How to Respond to Clients Who Self-Diagnose on TikTok

Since the advent of social media, access to information about psychopathology and therapy has been more accessible than ever. 

In recent years, TikTok has been a major vehicle for disseminating information. This popular video sharing app lets users create and share videos up to six minutes long, and its strikingly specific algorithm shows content tailored to each user on their “For You” page. 

On the mental health side of TikTok, these short, digestible videos, from both therapists and people with lived experiences, have led many users to self-diagnose.

According to a March 2022 study, TikToks with the hashtag #mentalhealth receive billions of views and comments. For instance, videos titled “Signs you’re probably autistic” or “What ADHD really feels like” can be useful sources of information for viewers who may not otherwise have access to this information. 

However, this flood of unverified content may pose a risk of misinformation, or oversimplification, of diagnoses, leaving clients to identify themselves with diagnoses that may not be accurate or useful.

As therapists, we are in a unique position when our diagnosis or conceptualization may clash with our client’s. So, what do therapists really think of these social media self-diagnoses? And how can we effectively respond? 

How Therapists Understand the Self-Diagnosis Trend 

Therapists working with younger adults are no strangers to the TikTok self-diagnosis trend. 

Claira Winget, LMSW, a school-based practitioner in Maryland, reports that self-diagnosis from TikTok is common in her practice, and she conceptualizes it as “people’s genuine attempts at self-understanding.” 

“Even if I don’t agree with the diagnosis, I think it’s a valuable way of understanding your client’s search for understanding and desire for belonging,” Winget says.

Maddie Haddock, LCSW, runs a private practice in North Carolina. Haddock also attributes the self-diagnosis trend as clients’ attempt at understanding their own experiences. 

“This is all happening because of our societal need to process things in a black and white manner–because it’s easier to make sense of,” she says.

According to Haddock, clients most commonly diagnose themselves with e  Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Haddock says she also often sees clients diagnosing others in their life with Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD). 

“It’s harder to wrap our brains around the nuance of other people’s personalities,” she explains. “Even a good person can be self-absorbed at times, or a highly functioning individual can have times when they’re not reading social cues.” 

What Is Both Challenging and Valuable About Self-Diagnosis? 

One of the major challenges that a therapist may face when a client comes to them with a self-diagnosis is providing psychoeducation that may counter what a client believes about themselves.

On TikTok, viewers may make conclusions about their own diagnosis based on videos they find to be relatable. In reality, thousands of different experiences can exist, even for the same diagnosis.

By the time a client seeks therapy, a strong identification with a certain diagnosis can leave therapists with the arduous task of weeding out misinformation. Haddock also notes that self-diagnoses can skew results on screening tools that many therapists use to form initial conceptualizations of clients’ presenting concerns. 

But beyond making psychoeducation challenging in the therapy room, a more harmful aspect of self-diagnosis is the risk that potential clients may not seek professional help— turning to TikTok as a primary source of information instead. 

“I worry about individuals who self-diagnose without seeking professional help,” says Zoe Dartley, LMSW, who works at a public New York City hospital.

While TikTok does have some verified content and can be an excellent source of community, we need greater efforts to make professional mental health care more widely accessible so younger people can receive more informed, personalized care. It can be tough to remember that TikTok isn’t an alternative to therapy. 

Despite the risks of misinformation, undermining the pervasive stigma against mental health challenges is one valuable byproduct of the self-diagnosis trend. “I’m so glad that social media and the internet have played a large part in destigmatizing mental illness,” Dartley says. 

The expectation to be “strong” and hide psychological distress can be especially prevalent among men, and TikTok can provide a rare space for men to discuss mental health.

Dartley confirmed that this sentiment is shared by many of her clients. “I have noticed, in certain cultures, [that] actually having a diagnosis holds a lot of stigma. I was told by a lot of my patients that they have a large responsibility, as head of the household, and always try to appear to have it together,” she says. 

After hearing deeply relatable narratives on TikTok, viewers may feel less shame about their own experiences, which creates a sense of community with others.

This is especially true in the U.S., where adolescent mental health continues to worsen. This sense of community that comes from bonding over a diagnosis—whether accurate or inaccurate—may have benefits for decreasing isolation.

“In many ways, diagnoses can be very validating and connecting,” Winget says. 

How Can Therapists Respond? 

While therapists have different strategies for approaching clients who self-diagnose from TikTok, many of their responses are characterized by a combination of psychoeducation, exploration, and compassion.

Haddock says that her first step is to ask, “Why or how would receiving a particular diagnosis change your life?” This approach helps her target the client’s underlying reason for identifying with a diagnosis.

For many clients, self-diagnosis helps them frame difficult challenges in their life. 

For others, it helps them find identity, or fulfillment, through connections with others.“It gets at a deeper conversation at the root of what’s going on—whether or not they actually have that diagnosis,” Haddock says. 

Winget also takes an exploratory approach with her clients. “I try to engage in understanding why that diagnosis resonates,” she says. “I approach from a place of discovery and curiosity for both of us.”

In her practice, Winget often asks young adult clients questions like, “What does a diagnosis label mean to you?” and “In what ways have you felt misunderstood or affirmed?” 

Both Haddock and Winget mention the importance of psychoeducation as a next step in responding to clients’ self-diagnoses. An accurate psychoeducation discussion allows clients to sift through the information they’ve received online and collaborate with a therapist to determine a thorough plan and/or diagnosis. 

During these discussions, it’s important to be compassionate to ensure clients don’t feel dismissed and invalidated. It is best to keep psychoeducation focused on diagnosis and treatment—correcting misinformation as necessary—rather than challenging clients’ experiences themselves.

“I want to really value clients as the expert on their own experiences,” says Winget. “People are always trying to understand themselves, and if diagnosis is a bridge in getting to that, I lean into it–without immediately agreeing with their diagnosis.” 

Ultimately, as therapists, we’re likely to continue seeing clients who come into our offices with diagnoses they’ve discovered on TikTok. As practitioners, it’s our job to join our clinical expertise with our clients’ lived experiences to help them navigate their diagnoses and treatment. 

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