Social Media Policy for Clients
As a client of a therapist in private practice, please be mindful of the following social media policy:
- Confidentiality: Respect the confidentiality of your therapist and other clients. Do not post any information that could identify your therapist or other clients on social media platforms.
- Professionalism: Your therapist has a professional relationship with you, and it is important to maintain that level of professionalism both in and outside the therapy session. Do not engage in any online communication with your therapist that is not related to your therapy.
- Privacy: Your therapist respects your privacy, and you should do the same for them. Do not request to connect with your therapist on personal social media accounts.
- Boundaries: Respect the professional boundaries between you and your therapist. Do not post comments, images, or videos on social media that may compromise the therapeutic relationship.
- Negative Comments: If you have any concerns or issues related to your therapy, please discuss them directly with your therapist. Posting negative comments or reviews on social media is not an appropriate way to address your concerns.
- Legal Obligations: Any posts on social media that may infringe on the law or the legal rights of others are not permitted.
At Be Well Counselling, we have a social media presence on Facebook and Instagram, and we encourage our clients to follow us. However, we maintain a strict policy of not accepting personal friend or contact requests from current or former clients on any social networking site. We believe that adding clients as friends or contacts can undermine the boundaries of the therapeutic relationship and jeopardize their confidentiality and privacy.
I have a strict policy of not ‘following’ clients on social media, even if they request to connect with me under a pseudonym. However, in case of any inadvertent ‘follow’ actions, I request you to kindly inform me during our next meeting. The reasons for this policy have been outlined above.
It is important to remember that the purpose of therapy is to create a safe and confidential space for clients to explore their inner world. Therefore, please refrain from any social media activities that may compromise this purpose.