Social Media Policy

 

As social media becomes an increasingly common part of both personal and professional life, it’s important to clarify how I use it and how this may affect our therapeutic relationship. This policy outlines my approach in line with 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, and LinkedIn, where I may share general therapeutic reflections, information about my services, or resources related to mental health. These platforms are designed to be informative and are not intended as a means of direct client communication or therapeutic engagement.

I also have personal social media accounts which I use outside 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. 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 session to explore therapeutically. Passive viewing without discussion could undermine trust or introduce unnecessary assumptions into our work.

3. 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, please consider how this may affect your privacy, especially if you interact publicly (e.g., by commenting or sharing posts).

My priority is to protect your confidentiality. For this reason, I will not follow or engage with your personal accounts, even if they are public, unless explicitly discussed and agreed upon within therapy.

4. Friend Requests and Direct Messaging

I do not accept friend requests or connection requests on personal platforms from current or former clients. This is to:

  • Maintain clear boundaries

  • Preserve your confidentiality

  • Avoid the appearance of dual relationships (personal and therapeutic)

If you need to contact me between sessions, please do so through email, phone, or text, not via social media messaging, which is not secure or appropriate for therapeutic communication.

5. Public Interactions

If you choose to interact with my professional posts (e.g., by 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 forums and may not respond to public comments in a way that reveals any connection.

To safeguard your privacy, I recommend avoiding public engagement with my content if you wish to keep your therapeutic work fully confidential.

6. Location-Based Service

If you use location-based apps or GPS-enabled services, please be aware that others may be able to infer you are attending therapy based on your location. This is outside of my control, but I encourage you to consider your settings if privacy is a concern.

7. Questions and Updates

Thank you for taking the time to read this Social Media Policy. If you have any questions, concerns, or suggestions about our 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 social media use or ethical guidance.