How to talk publicly about clients
I recently got this message from a therapist friend.
Hi Michael, I’m being interviewed by the New York Times today. Any insights from your work with the Gottmans on providing insights without clinical disclosure?
It’s a good question that got me thinking about how to talk publicly about clients.
The short answer is don’t talk publicly about clients.
The long answer is a little more nuanced.
If you’re being interviewed, it’s okay to answer questions generally about what you’re seeing with clients in your practice.
The important thing is to always protect their privacy which means not sharing personally identifiable information.
So if you work with couples, then you can talk about what couples are struggling with right now. But you can’t talk about a specific couple.
Lori Gottlieb does this well in her book Maybe You Should Talk to Someone. She created “composite characters” by combining multiple clients and their stories.
As always, if you’re ever unsure, you can reach out to your licensing board for advice.