This document outlines my office policies regarding the use of social media. Please read it to understand how I conduct myself on the internet as a mental health provider and what you can expect regarding online interactions between us.
If you have any questions about this policy, I encourage you to bring them up during our sessions. As technology and the internet continue to evolve, I may need to update this policy from time to time. If changes are made, I will notify you in writing and ensure you receive a copy of the updated policy.
Friending
I do not accept friend or contact requests from current or former patients on any social networking site (e.g., Facebook, LinkedIn). Adding patients as friends or contacts can compromise your confidentiality and privacy, and may blur the boundaries of our therapeutic relationship. If you have questions about this, please bring them up during our sessions.
Following
I do not expect you, as a patient, to follow anything I post online (such as blogs or websites). If you use an easily recognizable name online and I notice that you have followed me, we may briefly discuss it and its potential impact on our therapeutic relationship. My primary concern is your privacy. If you share this concern, please use your discretion when deciding whether to follow me. Please note that I will not follow you back, as I do not follow current or former patients online. Viewing patients’ online content outside of therapy sessions can create confusion regarding the purpose of such viewing and may negatively affect our working relationship. If you wish to share aspects of your online life that are relevant to your treatment, please bring them into our sessions so we can discuss them together.
Interacting
Please do not use social networking sites (such as Twitter, Facebook, or LinkedIn) to contact me via text messaging. These platforms are not confidential, and I do not monitor or respond to messages sent through them. Engaging with me through social media may compromise your confidentiality, and such exchanges could potentially become part of your legal medical record. For administrative issues such as appointment changes, please contact me by phone or email. See the email section below for more information.
Use of Search Engines
It is not a regular part of my practice to search for patients online (e.g., Google, Facebook). Exceptions may be made in rare circumstances, such as during a crisis when I believe you may be in danger and have not been in contact through usual means. In such cases, I may use search engines to locate you, find someone close to you, or check on your recent status updates to ensure your welfare. These situations are extremely rare, and if I ever take such actions, I will fully document them and discuss them with you at our next meeting.
Google Reader and Sharing Articles
I do not follow current or former patients on Google Reader, nor do I use Google Reader to share articles. If you have news items or other content relevant to your treatment that you wish to share, please bring them to our sessions.
Business Review Sites
You may find my practice listed on sites such as Yelp, Healthgrades, Yahoo Local, or other business review platforms. These listings are often created automatically and do not represent a request for testimonials, ratings, or endorsements from you as my patient.
The Ethics Code governing my license prohibits me from soliciting testimonials:
“Marriage and Family Therapists do not solicit testimonials from current therapy clients/patients or other persons who because of their particular circumstances are vulnerable to undue influence.”
You have the right to express yourself on any site you choose. However, due to confidentiality, I cannot respond to any reviews, whether positive or negative. I urge you to consider your privacy seriously, as I do with your confidentiality. If you use these sites to communicate indirectly with me about your feelings regarding our work, please be aware that I may never see your comments.
If we are working together, I encourage you to bring your feelings and reactions into our sessions. This is an important part of therapy, even if you decide we are not a good fit. None of this is intended to prevent you from sharing your experiences with others in any forum you choose. Confidentiality means I cannot disclose that you are my patient, and my Ethics Code prohibits me from requesting testimonials. You are welcome to tell anyone you wish that I am your therapist and share your thoughts about your treatment.
If you choose to write a review online, please consider that you may be sharing personal information in a public forum. For your privacy and protection, I recommend using a pseudonym that is not linked to your regular email address or social networks.
If you believe I have done something harmful or unethical and do not feel comfortable discussing it with me directly, you may contact the Board of Behavioral Sciences, which oversees my license, and they will review the services I have provided.
Board of Behavioral Sciences
https://www.bbs.ca.gov
Location-Based Services
If you use location-based services on your mobile device, please be aware of the privacy risks. I do not list my practice as a check-in location on sites such as Foursquare, Gowalla, or Loopt. However, if you have GPS tracking enabled, others may infer that you are a therapy patient due to regular check-ins at my office. Please consider this risk if you intentionally check in from my office or have a passive location-based service app enabled.
Email
I prefer to use email only for arranging or modifying appointments. If you choose to communicate with me by email, please be aware that emails are retained in the logs of both your and my internet service providers. While it is unlikely that these logs will be reviewed, they are theoretically accessible to system administrators. Additionally, any emails I receive from you and any responses I send may become part of your legal medical record.
Conclusion
Thank you for taking the time to review my Social Media Policy. If you have any questions or concerns about these policies or our potential interactions online, please bring them to my attention so we can discuss them together.