Social proof has become a crucial element of consumer decision making in the Internet era. So why don’t the vast majority of therapists ask their clients to give testimonials or leave reviews? We ponder the frustrating tension between psychotherapy ethics codes and literature on marketing in the 21st century, and we do our best to advise therapists about what to do in response to a bad online review.

Thank you for listening. To support the show and receive access to regular bonus episodes, check out the Very Bad Therapy Patreon community. Today’s episode is sponsored by Sentio Counseling Center – high-quality, low-fee online therapy in California with immediate availability for new clients.

Show Notes:

• Work and Identity in an Era of Precarious Employment: How Workers Respond to “Personal Branding” Discourse

• To Solicit or Not to Solicit? Key Issues to Consider Before Soliciting Testimonials and Reviews from Patients

• How Did It Go? A Comparison of Experience and Outcome-Focused Online Reviews on Treatment Expectations

• Change My Mind: The Impact of Online Client Ratings and Reviews on Perceptions of Therapists

• Yelped: Psychotherapy in the time of online consumer reviews.

• Digital Marketing Excellence: Planning, Optimizing, and Integrating Online Marketing

• The Truth About Using Testimonials to Market Your Practice

• Scope and Ethics of Psychologists’ Use of Client Testimonials on Professional Websites

• Navigating the ethics of soliciting reviews for mental health professionals

• Responding to a Yelp review can cost you

• Psychotherapists in danger: The ethics of responding to client threats, stalking, and harassment.

• New Orleans psychologist sues over negative Angie’s List comments