To Review or Not Review, That is the Question

As a clinical hypnotherapist, the topic of Google reviews or testimonials can feel like a bit of a double-edged sword. On one hand, positive reviews can significantly boost your visibility and credibility. On the other hand, when working with vulnerable clients, there are ethical, legal, and even personal considerations that make actively pushing for reviews a questionable practice. In this blog, I’ll explore some of the complexities around asking for reviews, particularly for professionals in the hypnotherapy field.

The Legal Landscape: GDPR, Client Consent, and Insurance
One of the first things to consider when asking clients for reviews or testimonials is the legal framework. The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) requires explicit consent for any personal data to be shared publicly. When a client leaves a review, especially if they mention details about their mental health or therapeutic process, that information is classified as sensitive data under GDPR. This means clients must fully understand how their data will be used, and they must give clear, informed consent, this needs to be part of your client agreement, wrote into your GDPR or privacy policy and also confirmed by your insurance company, to ensure it complies with informed consent, but it is not always that simple. A client may feel hesitant to say no to a therapist with whom they’ve built a trusting relationship. This could blur the lines of informed consent, as the client might feel pressured (even if unintentionally) due to the dynamics of the therapeutic relationship. As hypnotherapists, we are in positions of authority and trust, which can complicate the situation.

Client Vulnerability and Ethical Considerations
For many clients, especially those experiencing anxiety, PTSD, or other mental health issues, the therapeutic space is a vulnerable one. Requesting a review could be uncomfortable or even distressing for some clients. For example, a client from a faith background may feel reluctant to share their experiences with hypnotherapy publicly due to stigma associated with therapy in their community or religion. Similarly, vulnerable clients who are experiencing severe anxiety or depression may not have the emotional bandwidth to assess whether or not leaving a review is truly in their best interest.

Another concern is how a review might impact a client in the long term. A client who has overcome anxiety might leave a glowing review, thanking hypnotherapy for their transformation. However, months or years later, that same client may apply for a job, a mortgage, or even holiday insurance, forgetting that their review mentioned mental health issues. If these issues haven’t been declared in their applications, the review could complicate their situation—something they may not have considered at the time.

Testimonials, the ASA, and CAP
There’s also the issue of advertising standards. The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) and the Committee of Advertising Practice (CAP) set guidelines for healthcare professionals, including hypnotherapists, when it comes to using testimonials. Testimonials cannot make medical claims or imply guaranteed outcomes, which can sometimes be difficult to control. A well-meaning client may leave a review saying they were "cured" of their anxiety or that hypnotherapy "completely healed" their PTSD. While these are positive sentiments, they could inadvertently lead to breaches of advertising regulations, potentially leaving the hypnotherapist in a tricky situation.

The Therapeutic Relationship: Implied Obligation
The power imbalance inherent in the therapist-client relationship can also play a role in reviews. Clients may feel an unspoken pressure to leave a review, especially if they feel a sense of gratitude towards their therapist. For example, if a client has had a particularly positive experience overcoming a phobia, they might feel obliged to share this online, even if they are uncomfortable with public exposure. This can be particularly problematic for vulnerable clients, who may find it difficult to refuse such a request, even if the therapist doesn't explicitly ask for a review.

Weighing the Pros and Cons
From a personal perspective, I would never "encourage" reviews from clients dealing with anxiety or mental health-related issues. The ethical risks and potential complications are simply too high.  Of course they can voluntarily leave a review via google or other platform and reviews can have a positive impact for services such as stop smoking hypnosis or help with phobias, where the therapeutic relationship may feel less vulnerable or personal. Even then, I would proceed with great care. 

Ultimately, reviews can be a helpful tool for building credibility, but for clinical hypnotherapists, we must tread carefully. Asking for reviews should never interfere with the client’s wellbeing, therapeutic process, or their longterm privacy. If you wouldn’t expect your doctor to ask for a review after a sensitive consultation, in my opinion we should hold ourselves to the same standard in clinical hypnotherapy.

If you have any concerns over reviews or testimonials or any other issue you feel relating to this, a chat with your supervisor would be a prudent move. 

We facilitate group and personal supervision at the Halifax Hypnotherapy Clinic Ltd, 12 Wade House Road, Shelf Halifax HX3 7PB if you would like more details please telephone 01422 861989.