Reviews matter, even in the world of psychotherapy. Reviews on Yelp and Google are some of the first things you’ll see when searching for someone’s name and practice, and the more reviews you have, the more digital visibility your practice will have as well.
But there’s a problem – it’s very hard to ask for reviews from mental health.
Not only are there some HIPAA concerns, but most people do not want to publicly state “I was struggling with my mental health and so I saw this therapist” under their name. That’s private.
So, what have therapists done in the past?
Some have still obtained reviews in some creative and effective ways, which we’ll talk about in a moment. But some others have, for lack of a better word, “cheated” – writing fake reviews or having marketing agencies write reviews for them.
For obvious reasons, this is not a particularly ethical practice. But, as of TODAY, the FTC has also made this practice explicitly illegal:
You cannot, according to the FTC, fake your reviews anymore. You cannot fake your testimonials either. You probably should not have been doing that in the first place, but now it is a very, very bad idea.
But how does one get reviews in the psychotherapy world?
And how can someone increase the probability of GOOD reviews?
Strategies for Getting Reviews Ethically
First, if a client wants to write a review on their own, they can. It is not a HIPAA violation if they decide they want to write a review on your behalf.
Which means that, while you may be uncomfortable asking for reviews from your clients, you can still make it easy for them to leave one. You can also create scenarios where asking for a review is not as taboo as it would be for a client. For example:
- Google and Yelp have links that direct people to leave reviews. You can put those at the bottom of any emails or newsletters you write, giving people the option of leaving a review should they ever choose to.
- You can host events or trainings attended by non-clients and ask THEM for reviews. For example, an event for other therapists or a mental health booth at a local event. Asking those individuals for reviews is not as taboo, as they are not patients, yet they are legally allowed to review you on the same platforms.
- You can ask colleagues that have experience with your work. It would be advantageous if the colleague is someone you have worked with in the past that can provide you with a review that is genuine to your help and abilities (to make sure that you are compliant with the law).
- You can keep a small sign at your office with a QR code that says “Are you comfortable writing us a review? Use the following code to review us on Google or Yelp.” Anyone choosing to use that code is doing so entirely by choice.
These approaches are not perfect, but they can work, and they can provide some much needed reviews without doing anything too uncomfortable or, worse, a violation of the law.
All About Reviews
We don’t want reviews to matter, but they do. They affect your Google listings. They affect your ability to turn a referral into a client. They affect your local reputation. It is something all businesses, even those in the mental health world, have to try to obtain.
You can’t fake reviews anymore, nor should you have faked reviews in the past. But there are ways to generate reviews that are ethically sound, simple, and should provide you with enough reviews to build a good local reputation.
Looking for more tips and information about building your psychotherapy practice?
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