As social media increasingly forms part of everyday life, it is important to clarify how I use it and how this may affect our therapeutic relationship. This policy outlines my approach to social media use, with particular attention to boundaries, confidentiality, and your right to privacy, in line with the BACP Ethical Framework.
1. Professional and Personal Presence
I maintain a professional presence on platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn. These accounts may include general reflections, information about my services, or mental health–related resources. They are intended for information-sharing only and are not used for therapeutic engagement or direct client communication.
I also have personal social media accounts that are used outside my professional role. To protect the integrity of our work and maintain clear boundaries, I kindly ask that clients do not seek out or engage with my personal profiles.
2. Viewing Clients’ Online Activity
In line with ethical guidance on respectful and collaborative practice, I do not view clients’ social media content or online activity without explicit consent and a clearly agreed purpose. For example, you may choose to bring online material into sessions for therapeutic exploration. Viewing content without discussion could undermine trust or lead to unintended assumptions.
3. Following and Subscribing
You are under no obligation to follow or interact with my professional social media accounts. If you choose to do so, please consider how public interactions (such as likes, comments, or shares) may affect your privacy.
To safeguard confidentiality, I do not follow or engage with clients’ personal accounts, even if they are public, unless this has been explicitly discussed and agreed upon within therapy.
4. Friend Requests and Direct Messaging
I do not accept friend, follower, or connection requests on personal platforms from current or former clients. This helps to:
- Maintain clear professional boundaries
- Protect your confidentiality
- Avoid dual or overlapping relationships
Please do not use social media messaging to contact me. If you need to reach me between sessions, use email, phone, or text, which are more appropriate and secure channels.
5. Public Interactions
If you choose to engage with my professional posts publicly, please be aware that this interaction may be visible to others. I will not acknowledge any therapeutic relationship online and may not respond in ways that could reveal a connection.
If maintaining full confidentiality is important to you, I recommend avoiding public engagement with my social media content.
6. Location-Based Services
If you use location-based apps or GPS-enabled services, please be aware that others may be able to infer your attendance at therapy based on your location. This is outside my control, but you may wish to review your privacy settings if this is a concern.
7. Questions and Updates
If you have any questions or concerns about social media use or potential online interactions, please raise them in session so we can discuss them openly and respectfully.
This policy may be updated periodically to reflect changes in ethical guidance or social media platforms.