Social Media Policy
As social media becomes an increasingly common part of both personal and professional life, it is important to clarify how I use it and how this may affect our therapeutic relationship.
This policy is guided by the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) Ethical Framework, which prioritises clear boundaries, confidentiality, and your right to privacy.
1. Professional and Personal Presence
I maintain a professional presence on social media through platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and LinkedIn, where I may share general therapeutic reflections, information about my services, or resources related to mental health. These platforms are intended to be informative and are not a form of direct client communication or therapeutic engagement.
I also have personal social media accounts which I use outside of my therapeutic role. To protect the integrity of our work and maintain appropriate boundaries, I kindly ask that you refrain from seeking out or engaging with my personal profiles.
2. Content Shared on Social Media
The purpose of my social media presence (Instgram/TikTok/Facebook) is to share reflections on therapy and the migrant experience, informed by my clinical work, personal experience, and relevant psychological theory and research.
For current and former clients, confidentiality remains a central priority. I do not share the content of therapy sessions. If I speak about themes that may feel familiar, these are presented as composite experiences drawn from broader patterns in clinical work and are never based on one individual.
Social media, by its nature, requires ideas to be shared in a more concise and accessible way. This means that what I post may reflect a simplified or generalised version of more complex psychological processes. I may expand on this nuance in captions, comments, or wider discussions where possible. Not everything shared will fully reflect your individual experience.
3. My Use Self-Disclosure on Social Media
There are important differences between how I may present on social media and how I work within our therapeutic relationship.
On social media, I may occasionally share personal reflections or aspects of my own experience. This is done thoughtfully and with intention, often to offer general insight, psychoeducation, or to contribute to broader conversations around mental health.
In contrast, within our sessions, the focus is on you. Therapy is your space, and I am mindful not to centre my own experience. For this reason, I use self-disclosure sparingly. If I do share something of myself, it will likely be after checking if you wish to hear it, and it will be brief and only where I believe it may be of genuine therapeutic benefit. I draw on a range of approaches to support and guide your process, most of which do not involve sharing my personal experience.
I welcome open conversation about how it feels for you to encounter me outside of the therapy space. If anything you see or read online influences your thoughts, feelings, or our work together, you are encouraged to bring this into session so we can explore it together.
4. Viewing Clients’ Online Activity
In keeping with BACP guidance on respectful and collaborative practice, I will not view your online activity or social media content without your explicit consent and a clearly agreed purpose. For example, if you wish to bring social media material into our sessions for therapeutic exploration. Viewing client content without discussion may risk introducing assumptions or impacting trust within the therapeutic relationship.
5. Following and Subscribing
You are under no obligation to follow, like, or interact with my professional social media accounts. If you choose to do so, I encourage you to consider how this may affect your privacy, particularly if your engagement is public (e.g., commenting or sharing posts).
To protect your confidentiality, I will not follow or engage with your personal social media accounts, even if they are public, unless this has been explicitly discussed and agreed within the therapeutic work.
6. Friend Requests and Direct Messaging
I do not accept friend or connection requests from current or former clients on personal platforms. This helps to:
Maintain clear professional boundaries
Preserve your confidentiality
Avoid dual relationships (where personal and therapeutic roles overlap)
If you need to contact me between sessions, please do so via email, phone, or text message. Social media messaging is not a secure or appropriate method for therapeutic communication.
7. Public Interactions
If you choose to interact with my professional content (e.g., liking or commenting), please be aware that this is a public action and may be visible to others. I will not acknowledge our therapeutic relationship in public spaces and may not respond to comments in a way that could reveal any connection.
To safeguard your privacy, I recommend avoiding public engagement with my content if you wish to keep your therapeutic work fully confidential.
8. Algorithm and Exposure
Social media platforms use algorithms that may increase the frequency with which you see certain content, including posts related to mental health.
If you follow my work, you may notice periods where my content appears more often. I encourage you to be mindful of how this level of exposure impacts you. If engaging with this content begins to feel overwhelming, activating, or unhelpful, it may be important to adjust your engagement or bring this into our work together.
9. Crisis and Support Disclaimer
Content shared on social media is not a substitute for therapy or professional mental health support.
I am not able to provide therapeutic support, crisis intervention, or individual guidance via comments, direct messages, or other social media interactions.
If you are in distress or require immediate support, I encourage you to contact appropriate local services, a mental health professional, or emergency support in your area.
10. Questions and Updates
Thank you for taking the time to read this Social Media Policy. If you have any questions, concerns, or reflections about online interactions, please feel free to raise them in session so we can discuss them openly and respectfully.
This policy may be updated periodically to reflect changes in social media use or ethical guidance.