Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn... Oh My!
Are you a private practice therapist with a social media account? Perhaps you’ve created a Facebook business page for your practice, or you have a professional account under your name on LinkedIn. If so, make sure you have a…
Social Media Policy
It’s 2020 — and like it or not, social media is here to stay (or maybe you’re in a love-hate relationship with social media… join the club!). Having an online presence can have a powerful impact on your private practice website’s search engine optimization, your referral base, and the image of your practice.
For instance, having an Instagram account for your practice can aid in the “legitimacy” of your practice (did you know there are 107 million Instagram users in the United States? Talk about reaching a wider audience!).
Oh, and did we mention — social media is a great way to show off your clinical expertise and help potential clients learn more about you!
If your practice has a social media presence, it is essential to have a social media policy in place. A social media policy outlines boundaries of the client-therapist relationship, and protects both you (the therapist) and the client.
A social media policy can generally be found in the Informed Consent portion of your Intake paperwork. Consider reviewing the following in your social media policy:
Friend Requesting: clarify the therapist-client relationship
Liking/Following: review how liking/following your practice page can compromise client confidentiality
“Checking In” on location-based services can also compromise client privacy
Review Sites: explain that your practice is limited in its ability to respond to reviews in order to protect client confidentiality
Need Intake Forms For Your Practice?
Do you want to incorporate a social media policy in your Intake paperwork? Rest easy — we’ve already done the hard work for you. Check out our Easy Intake Packet, which includes the 8 essential counselor Intake forms counselors need to start seeing clients.