Sigh...
The world encroaches yet again on my imaginary playground...
I knew this day was coming, but I didn't expect it to be so soon. Early on in my schooling for counseling, I learned that I'd have to be very private about my private life. I realized that I'd have to "fix" my blog. I just didn't expect it would be so soon. I didn't realize it would be so easy to "stumble" across it.
Someone ran a search using bare facts about me... and found it lickety-split. I'm not angry with the searcher, I would have been curious, too. I just didn't realize I'd be found so easily... even without my last name. I've removed my last name, and I'm undergoing the painstaking process of finding every instance with the girls' names and changing those. You'll find their identifiers in "Peeps"... sigh.
"P.D." hates her new name, and I don't blame her. I hate that I have to change it, that's not the name I gave her. Although part of me still feels that people are basically good and doesn't think anyone would use the information here against me... it's not my place to be so trusting. My job is to err on the side of caution in any matter that could impact my babies.
I'm wondering if I should change the name of the town I live in, or my hometown, or Deat's hometown. They're all three pretty small places. I want to complain some more, but I have to get back at it.
Please pardon the mess while we undergo reconstruction.
So what is the issue?
ReplyDeleteAs a person who has a Masters in Counseling - and got it in 2001, so my degree, career, and writing have coexisted for 10 years now - I do not see an issue.
We do not emerge from the Zeus' head fully formed and ready to counsel.
See Henri Nouwen's Wounded Healer.
This field is not like running for office, working for the FBI or CIA, or Area 51.
And it pays so little that there is no reason to eradicate who we are.
Really?
I think someone is just being meddlesome. I sincerely doubt you have embedded any top secret or devastating things anywhere in your writings.
Take a deep breath. And definitely get a second opinion.
Just my $0.02
Actually, Terre, it wasn't a client who was looking for my blog... but this person's search made it clear to me how easy it is to find. You know how manipulative certain populations can be... I don't want to offer any ammunition, be it real or imagined.
ReplyDeleteMy sis has a private counseling practice and she too sees the need to keep her private life private. Given the types of cases she handles, I must say that I am glad she does. She has no facebook account and keeps a very low profile. It allows her to be honest with her clients about her boundaries and ensures that she is protected from those who might use her information to manipulate or harm her or her family. I guess that the need may be greater or less depending on your type of practice, but I feel that "better safe than sorry" is a good rule when you are dealing with your kiddos well being.
ReplyDeleteKelly, you do what you gotta do... You take care of you and those precious girls first. When it comes to them (and you), you should always err on the side of caution. That's the way it's gotta be. I so totally get it.
ReplyDeleteWhen I started blogging, only my parents were reading what I wrote and I used my kids' names. If I were starting today, I may do things differently. Not that I'm a worrier... you just can't be too careful.
ReplyDeleteAnon... I have one of those sisters too. She does the same thing. I do have a Facebook but it has very limited access.
ReplyDeleteThanks T.L.
Del, like you, when I first started I had almost no readers so my logic was very like yours. When I started picking up readers, they were still mostly personal friends or "friends of friends".
The search showed me that a person who only knew me casually can take a few bare facts about me, Google me, go straight to my blog and find out even MORE... and that's certainly more than a potential client (or an ax murderer! :) )needs to know.