Reviewing therapists on Yelp

I find it shocking that this therapist thinks her profession should be immune, above every other profession on earth. The arrogance is ridiculous. She thinks restaurant reviews, movie reviews etc are fine, but not therapist reviews? There are loads of vindictive restaurant reviews of TripAdvisor, why is that any different? The only difference I can find is that this affects her. The self-importance is stupifying.

That blogger's dispute over negative reviews only supports the poor rating someone gave her. Just goes to show that many of them lack insight into their own issues. I feel sorry for her patients.

I have always felt that the greatest perpetrator of mental health stigma comes from professionals more so than the public. I was complaining to my therapist recently about how my medical notes for an injury--turned out to be torn cartilage--described my mental health status, as well as noting that I was pleasant--something that never happened before a mh dx. She said that particular HMO determines the accuracy of a patient's reporting of symptoms based on their mental state. I said wtf does my state of mind have to do with my reporting of an injury? It's just so horribly wrong that I have to make sure I'm pleasant and compliant when hauling my broken carcass into the doctor, for fear they might not treat an injury. This never happened prior to DX. I am beyond disgusted with the whole scene.

Oh wow...this is truly scary as heck.

My anxiety manifests in cracking jokes with the doctor. That does not indicate any greater ability to describe symptoms accurately. Hope your knee is better. My mri is this weekend.

I think therapists underestimate clients all the time and in a lot of areas.

Everyone I've dealt with personally or read talks down.

I think the real issue is that for the first time, mental health professionals are having a mirror held up to them - and they don't like it. Not only do they have to prove to insurance companies that what they are doing with clients actually helps in some way, now they are being held accountable by their clients. You can't use semantics to get around a bad review.

The fears these writers have that patients are compromising their own confidentiality or will be duped by bogus reviews is a insulting. People know what they feel comfortable sharing and can make that choice - they are not bound to confidentiality. And I think most people are looking for reviews that contain enough information to help them make the best choice. Overly simplistic reviews are usually overlooked by a lot of people.

Lauliza - you are right on the mark!

There is no reason a therapist cant be evaluated the same way a doctor is. It's even more valuable to have reviews due to the secrecy and shame around mental health treatment. A client is unlikely to have received a referral from a friend or family member because they are unlikely to have been willing to ask for a referral in the first place. Most clients pick a therapist from a insurance list or a therapist directory. Reviews are critical to weed out the incompetent and dangerous.

Private practice therapists are the least monitored. A substance abuse issue, untreated mental health issue, or raging egomania and narcissism can go totally under the radar and unchecked until a client is damaged by it.

I think people want to review Ts more but are reluctant because of the stigma that goes with being in therapy- most of which I think is perpetuated by the field itself. I agree that informative and honest reviews of pdocs and therapists are the word of mouth people need, yet often can't find, in order to find a decent T. Otherwise you end up going where your insurance company refers you or finding someone in the yellow pages, which is what makes the proces of finding a T such a crap shoot.

I reviewed my pdoc (and by default the group practice) on Yelp and not long after there were more reviews about them. Mine was positive but a few of he othere were negative, so it clearly is a balanced viewpoint. Consumers of mental health services are just as entitled as anyone else to as much information as possible before deciding on a provider.