Thanks,
Michael

Best,

DeeAnna

A mostly excellent post — thanks. I do think you risk taking it a bit too far however in a few respects. I suspect you will get very few dissenting responses as no one wants to be the poster-child for lax ethics! However, it is possible — and indeed desirable — to use listservs to help clients look for therapists if a bit of care is exercised.

I am responding mainly to your first point:

“keep in mind if you name the town and state the client’s issue (e.g. seeking a referral for a client who lives in Anywhere, TN. He is struggling with depression after being laid off from his factory job last month) then you potentially disclose enough information to identify the client.”

Obviously, if you don’t state the problem and the location, it becomes about impossible to seek referrals at all (“there is a client somewhere who has a problem, please respond…”). In any town over a few thousand people your above description would apply to potentially dozens, if not hundreds, of people — it’s NOT too specific.

I think the best way around the problem is to have a short discussion with the potential client first. Something like “Mr. Client, I’d like to put an anonymous note out to a therapist listserv to see if there are any therapists in your area who can better help you. There’s a slim chance someone you know might be a therapist and be able to recognize you from the information however vague. Should I proceed?”

In this way there’s consent from the potential client. This rather fits with your point #5 about the client having a right to know their case is being discussed.

The rise of online therapy directories is making it easier for clients to search for their own therapists and this is good. But there are still times when a therapist can initiate the search best. For example, when the online directories don’t list the specific characteristics of the therapist sought in their standard search categories.

Thanks,
Michael