I recently came across this Psych Central article which talks about how there is an increasing number of therapists, psychologists and psychiatrists venturing into the world-wide-web. Well, the author raises some really interesting points in this and a previous article, which I thought would be very relevant to discuss and comment on.
“Is it ethical for a therapist to publicly engage in social networking?”
Now, it’s important I think to clarify from the outset that this post is not about marketing. If you are interested in the use of the internet and social media for marketing then you’d be best to look elsewhere, mashable.com, for example, or look out for posts on my blog about this in the future. I am interested in focusing on the specific and unique issues that a psychologist / therapist might face when engaging with social media, and getting in touch with an online audience.
Confidentiality is a basic tenet of psychological therapies. It would therefore be an entirely reckless, inappropriate and unethical violation of this principle to, in any way, publicly disclose any information about an individual client or a problem which would make them identifiable.
Professional conduct on social media is important – I once heard a story about a trainee psychologist who was fired due to inappropriate comments (or was it drunken pictures?) posted on Facebook. This suggests that the individual lacked professionalism, maturity, awareness and a disregarded ethical conduct. I believe that it takes a degree of common-sense and self-control to publish appropriate content online to the masses.
Boundaries between the client and the therapist are also an important consideration relating to social media. There is an important distinction to be made between having a personal account that is identifiable vs having a personal account that is anonymous. Having said that, privacy settings are there for a reason. I have a professional profile, and as such, I will only share information that I would be prepared to discuss in a session with a client or with a professional colleague. If I share anything online, visible to the public, then I should expect that any client of mine will have seen the content of my profile as they engage with me in a session. That goes for those working in private practice, as well as those in the NHS.
The question is, how much information is it wise to share, and what does that say about me as a professional? I’m not engaging with social media in order to make friends, or follow friends, necessarily, but I am keen on networking, connecting with other professionals, and perhaps even clients. I want to listen out for helpful resources and stay up-to-date. I am also interested in extending my reach and profile, primarily by contributing quality content, comments, information and promoting useful resources. Of course all of this can only be done remotely and only as a communication to the general public – I am not writing advice to, or for, specific individuals like you. I’m a therapist who uses social media, I’m not providing therapy on the platform. If you want that kind of service, support and signposting, then why not consider making an appointment?