SOCIAL MEDIA AND INTERNET BOUNDARIES POLICIES
Since my therapy practice is mostly based online, there are some unique challenges that come up that are important to be aware of prior to starting treatment with me. Please read this document in order to understand the expectations of the client and the therapist while interacting online.
Interacting on social media and the Internet with clients can compromise your confidentiality, can blur the boundaries of our therapeutic and professional relationship, and can impact our working relationship. My primary concern is your privacy and engaging in social media with you could compromise your privacy without my knowledge.
If there are things from your online life that you would like to share with me, please bring them to our sessions. We can review and explore them together during our therapy time. Here are a few policies about social media and Internet boundaries that I would like you to review:
Friending
I do not accept friend requests from current or former clients on any social media sites (including, but not limited to: Facebook, Twitter, Linked In, Snapchat, Instagram, Friendster, etc.)
Following
If you use an easily recognizable name on Twitter or blog commentaries, and you decide you want to follow my professional stream of tweets or blogs, we may discuss this and its impact on our therapeutic relationship. If you choose to follow me, please note that I will not follow you back due to privacy concerns and appropriate professional boundaries.
“Googling” and Use of Search Engines
It is not part of my regular practice to search for clients on the Internet using Google, Facebook, or other search engines. Extremely rare exceptions may be made during times of crisis (i.e.: if I have reason to believe that you are in danger and you have not been in touch with me via our usual means) or when I believe it helps accentuate the client-therapist relationship. Also, I ask that you do not search or “google” me beyond the information that you need to have to make a decision on whether I am the right the therapist for you. The internet has an unlimited amount of information about us as individuals and I ask that you respect my privacy and not do extensive searching on me or my personal matters.
Location-Based Services
There are some privacy considerations if you are using location-based services on your mobile device. Keep in mind that using a location-based service on your mobile device (even if you are unaware of it being activated) could violate your confidentiality and privacy.
Review Sites
You may find my practice on various review sites such as Yelp, Healthgrades, Google Business, Facebook, or other places that list businesses. Some of these sites have review options that allow users to rate their experience. According to Kolmes (2010), 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 my listing on any of these sites, please know that my listing is not a request for a testimonial, rating, review, etc. While you have the right to express yourself on any site you want to, due to confidentiality concerns, I cannot respond to any review on any of these sites whether it is positive or negative. Because of privacy concerns, it is also likely that I will never see these sites and I ask that you discuss with me your feelings and reviews of our work directly instead, as this can be an important part of our therapeutic relationship. If you do have serious concerns regarding our time together, please feel free to contact your states’ licensing boards (their contact information can be found in the “New Client Information Packet: Informed Consent”).
Communication
Please use email or the secure messaging system through SimplePractice to communicate with me on the Internet and either upload documents to the client portal or send attachments to the Rhiannon@SexTherapy-Online.com email. You may feel free at any time to call me as well. Automated text messages and/or emails may be sent to you regarding appointment times if you signed up for this service and may come at odd hours. You can also feel free to text me regarding scheduling. Any texts you send me will be part of your medical record. Please note that I may not respond to emails, texts, and voicemails immediately if they are not an emergency. Also, please be mindful and do not text or call past 9 pm CT, unless it is an emergency.
Appropriate Boundaries
Utilizing the Internet as a way to communicate can often arise some boundary issues that are not present in traditional face-to-face therapeutic relationships. Clients often feel free to express themselves in more open and deeper ways in a distance therapy situation. Clients can utilize telephone, chat, and video conferencing sessions in order to express more intimate and complex thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. Because inappropriate and compulsive behavior on the Internet is often one of the issues clients struggle with in their regular life, it can often be an issue within the therapeutic relationship. Please keep in mind that all emails and texts will be part of the clients’ medical record and any inappropriate communication will be documented and addressed by the therapist in session.
These policies have been developed in order to protect your privacy and keep our therapeutic and professional relationship confidential.
Please feel free to bring up any questions or concerns you have regarding the information found in this document when we have a session. As new technology, apps, programs, and resources develop and as the Internet changes, it may be necessary for this document to be updated. If this document is updated, I will notify you and send you a copy of the updated policy.
This document was adapted Dr. Keely Kolmes “My Private Practice Social Media Policy” document.
ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATION I cannot ensure the confidentiality of any form of communication through electronic media, including text messages. If you prefer to communicate via email or text messaging for issues regarding scheduling or cancellations, I will do so. While I may try to return messages in a timely manner, I cannot guarantee immediate response and request that you do not use these methods of communication to discuss therapeutic content and/or request assistance for emergencies.
Services by electronic means, including but not limited to telephone communication, the Internet, facsimile machines, and e-mail is considered telemedicine by the State of California. Under the California Telemedicine Act of 1996, telemedicine is broadly defined as the use of information technology to deliver medical services and information from one location to another. If you and your therapist chose to use information technology for some or all of your treatment, you need to understand that: (1) You retain the option to withhold or withdraw consent at any time without affecting the right to future care or treatment or risking the loss or withdrawal of any program benefits to which you would otherwise be entitled. (2) All existing confidentiality protections are equally applicable. (3) Your access to all medical information transmitted during a telemedicine consultation is guaranteed, and copies of this information are available for a reasonable fee. (4) Dissemination of any of your identifiable images or information from the telemedicine interaction to researchers or other entities shall not occur without your consent. (5) There are potential risks, consequences, and benefits of telemedicine. Potential benefits include, but are not limited to improved communication capabilities, providing convenient access to up-to-date information, consultations, support, reduced costs, improved quality, change in the conditions of practice, improved access to therapy, better continuity of care, and reduction of lost work time and travel costs. Effective therapy is often facilitated when the therapist gathers within a session or a series of sessions, a multitude of observations, information, and experiences about the client. Therapists may make clinical assessments, diagnosis, and interventions based not only on direct verbal or auditory communications, written reports, and third person consultations, but also from direct visual and olfactory observations, information, and experiences. When using information technology in therapy services, potential risks include, but are not limited to the therapist’s inability to make visual and olfactory observations of clinically or therapeutically potentially relevant issues such as: your physical condition including deformities, apparent height and weight, body type, attractiveness relative to social and cultural norms or standards, gait and motor coordination, posture, work speed, any noteworthy mannerism or gestures, physical or medical conditions including bruises or injuries, basic grooming and hygiene including appropriateness of dress, eye contact (including any changes in the previously listed issues), sex, chronological and apparent age, ethnicity, facial and body language, and congruence of language and facial or bodily expression. Potential consequences thus include the therapist not being aware of what he or she would consider important information, that you may not recognize as significant to present verbally the therapist.