. Emphasising over and over that therapy won't work if I don't trust him.

I'm like wtf, why can't I google you without it having nasty implications? Maybe I google stalk you because I don't know anything about you and I'm dying of curiousity!

We talked about whether it specifically was a "him" issue, or a male/female issue, (or a problem I would have with anyone). That kind of scared me because it sounded dangerously close to being dumped.

We're kind of stalemating about this. I don't think its him. I do trust him (within the confines of my limited trusting abilities).

Also, in other news, I found a twisted song about google stalking.

Back to my original issue, if anyone is still following..
I had another session last night, 2nd since confessing to being a google stalker. I hadn't planned on talking about it again but T did. Emphasising over and over that therapy won't work if I don't trust him.

I'm like wtf, why can't I google you without it having nasty implications? Maybe I google stalk you because I don't know anything about you and I'm dying of curiousity!

I don't see a correlation between googling a t and trust.

Per another thread, I did end up googling my t last night, and I found another article of his in a book. It must have just been scanned recently. There are a few relatively inexpensive copies ie around US $20 left. Also available at some university libraries.

Psychodynamic Treatment of Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia, edited by Craig Johnson, 1990, Guilford Press.

It's a "dual relationship", so it absolutely does.

Well I don't want to get into a large argument about this because of what happened to me today and also because I already had a good conversation with many people on this form about it on another Thread but I will say that at my session today (which ended up being my final one) my (now ex) Therapist brought her Supervisor in and said that I overstepped my boundaries because (among other things) I looked at her LinkedIn Page when I don't think that was the case at all because I though that it was well within my right to know about her professional background, especially since she (as of know) doesn't have her own profile page on the Practice's website.

Personally I think that most "ethical codes" are well out-dated and complete BS.

That is the most ridiculous thing I've heard all day! I'd be traumatized.