Hi Jack, you bring up a great point with #9. Disclaimer: I am not a lawyer, ethicist, etc., and I might be wrong in my replay. — It seems to me that if a client were to write a review where he/she stated “I was a client of Dr. Smith and he was really terrible.” That a practice could reply in a way that wouldn’t violate that client’s confidentiality. First, the client just made something public his/herself, which is that they are a client. So, it seems that a reply like “Client Name, I’m sorry to hear that you had such a negative experience with Dr. Smith. That is not the experience that we ever want anyone at our practice to have. I have worked with Dr. Smith for many years, and I know that he cares about his clients. That said, we do make mistakes sometimes. Client Name, I’d like to try and make things right. If you you offer the the opportunity to try, please simply call us and ask for me. I’d like to learn more about your experience.” — In this reply you’re not really confirming that the alleged client is actually a client, you’re simply responding to his/her complaint (note, I didn’t write, “I know you’ve been in to see Dr. Smith 3 times”); and you’re definitely not communicating anything more than he client did, such as “You arrived late for your appointment, and you told Dr. Smith you’d been drinking…” –Jack, confidentiality and ethics are tricky. If you learn anything else/contrary, let me know! I hope this helps.

Hi Jacob!
This article was published in Counseling Today magazine with the one recommendation removed (the asking for reviews) for that exact reason–that the ethics code prohibits it. SO, that’s a darn good point. I am hoping that there will be a re-evaluation of that rule–as I think there are very non-manipulative and non-pressure methods to let clients (some clients) know that reviews are appreciated. However, it looks like your perspective is much more accepted than mine at this time! 🙂