How to Obtain Ethical Google Reviews

Google reviews can feel like a catch-22 for therapists: you want potential clients to find your practice, but asking for reviews raises ethical questions. So how do you build your online reputation without putting clients in an uncomfortable position? In this episode of the Wise Practice Podcast, Whitney Owens sits down with Brent Stutzman, founder of TheraSaaS, to discuss Google reviews, private practice marketing, and the changing role of AI in how people find therapists. They explore the ethical concerns around soliciting client reviews, the difference between promoting your online presence and asking for testimonials, and Brent’s approach to building visibility through professional relationships. Whitney also shares her own experiences with uncomfortable review requests and negative reviews—and asks whether paying to remove bad feedback is worth it. If you’ve ever wondered how to approach Google reviews or worried that one negative comment could hurt your practice, this conversation is for you. 00:00 Meet Brent Stutzman 03:17 Google Business Profiles and why reviews matter 05:57 Optimizing your profile and moving your practice 09:19 Ethical concerns around asking clients for reviews 13:46 Google’s review policies, spam, and review gating 20:54 Sharing your online presence without requesting reviews 24:03 Referral relationships, workshops, and community connections 26:24 Do out-of-state reviews get flagged? 28:04 Handling negative reviews from former employees 29:49 Responding to reviews and protecting client privacy 30:41 Should you pay to remove negative reviews? Meet Brent Stutzman Subscribe for more conversations about building and leading a thriving private practice. After helping his wife launch her counseling practice in 2016, Brent Stutzman saw the need to help other practice owners build powerful sales and marketing funnels. Since then, he’s launched over a dozen private-pay practices nationwide, founded TheraSaaS a marketing and intake CRM for therapists. His mission is to simplify sales and marketing for private practices so they can confidently grow their practice (and have fund doing it!) Brent is recognized as an expert in digital marketing and AI within the mental health community. Brent lives in Chicagoland with his wife of 22 years and their four children. Brent Stutzman's Resources TheraSaaS https://therasaas.com Facebook   / therasaascrm   YouTube    / @therasaas   Links and Resources The Ethical Google Reviews Checklist https://docs.google.com/document/d/1N... Learn More about Wise Practice Consulting https://www.wisepracticeconsulting.com Connect with Wise Practice on Instagram   / wise_practice_consulting   Connect with Whitney Owens on Facebook   / whitney.owens.963   Check out all of the podcasts on the PsychCraft Network https://psychcraftnetwork.com Wise Practice Masterminds https://www.wisepracticeconsulting.co...