Social Media Policy

Social media is a wonderful tool that helps people stay informed and get engaged. I have created this social media policy to better inform you how I use social media in my practice. The basis for this policy is to protect the integrity of our therapeutic relationship, as well as your privacy and the confidentiality of our sessions. If you have any questions about my policy, I encourage you to bring them up when we meet.

Please note: I do not follow current or former clients on social media. If there are things from your online life that you wish to share with me, please bring them into our sessions where we can view and explore them together during the therapy session.

Social media and technology are constantly changing; therefore, there may be times when I need to update this policy. If I do so, I will post the policy on my website, silverliningspsych.com, and inform you of the changes in our next session.

Friending

To respect your privacy and confidentiality, I do not accept friend requests on my personal Facebook page from current or former clients. It may also blur the boundaries of our therapeutic relationship.

Liking/Fanning

I have a business Facebook page that I use to share inspirations and provide information and updates about my practice. The information on my Facebook page is often on my website as well. You are welcome to visit the Silver Linings Psych Facebook page and share posts and practice updates with other Facebook users.

You are welcome to use your own discretion in choosing whether or not to “like” my Facebook business page. Please be aware if you “like” my page, you are choosing to reveal that you are connected to me in some way. Please note: I do not engage in conversations with current or former clients on my Facebook business page. However, I am delighted if you find inspiration and

helpful information.

Following

Silver Linings Psych has a blog on the Silver Linings Psych website, as well as a LinkedIn account, Instagram, and Facebook business page associated with Silver Linings Psych. I have no expectation that you as a client will want to follow my blog or Instagram. You are welcome to use your own discretion in choosing whether or not to follow me. Please be aware if you follow my Instagram, you are choosing to reveal that you are connected to me in some way. Please also be aware that I will not follow you back. I do not follow current or former clients on social media.

Interaction on Social Media

Please do not use messaging on social networking sites such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or LinkedIn to contact me. These sites are not secure and I may not read these messages in a timely fashion. Do not use Facebook wall postings, @replies, or other means of engaging with me in public online if we have an already established client/therapist relationship. Engaging with me in this way could compromise your confidentiality. It may also create the possibility that these exchanges become a part of your medical record which would need to be documented and archived in your chart.

If you need to contact me between sessions, the best way to do so is by email as discussed in the services agreement

Use of Search Engines

It is NOT a regular part of my practice to search for clients on Google, Facebook, or other search engines. I think it is important that I know you as you are in our sessions, not as you are in your social media profiles. If I happen to come across your information online, I will move on and avoid reading the content.

Extremely rare exceptions may be made during times of crisis. If I have a reason to suspect that you are in danger and you have not been in touch with me via our usual means (coming to appointments, answering phone or email messages) there might be an instance in which using a search engine (to find you, find someone close to you, or to check on your recent status updates) becomes necessary as part of ensuring your welfare. These are unusual situations and if I ever resort to such means, I will fully document it and discuss it with you when we next meet.

Business Review Sites

You may find my psychology practice on sites such as Yelp, Healthgrades, Yahoo Local, Bing, or other places that list businesses. Some of these sites include forums in which users rate their providers and add reviews. Many of these sites comb search engines for business listings and automatically add listings regardless of whether the business has added itself to the site. If you should find a listing for my practice on one of these sites, please know that my listing is NOT a request for a testimonial, rating, or endorsement from you as my client. The American Psychological Association Code of Ethics as well as other mental health licensing boards says it is unethical for psychologists and other mental health therapists to solicit testimonials from clients.

Of course, you have a right to express yourself on any site you wish. But due to confidentiality, I cannot respond to any review on any of these sites, regardless of whether it is positive or negative. I urge you to take your own privacy as seriously as I take my commitment to confidentiality to you. If you do choose to write something on a business review site, I hope you will keep in mind that you may be sharing personally revealing information in a public forum. I would also urge you to create a pseudonym that is not linked to your regular email address or friend networks for your own privacy and protection.

If we are working together, I hope that you will bring your feelings and reactions to our work directly into the therapy process. This can be an important part of therapy, even if you decide we are not a good fit. None of this is meant to keep you from sharing that you are in therapy with me wherever and with whomever you like. Confidentiality means that I cannot tell people that you are my client and my Ethics Code prohibits me from requesting testimonials from clients. But you are more than welcome to tell anyone you wish that I’m your therapist and/or how you feel about the treatment I provided to you, in any forum of your choosing.

Conclusion

Thank you for taking the time to review my Social Media Policy. If you have questions or concerns about any of these policies and procedures or regarding our potential interactions on the Internet, please bring them to my attention so that we can discuss them together.

BY CLICKING ON THE CHECKBOX BELOW I AM AGREEING THAT I HAVE READ, UNDERSTOOD AND AGREE TO THE ITEMS CONTAINED IN THIS DOCUMENT.