Review reply glossary
Plain definitions of common terms for therapy and psychiatry practices that reply to online reviews. Each term links to the guide section that uses it. The rule behind all of them is the same: keep every reply general so it does not confirm that the reviewer is a client.
- Acknowledging a reviewer
- Any wording in a reply that confirms the reviewer has been seen at your practice, such as thanking them for coming in or mentioning their session. It is the main thing to keep out of a public reply. See an example of an unsafe reply.
- Automated review request
- A platform or software prompt that asks someone to leave a review, such as a Google Business Profile review request. Treat it as solicitation and check your ethics code before turning it on. See what each code says about testimonials.
- Billing review
- A review that complains about fees, billing or insurance. Thank the person and invite them to call your office, where your billing team can answer questions, without discussing their account or care in public. See a reply to a billing or insurance review.
- Civil money penalty
- A monetary penalty HHS OCR can announce when a covered entity discloses patient information, including in a public review reply. Confirm figures against the current OCR announcements. See the published enforcement examples.
- Clinical question in a review
- A reviewer asking for medical or therapy advice in a public review. Decline to answer online and point them to your office, or to 988 if they may be in crisis. See a reply to a clinical question.
- Controlled-substance agreement
- A written explanation of refill and controlled-substance rules that a psychiatry practice reviews with patients at the first visit. Clear agreements reduce surprise and negative reviews about prescribing decisions. See what a reply should never say.
- Crisis post
- A review or public message suggesting that someone may be at risk of harm. Escalate it privately under your crisis procedures and keep any public reply to emergency resources. Read what to do when a client posts in crisis.
- Crisis resources
- General emergency help you can point to in a public reply when a review suggests someone may be at risk, such as calling 911 or calling or texting 988, without discussing anyone's care. Escalate the post privately under your crisis procedures first. Read what to do when a client posts in crisis.
- Directory profile
- A practice's listing on a therapist directory such as Psychology Today. Keeping it complete and up to date helps referral sources and future clients learn about you on their own. Read other ways to build your reputation.
- Escalation
- Passing a review to the right person inside your practice, such as the clinical director for a crisis post or leadership for a serious allegation, before anyone replies in public. Read what to do when a client posts in crisis.
- Fake review
- A review that does not reflect a real experience, such as spam or an attack by a competitor. Report it to the platform and keep any public reply general. See a reply for a spam or competitor review.
- Family member review
- A review written by a relative about someone's care. Reply the same general way: do not discuss any individual's care, and offer to listen to their concerns by phone. See a reply to a family member's review.
- Former client review
- A review from someone who used to be a client. The same privacy rules apply, so keep any reply general and leave the past relationship unconfirmed. Read how to handle a review from a former client.
- Google Business Profile
- The Google listing for a practice where many clients find and leave reviews. Discreet connects to it so you can draft and check replies before they post. Read what Discreet does.
- Information about someone else
- Personal details a reviewer posts about another person, such as a staff member or another client. Leave it out of your reply and report the content to the platform. See a reply when a review names someone else.
- Negative review response
- A public reply to a critical review. Keep it to two or three calm sentences that thank the person, avoid discussing anyone's care and offer a private way to reach your office. See ten negative review response examples.
- Owner response
- The public reply a business posts under a review, for example on its Google Business Profile. Read when to reply and when to leave a review unanswered.
- Platform report
- Flagging a review to the review site because it appears to break the site's own policies, such as spam, harassment or a review from someone who was never a client. Read about fake and abusive reviews.
- Positive review reply
- A public thank-you under a good review. Keep it to one or two warm sentences that do not confirm the person is a client or comment on their care, even when the reviewer describes their progress. See four positive review replies.
- Practice director
- The leader a public reply can point to when a review alleges something serious, so the conversation moves off the review site without discussing anyone's care. See a reply for a review that alleges something serious.
- Pre-post checklist
- Four checks every draft reply passes before it goes live. It does not confirm or deny that the person is a client, and it mentions no date, session, diagnosis, medication or outcome. It invites a private call or email, and a second person has read it. Use the four checks before you post.
- Privacy checker
- Discreet's check on each draft reply. It flags wording that could confirm a client relationship, mention treatment or a diagnosis, or point to a specific visit. A person still reads and approves every reply. Read who approves each reply.
- Privacy line
- The sentence in a reply that says you cannot discuss anyone's care online, such as "Our privacy obligations prevent us from discussing anyone's care online." It sits between the thank-you and the private follow-up. Use the three-part reply template.
- Private follow-up
- Moving the conversation off the review site, usually by inviting the reviewer to call or email your office. See a reply that moves the conversation to a private call.
- Profile owner
- The staff member who holds login access for a review profile, such as Google Business Profile or Healthgrades, and is responsible for monitoring and replies on that profile. Read who approves each reply.
- Protected health information
- Individually identifiable health information a practice holds or transmits, including the fact that someone was seen for care. A reply that confirms the reviewer was a client can reveal it. Read what makes a review reply risky.
- Referral partner
- A colleague or professional who sends clients to your practice, or receives referrals from you. Safer than current clients when you want reviews of how you work together. Read other ways to build your reputation.
- A set of short, pre-approved reply templates staff can adapt for common reviews. Each draft still needs a privacy check and a person's approval before it posts. Use the three-part reply template.
- Review monitoring
- Checking review sites for new reviews so your team sees them quickly, including posts that need escalation. The Discreet Reputation plan adds monitoring to drafting and privacy checks. See which plan includes review monitoring.
- Review solicitation
- Asking someone to leave a review, including automated review requests. Several professional ethics codes discourage soliciting testimonials from current clients. Compare the ACA, APA, NASW and AAMFT codes.
- Safe reply
- A short, calm, general reply that thanks the person, says privacy rules keep you from discussing anyone's care online and invites them to contact your office, without confirming that the reviewer is a client. See a safe reply example.
- Second reader
- A colleague who reads a draft reply before it posts, to catch anything that confirms a client relationship or reveals care details. Use the four checks before you post.
- Serious allegation
- A review that accuses a practice or clinician of something grave. Escalate it inside your practice first, then keep any public reply short, say you take concerns seriously and point the person to your practice director. See a reply for a review that alleges something serious.
- Templated reply
- A short, general reply written ahead of time that you edit for each review. A good one thanks the person, avoids discussing anyone's care and offers a private way to reach your office. Use the three-part reply template.
- Testimonial
- A public statement that recommends a practice or clinician, such as a glowing online review. Professional ethics codes address when clinicians may ask for them. See what each code says about testimonials.
- Unanswered review
- A review you choose not to reply to. Leaving a review unanswered is always an option and sometimes wiser, especially when the review is emotional. Read when to reply and when to wait.
- Undue influence
- The pressure a client may feel to say yes when asked for a review, which is why several professional ethics codes discourage soliciting testimonials from current clients or others who may be vulnerable to it. See what each code says about testimonials.
- Unsafe reply
- A reply that confirms the reviewer was seen at your practice or adds details about their care, such as a session date, a treatment plan or a diagnosis. Compare risky wording with safer wording.
- Volunteered review
- A review a client posts on their own, without being asked. Even then, a reply can reveal that the person is a client, so keep any reply general. Read how to handle a review from a former client.
- Wait-a-day rule
- Waiting a day before replying to a review that upsets you, and asking a colleague to read the draft, so the reply stays calm and general. Read the rules behind every reply.
Where can I read about HIPAA terms?
HHS explains HIPAA terms such as protected health information and covered entity in its Summary of the HIPAA Privacy Rule (opens in a new tab).