Is Social Media Counseling Safe and Ethical? [YOU NEED TO KNOW THIS]
There are many factors in providing social media counseling.
Is it safe? Generally, it is not. However social media can still be an equally powerful tool.
Our codes of ethics including the ACA Code of Ethics provide guidelines for social media counseling and appropriate interaction with client. There are mixed opinions on avoiding boundary crossings with clients who try to friend us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Fortunately, it's possible for counselors to learn to adopt clear social media and telemental health policies.
From a social science perspective, it is useful to view online interaction between clients and therapists as "eavesdropping".
Clients report having felt betrayed by counselors through this unintentional eavesdropping (International Journal of Communication
Volume 14, 2020, Pages 3704-3726 A Model of Social Eavesdropping in Communication Networks BIGHASH, L., ALEXANDER, K.S., HAGEN, C.S., HOLLINGSHEAD, A.B.).
If we search for a client through a Google search or through social media we are eavesdropping. If a client searches for us in the same manner they are eavesdropping. How so?
Eaves dropping is secret listening to a conversation between two or more people.
We have our professional lives and our therapist lives. They are ideally separate.
The same applies to our clients. They form a relationship with us as clients and also have personal lives.
But especially for us, our counselor and personal lives are now transparent. We have less control over what we choose as appropriate disclosure to our clients.
With easy access to cyber-based and social media information, we can no longer be a "blank slate" to our clients in therapy.
Posting on Facebook and Instagram is free advertising. Post information about your services and specialties. Post anything that is directly related to your "professional side."
If you have a professional website, drive traffic to it. Google is now ranking posts on Facebook Group pages. The best Facebook business profiles and posts rank the highest.
Especially since March 2020, psychotherapy is a competitive marketplace.
1) Don't "friend" or "follow" clients or potential clients.
2) Refrain from any form of two-way communication.
3) Include clear social media policies in your client informed consent.
4) Ensure your social media privacy settings prevent clients from finding your personal page.
5) Be selective about who you friend on social media. Friend those who are in your personal loop. Be selective even about friending peer professionals.
6) Don't provide counseling services through your social media.
Finally, well-crafted social media and any web-based activity is now a prime way of marketing yourself. Make use of it.
Gone are the days of waiting for clients to stumble upon your website.
Developing your social media pages generates "Google Food". In brief, google ranks high quality and trustworthy content.
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