Read your clients’ information sources
Be aware of clients’ information sources in addition to your own. Newspapers, magazines and online forums vary widely in quality, but may contain information of use to you and your other clients.
Check your client can read and write
Checking that your client can read & write assists both you and them. Attempting to use questionnaires, journals or bibliotherapy with someone hiding their illiteracy could end your intervention before it has begun.
BBC Health
A source of good advice and good links to other reputable sites. BBC Health can be recommended by therapists who wish to encourage or support internet research by their clients.
Helpful patients are not hateful patients
Therapists should encourage and support, not dread, “helpful patients”. Internet or other research by the client can indicate active involvement in treatment.
Be ready for clients’ companions
Be prepared to deal with the companions clients may bring to therapy. Dealing gracefully and helpfully with them can’t hurt your relationship with the client.
Tell clients confidentiality has limits
Therapists often assure clients that the information they provide is confidential. Confidential is defined as “intended to be kept secret”. Whether the information will be kept as secret as the client (or therapist) imagines depends upon the therapist and the service.