You see it everywhere. A restaurant. A hair salon. A sign that says, “Tell us how we did! Leave a Google review!”
But you will never see that in your therapist’s office. There’s a very important reason why.
Asking for a review would break your privacy.
When you go to therapy, everything you share is private. This is protected by a strong privacy law called HIPAA. If you leave a review with your name, you tell the world you are a client. If the therapist replies, even just to say “thank you,” they also tell the world you are a client. This is not allowed. Your health information must stay between you and your therapist.
It can hurt the trust between you and your therapist.
Therapy works because you feel safe. You should never feel pressure. If your therapist asks for a review, you might feel you have to write a good one. You might worry about what will happen if you don’t. This pressure can break the trust you’ve built.
This is why therapy offices often have bad online reviews.
Think about it. Happy clients protect their privacy. They stay quiet. But clients who are upset are free to post a negative review. The therapy office cannot reply. They cannot explain their side or say they tried to help. Replying could break privacy laws.
So, a page with mostly negative reviews might not mean the therapist is bad. It often means they are following the rules and protecting everyone’s privacy.
How do good therapists get feedback?
They use private ways like they might give you a survey that doesn’t use your name or have a private suggestion box. They use special, secure websites made just for healthcare. Embrace Change Therapy has a feedback form that anyone can complete.
What should you look for as a client?
If you see a therapist with few reviews, or more negative ones, don’t worry. It could be a sign they take your privacy very seriously. Their first job is to protect you, not their online rating.
A good therapist protects the person in the room, not the profile on the screen. And that’s how it should be.
