Ethics and Social Media

Over the past few of years, AAMFT has received an increased number of calls surrounding social media and the potential dilemmas that can arise from this new form of extra-office contact with clients. The good news is that while the medium may have changed, the ethical rules remain the same.

Social media is a part of many people’s everyday lives. Therapists are not expected to avoid social media merely because they decided to enter this profession, but by implementing a few quick tips, they can better ensure that they are engaging in social media in an ethically appropriate and professional manner. First and foremost, it is recommended that therapists clearly separate their personal social media use from their professional social media use.

Typically when it comes to social media, the biggest ethics concerns are client confidentiality, dual roles/multiple relationships, general conflicts of interest, and advertising issues.

For guidance on confidentiality issues, you can look to Standard 2.2 and Standard VI in the AAMFT Code of Ethics. Standard 2.2 provides guidance on confidentiality in general, while Standard VII and the specific standards within Standard VII remind therapists that they are responsible for choosing technological platforms that adhere to standards of best practices related to confidentiality and quality of services.

For guidance on dual roles/multiple relationships and conflicts of interest, you can look to Standards 1.3 and 3.4 in the Code. These standards remind therapists to be vigilant to situations that could increase the risk of harm to, or exploitation of, clients, or that could increase the risk of impaired clinical or professional judgment of the therapist.

For guidance on advertising issues, therapists can look to Standard IX in the Code. Standard IX should be adhered to when engaging in social media in a professional capacity. The theme that runs throughout Standard IX is truth and accuracy in advertising your competencies, education, training and experience relevant to your practice of marriage and family therapy. Remember, chances are if it would be misleading on a business card, it would be misleading on the social media site in question.

Quick Tips

In order to help you better navigate social media, below you’ll find some quick tips to use to help minimize and manage the risks associated with therapists engaging in social media activities. 

Personal Accounts

Professional Accounts

Use an email account that is not associated with your professional activities and that is never used to interact with clients   Familiarize yourself with each site’s terms of use, privacy policy, etc.   Familiarize yourself with how each site makes recommendations for friends/followers/connections, etc.   Take full advantage of each site’s privacy settings and lock down personal accounts to help decrease the chances of clients finding your personal accounts

Use an email account that is not associated with your personal activities and that is never used to interact with clients   Implement a social media policy and clearly convey that policy to clients   Familiarize yourself with each site’s terms of use, privacy policy, etc.   Familiarize yourself with how each site makes recommendations for friends/followers/connections, etc.   Familiarize yourself with the different types of accounts, pages, etc., that are available on each site and choose options that minimize risks associated with client confidentiality, dual roles, conflicts of interest, etc.   Comply with Standard IX in the AAMFT Code of Ethics by ensuring that descriptions of yourself and your work are accurate   Keep things professional

 

As always, if you run into obstacles along the way, remember to take advantage of the legal and ethics consultations available to AAMFT members. For more information about the consultation service, including eligibility information, click here. 

Additional Resources:

A Psychotherapist’s Guide to Facebook and Twitter: Why Clinicians Should Give a Tweet!

You Have Major Depressive Disorder. Mind if I Tweet That? 

Managing Twitter As a Mental Health Professional

Updated Private Practice Social Media Policy

Ethical Framework for the Use of Social Media by Mental Health Professionals

To Accept or Not to Accept? How to Respond When Clients Send “Friend Request” to their psychotherapists or counselors on social networking sites