Is Your Informed Consent Based on Magical Thinking?

The Modern Therapist's Survival Guide with Curt Widhalm and Katie Vernoy

Is Your Informed Consent Based on Magical Thinking?

Curt and Katie chat about the strange, manipulative, or outright illegal and unethical policies that therapists put into their informed consent. We talk through court, payment, and jurisdictional policies (among others), exploring why these policies are so bad. We also give some advice on what to do instead.

Transcripts for this episode will be available at mtsgpodcast.com!

In this podcast episode we talk about the ridiculous things therapists put in their informed consent

An old article from our friends over at CPH resurfaced talking about all the ways that therapists try to skirt laws or mandates with their informed consent. We thought some of this stuff sounded a bit like magical thinking.

What goes into an informed consent?

· Policies and procedures

· Risks and benefits for treatment

· Social media and court policies

· More information here:

What are the biggest concerns with therapist informed consent?

· Forcing clients to sign illegal policies is in fact illegal

· Putting undue force onto a client is wrong

· Court avoidance clauses are not realistic and may be illegal

· There are limits to the fee structures you can have clients agree to

· You have to complete your legal responsibilities, even if a client signs something that says you do not have to do so

· You can’t have someone agree to waive jurisdiction when they travel or consent to calling your services something different

What do therapists need to do with their informed consent?

· Make sure you don’t have any illegal or unethical practices in your informed consent

· Don’t try to “game” the system to protect yourself from your legal and ethical responsibilities

Stay in Touch with Curt, Katie, and the whole Therapy Reimagined #TherapyMovement:

Our Linktree: https://linktr.ee/therapyreimagined

Modern Therapist’s Survival Guide Creative Credits:

Voice Over by DW McCann https://www.facebook.com/McCannDW/

Music by Crystal Grooms Mangano https://groomsymusic.com/