Here are some of the top responses! Taking the advice of friends, I joined a few online dating apps. I desperately want to start dating, but this puts in me a very awkward position with these clients. Unfortunately, much of our private info is also public. Dating is no different. With dating apps being the norm, our personal and professional lives are likely to mingle.
Fortunately, we can be proactive in minimizing this possibility and any subsequent damage. A proficient therapist knows how to navigate this tricky conversation with authenticity and redirect it to therapy without being evasive or deceitful.
You might find clients not only appreciate your genuineness, but also your insider knowledge about navigating the fickle dating-app world. What meaning am I attaching to clients knowing my personal relationship needs? Will they judge me, or am I just being self-critical? Am I conjuring up fantasies about what my clients will think if they spot me on a dating app?
I did feel awkward thinking about what might happen if a client saw me on the app. If I still found myself unable to deal with the awkwardness after this conversation, I would seek out peer supervision. While I understand the desire to resume dating, it does not seem appropriate to be on public dating sites, disclosing personal information and enabling clients to be involved in any way in your personal life. The fact they might see you on the app and review your personal information is concerning.
Social media sites should be private, and clients should not be allowed to follow us or vice versa. If not, it seems like it would be a good idea to start one! In the digital age, some boundary crossings are inevitable. It sounds like the therapist dealing with this quandary may be older and newly single after having been in a relationship for many years.
