Can I see my therapist outside of therapy?

Currently there is no specific California law that states that a California licensed MFT cannot practice in another state.

Can your therapist talk to you in public?

With certain exceptions, a therapist can’t share what you say during sessions, or even divulge that your name appears in their appointment book. So what happens when you see your therapist (or your psychiatrist, or marriage counselor) out in public? Legally, they can’t take the first step to greet you.

What happens if you run into your therapist in public?

For these reasons, your therapist will most likely wait for you to signal that you’re ready for a public acknowledgment and only then may respond in kind. In this way, the confidentiality you depend on when meeting with your therapist is preserved, even if you see him or her somewhere far from private.

Can I say hi to my therapist?

> Therapists usually take their cue from the patient. We will steer clear of saying hi unless our patient indicates in some way that it is OK. You are free to make the choice that feels right to you at the time. There is no judgment either way.

What is walking therapy called?

Udler specializes in a type of therapy called “movement therapy” (in other words, walking while talking) that she thought might be helpful for Treby.

Can I provide therapy outside of my state or nation?

Basically, every everything we talked about today boils down to: if you’re providing therapy to someone outside of your state or nation you’re technically providing therapy in two places and therefore need to meet the regulations of both locations.

Can a California consumer travel to another state to see a therapist?

The Board notifies California consumers that if they are traveling to another state and wish to engage in psychotherapy or counseling via the telephone (or the internet) with their California-licensed therapist while they are away, their therapist needs to check with the state that the patient is temporarily located in to see if this is permitted.

Is it okay to be friends with a former therapist?

There aren’t official guidelines about this for therapists. You might be wondering if your former therapist would even be allowed to be your friend, given how ethically rigorous the mental health field is. The answer is technically yes, but it’s generally inadvisable.

Can I provide online therapy to out-of-state clients?

Don’t worry, after extensive research we discovered what you need to check off your list when providing therapy online to out-of-state clients, overseas clients, and internationally. We even snuck in a few bonus thoughts at the end!