Ethical Use of Social Media in Counselling

Many mental health helpers assert that they are not interested in doing “e-therapy” (online sessions). Others - the more reluctant users of twenty-first-century online technologies - would undoubtedly like the whole issue of practitioner interaction with the cyber domain to go away; they believe that they can avoid any problems by engaging as little as possible with social media. But those same practitioners still have a smart phone and, most likely, an email address: devices and platforms which are broadly included as part of - and normally linked to - “social media”. Whether we like it or not, we are living and working in an increasingly cyber-permeated world. If we are genuine about wanting to deliver the highest quality service to our clients, we must operate from an ethical stance in that world, which means that we need to understand how that world works. The purpose of this course - a companion to “E-therapy: Ethical Considerations” and “Ethical Dilemmas in Online Counselling: Case Studies” - is to acquaint you, the mental health professional, with the main issues related to ethical use of social media in counselling. We examine the new possibilities - and new risks - emerging with the swiftly accelerating use of social media platforms in both counselling contexts and everyday life. We identify the issues which give rise to ethical considerations and review these in light of some frameworks or codes of ethics which have already considered the question of interface with online technologies and issued mandates or guidelines for their professionals. Upon successful completion of the course, you will be able to: Identify both possibilities and risks for the therapeutic relationship made possible by recent online technologies; Name the chief issues which arise from use of social networking sites in a counselling/mental health context; Discuss the chief risks to confidentiality when communication occurs with clients via social media; List the factors which must be taken into consideration before accepting a “Friend” or connection request from a client via social networking sites; Show how dual or multiple relationships created via social media can harm clients and/or the therapeutic relationship; Name the issues which practitioners must face when they allow client communication via email, text message, and/or by mobile phone; Cite tips which help the mental health professional proactively avoid ethical problems through practices adopted vis-a-vis social media.