11.6 Social Media
Social media sites are a significant part of people’s daily lives and our overall culture (Kolmes, 2012). The sheer prevalence of social media use and the information they provide about people make these electronic sites and their potential to facilitate connections out of the counseling office of interest to ethics. Counselors can use social media for various purposes, including personal enjoyment, as an investigative tool, to share therapeutic content, or to connect with clients online. Each of the themes presented brings about different ethical considerations, which will be discussed below.
Personal Use of Social Media
Many people have personal accounts on social media where they share personal details and pictures and connect with their social community. Counselors are no exception, and they have an added responsibility to remain mindful of publicly available information about them that is accessible to potential, current, and former clients. They consider privacy settings within these sites and manage who can see personal information. They also work to maintain an appropriate online presence and mitigate risk to the therapeutic relationship by managing which personal details are public knowledge. Per the ACA code, if they share aspects of their professional accomplishments online, they ensure that accurate information regarding past education, graduate degrees, and licenses held and in compliance is displayed to abide by veracity and trust (Kolmes, 2012).
The ACA (2014) discusses a counselor’s virtual professional presence in its ethical code:
“In cases where counselors wish to maintain a professional and personal presence for social media use, separate professional and personal web pages and profiles are created to clearly distinguish between the two kinds of virtual presence” (Standard H.6.a.).
Social Media as an Investigative Tool
With social media and greater internet use, more information and transparency are available online than ever. Some people use social media or other internet sites as a tool to investigate and learn about others. People can look up housing-related documents, public records, social media accounts, genealogy information, etc. Once information is shared on the internet, it exists forever, motivating counselors to be thoughtful about their online presence and ever-shifting impact over time (Kolmes, 2012). Counselors should expect that clients will search for them online. Additionally, counselors should refrain from using social media or other sites to conduct online investigations of their clients. Doing so creates a knowledge-power imbalance, hinders counseling work, and introduces a dual relationship that is easily avoided (Kolmes, 2012). Clients are entitled to privacy outside of the session, including their online presence.
The ACA (2014) highlights this:
“Counselors respect the privacy of their clients’ presence on social media unless given consent to view such information” (Standard H.6.c.).
Sharing Therapeutic Content
“Social media therapists” exist online and often share therapeutic, psychoeducational content on social media sites for the general public to interact with or for marketing. In doing so, counselors may use their qualifications or licensure for the wrong reasons, not for client benefit. They can impose harm by sharing psychological information without context and the support of a counseling relationship. Professional counselors know that a healthy counseling relationship is responsible for nearly 70% of positive therapeutic outcomes (DeAngelis, 2019). This alone brings the effectiveness and intentions of “social media therapists” into question. Additionally, some social media accounts that claim to be experts may not have the proper qualifications or training to post-therapeutic content (Kolmes, 2012). An ethical professional always asks if this post or account is for the benefit of people.
Connecting with Clients Online
As outlined below, ACA and NAADAC ethical codes prohibit online social relationships with current clients. Clients may believe that connecting with their counselor online builds the relationship, but it does the opposite by complicating it (Kolmes, 2012). Counselors are responsible for communicating digital boundaries and their purpose during ongoing informed consent. They extend these digital boundaries to their clients’ relatives, friends, or professional associates (i.e., parents of an adolescent client, a child client’s school teacher, a client’s spouse, etc.). Connecting with clients online constitutes a boundary violation and leaves both parties vulnerable to having information about one another that can easily harm the client or counseling relationship. It ultimately creates a complex, high-impact dual relationship and furthers power imbalance.
Additionally, befriending or associating with current or former clients on social media can break client confidentiality by identifying that person as a client in counseling. The counselor’s fiduciary duty is to protect confidentiality and privacy, as discussed in Chapter 7. Counselors communicate boundaries around online relationships with clients during informed consent and ongoing as concerns arise. As outlined in the NAADAC code of ethics, if counselors decide to have professional pages to share psychoeducational materials or resources, they clearly distinguish that page and presence for professional purposes only and avoid sharing personal information. In representing themselves online, counselors share accurate and up-to-date information, particularly around licensure and scope of practice.
The ACA (2014) highlights this:
“Counselors are prohibited from engaging in a personal virtual relationship with individuals with whom they have a current counseling relationship (e.g., through social or other media)” (Standard A.5.e.).
Similarly, NAADAC (2021) discusses social media guidelines:
“Addiction professionals shall not accept client “friend” requests on social networking sites or via email. Providers who choose to maintain a professional and personal presence for social media use shall create separate professional and personal web pages, and profiles, which clearly distinguish between the professional and personal virtual presence” (Standard VI-10).
And
“Addiction professionals shall clearly explain to their clients/ supervisees, as part of informed consent, the benefits, inherent risks, including lack of confidentiality, and necessary boundaries surrounding the use of social media. Providers shall clearly explain their policies and procedures specific to the use of social media in clinical relationships with the client and supervisee. Providers shall respect the client’s/ supervisee’s rights to privacy on social media, and shall not investigate the client/ supervisee without prior consent” (Standard VI-20).
Case Example: The Social Media Counselor
Jasmine, a 28-year-old woman struggling with anxiety, is searching for a counselor and comes across Sarah, a licensed mental health counselor, on social media. Sarah’s posts about mental health, coping strategies, and her authentic sharing about her mental health journey resonate with Jasmine, making her feel Sarah would be a great fit. Jasmine decides to schedule an appointment with Sarah and, before the session, sends her a friend request on social media, along with a direct message expressing how much she appreciates Sarah’s openness online. When Jasmine arrives for her first session, Sarah mentions receiving her friend request but explains that she maintains strict professional boundaries on social media to ensure the confidentiality and integrity of the therapeutic relationship. This situation presents an ethical dilemma: should Jasmine be allowed to connect with Sarah on social media as a way of building rapport, or should Sarah maintain her stance on professional boundaries to avoid dual relationships and preserve client confidentiality?
Key Takeaways
- Counselors must carefully manage their personal social media presence, ensuring privacy settings are appropriate and professional information shared complies with ethical standards of accuracy and trust.
- Using social media as an investigative tool to look up clients is discouraged, as it breaches client privacy and creates a power imbalance.
- Sharing therapeutic content online should be done responsibly, prioritizing client welfare and ensuring information is accurate and contextually appropriate.
- Engaging in personal virtual relationships with current clients, including social media connections, is prohibited to maintain professional boundaries and protect confidentiality.
- Counselors should explain their social media policies and boundaries during informed consent, emphasizing the risks and maintaining clear distinctions between professional and personal virtual presence.