What to Do If You See Your Therapist Outside of Session
Hopefully, you like your therapist. They know so much about you -- your likes and dislikes, family drama, friend gossip, problems in the sack, money woes, and more. They might be the only person who knows all of your problems. What happens if you see them out in public? What do you do if you see their personal social media page? Does it make you feel like a kid seeing your teacher outside of the classroom? (That is a serious question. I really do want to know.)
In Baltimore, this is bound to happen because it is Smalltimore. Have no fear! The answer is here.
Maintaining confidentiality no matter what
As part of our ethical codes, therapists are taught to maintain confidentiality no matter the setting. Therefore, it is always up to the client to decide if they want to acknowledge or greet their therapist when they encounter each other outside of session. As a client, you may be with your friends and family and want to avoid being asked how you know that person. This will also help you avoid your friend/family member asking if you talk about them during your therapy sessions. If your therapist is with their own friends and family and you say hi, they will likely say hello, and keep it moving. They will never acknowledge that you are their client. So therapists are supposed to give the same response if they see their client at a grocery store as they would at a bar? Yes. What about the beach? Also yes. What about a school event? Still yes. Your confidentiality is of utmost importance!
Should I bring it up in our next session? You certainly can! Many therapists outline how they’ll respond if they bump into you outside of the office in their informed consent document. That way, you know from the get-go what you can expect, but…sometimes there are lots of forms to sign at the start of therapy, so we understand if/when people don’t recall that one little nugget.
Finding your therapist on social media and/or dating apps
What happens if I find my therapist’s personal social media page?
Thankfully, this is spelled out clearly in our ethical codes. The counseling code of ethics states, “Counselors are prohibited from engaging in a personal virtual relationship with individuals with whom they have a current counseling relationship (e.g., through social and other media)” (ACA Code of Ethics, A.5.e). The social work code of ethics also discourages social workers from having personal online relationships with clients in order to “prevent boundary confusion, inappropriate dual relationships, or harm to clients” (NASW Code of Ethics 1.06, section h).
TLDR: your therapist cannot engage with you online. It’s not uncommon for counseling practices to have official social media pages for the practice itself. You can certainly follow those pages for information and updates.
As a courtesy, do not go looking for your therapist’s personal social media pages. What happens if you see your therapist on a dating app? The same ethical guidelines still apply and then some: therapists are NEVER to engage sexually or romantically with clients.
We all have lives outside of the therapy room. Rest assured that your confidential information is still protected and respected, even if you see your therapist in the wild or on an online platform.
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Interested in Online or In-Person Counseling for Anxiety or Depression?
If you’re a Marylander who knows that counseling is the direction you need to take, the therapists at LifeSpring Counseling Services are here to help. We offer online counseling services for mindfulness, depression, anxiety, trauma, and grief and loss. We also offer Brainspotting, Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy, and Premarital Counseling as specialized services,.
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The counselors and social workers at our Maryland office also offer counseling services for trauma, grief and loss, boundary setting, communication skills, and difficult life transitions. We also offer specialized counseling services including Brainspotting and spiritually-integrated counseling. Because we are located next to several local universities, we also work with college students.
