Answered by Noah Watson · Updated 2026-10-15
How should a therapist respond to a negative online review?
Without confirming the person was ever a patient. Reply with a short, general statement about how the practice handles concerns and invite them to call, and never mention their care, their visit or their details.
The trap
The natural reply is to explain your side: the appointment was rescheduled, the bill was correct, the treatment plan was discussed. Every one of those confirms the reviewer was a patient and discloses something about their care. Practices have been fined by federal regulators for exactly this.
A reply that is safe
Something like: "We take every concern seriously. Because of privacy law we cannot discuss anyone's care online, but we would welcome a call to the office." It shows other readers the practice is calm and professional, and they are who the reply is really for.
The same rule applies to positive reviews. Thanking someone by name for a kind review of their treatment confirms they were treated.
Want this set up for your practice? See how I do it.