Safety in Your Private Practice: Wendy Williams Guest Post

Safety In Your Private Practice

1. Review Your Office Layout- Make sure your desk and chair is not position where you have to walk pass your client to get to the door. Your chair should be closer to the door so you can make a quick exit.

2. Keep All Doors Secure- Make sure you keep the doors lock when working alone. Buzzers and doorbells allows you to screen visitors. Check if your office has alarms, and video cameras installed.  

3. Park You Car In Well Lit Areas- Park your car closer to the entrance of your office. Avoid carrying a lot of items to your car. If your office is in a large corporate building, ask a security guard to assist you at night. Try avoid working late at night.

4. Screen Your Potential Clients- Don't be afraid to ask clients about their previous hospital admissions, substance abuse history, domestic violence, or forensic history. Speak to their referral sources (therapists, doctors, probation officers, attorneys, etc) about client's history. Red flags can determine how much risk a client has in becoming aggressive.

5. Be Aware Of Your Surroundings. For therapists who make home visits, pay close attention to the neighborhood and the outside of your client's home. Dark windows at the house, shady people surrounding the client's home are some of things to take into consideration. If it does not look safe, do not get out of your car. Listen to your sixth sense....that is your adrenaline trying to protect you. Do not visit your client if he/she exhibits bizarre or verbally aggressive behavior on the phone. Contact local mobile crisis team or police office to accompany you to the home.

6. Do Not Hesitate To Call For Help- Carry a panic button which will alert the local police when facing a dangerous client. Make a safety plan or a drill with other colleagues in the office. Colleagues and other professionals in the office should interrupt your session if they hear client becoming more verbally aggressive.

7. Learn Self-Defense- Yes, we are therapists and our job is to nurture, understand, and help our clients who are in need. However, when it comes to safety, your life is more important. Learning some self-defense techniques will not kill your clients but it would protect you from harm and allow you to escape from a dangerous environment. There are plenty of self-defense classes to choose from in the community (libraries, martial art studios, community centers, etc). I attended a professional conference where they had a self-defense workshop on the agenda

8. Be Cautious of Your Interaction- Speak in a calm tone when being confronted by an angry client. If client refuse to calm down, excuse yourself by saying your need to use the restroom and then leave the office and call 911 or security for help. It’s hard to hear a client calling you every name in the book but being hostile would only make the situation worse. Remember, they are not able to control themselves but you have the ability to control yourself.