Curiosity and Intrusion: googling therapists

The ubiquity of social media and online profiles these days makes the blank-slate therapist obsolete, a near-extinct species at the very least, but I'd like some opinions on where the line is drawn between curiosity and intrusion. Specifically, I'd like to hear some other perspective on a recent googling rabbit hole I found myself burrowing into, which I felt wrong doing but didn't stop.

I've been seeing a therapist for a little under two years, an experience which has had low and high points, but for the most part has been an enriching experience. After a recent onset of recurring issues--emotional and financial-- I re-googled the therapist I've been seeing. I say re-googled because I'm very curious and searched her shortly after I began sessions, which we talked about. I found out some personal things, and some basic biographical details--number of family members, names, address--but this time I searched her daughter's name too, to see how old she was (she turned out to be twenty). I'm a mid-twenties male, and that last sentence alone appears creepy, but I had no conscious intention other than to find out how old my therapist's child was--what my therapist was encountering as a mother, I suppose. (This, I know, also sounds like I'm justifying a sinister intent.)

What came up was the daughter's twitter account, which I perused and found a few pictures of my therapist on. There was nothing embarrassing, overly revealing, or anything else that made me think differently about my therapist. I felt satisfied, though, and like I was seeing and discovering something I shouldn't have been (because I was). But I'm ashamed and embarrassed that I went this far; it feels like a significant intrusion. I think if I bring it up it would mess with the whole patient-therapist relationship in a way that's different from the impact of searching the therapist alone. Is this curiosity, intrusion, or something else? Any comments are welcome.

I know your post is a bit old, but I'm awake and chatty, so.

I think the real question might be: Why are you so heavily researching your therapist? Do you have a crush on her? It wouldn't make you evil or 'scary' or anything, I am sure it happens to people in treatment. But you'd need to be honest with yourself and dedicated enough to your self-work to gracefully terminate the client-therapist relationship with her, so that you can get yourself a therapist who is a truly neutral force in your mind again. Or, do you not trust her for some reason? Do you have trust issues in general, or perhaps trust issues that are simply triggered by certain roles in your life (women, professionals who help you, something else about her)?

Because here's the thing: Being "very curious" seems a bit weak as an explanation, unless you are doing extensive Google searching on just about everyone you ever know (coworkers, the guy who works at the deli you always go to, all of your neighbors, the utility person who fixes stuff in your home, the dentist, whoever does your taxes every year - all as random possible examples).

So you don't need to answer to us. Nobody here is judging you for anything, you don't need to defend yourself. It's really just a matter of being honest with yourself and figuring out why you're doing this. It doesn't have to mean that you're some creepy stalker. It could mean a lot of different things, most of which aren't "sinister" at all.

This was interesting as I google my therapist too.
I have been seeing her a number of years and at first I felt emabarraced and guilty. I have never discovered anything personal about her, just professional stuff which to most people wouldn't be very interested in.
I aphave talked to her about it and in the end I think I do it to maintain a connection to her between sessions. I am not good at keeping people in mind seeing her name is reassuring.
I would be horrified to find personal stuff about her and am relieved I necpver have.

I think you need to talk to the therapust about what you are doing. It's impoetant to know why.

-- Sat Feb 28, 2015 6:53 pm --

This was interesting as I google my therapist too.
I have been seeing her a number of years and at first I felt emabarraced and guilty. I have never discovered anything personal about her, just professional stuff which to most people wouldn't be very interested in.
I aphave talked to her about it and in the end I think I do it to maintain a connection to her between sessions. I am not good at keeping people in mind seeing her name is reassuring.
I would be horrified to find personal stuff about her and am relieved I necpver have.

I think you need to talk to the therapust about what you are doing. It's impoetant to know why.

Did you ever think she might not be good enough to treat you because of lack of knowledge and wanted to re-assure yourself she's good enough and that was the primary motive you checked her out ... ?