Social Media Policy 

I acknowledge that social media are tools which have become embedded in society. I also currently have a presence on LinkedIn, Instagram and X (formerly Twitter). The technological world is constantly changing, and policies are regularly updated. If you, as a client, have questions about any aspect of this policy, please ask.

Friending - I do not accept friend or contact requests from former or current clients on any social networking sites (e.g., Facebook, X, Instagram, LinkedIn), as this is likely to compromise clients' confidentiality and blur the boundaries of the therapeutic relationship.

Following and posting - I may occasionally post on Instagram or X as a business to provide general information and articles, videos, and blogs of interest, which clients may want to follow. I will not follow you on Facebook, X, Instagram, or LinkedIn, as this can cause confusion around the purpose of this. I do not reply to comments, and I do not respond to direct messaging for security purposes.

Interactions between therapist and clients -  I do not encourage clients to use public ways of contact (e.g. @ or #tags) because of the potential risk of compromising the client's confidentiality.  It would be possible for clients to use business Facebook, Instagram messenger, WhatsApp or text to discuss appointment times or other logistics, but not therapeutic issues. NB: text messages cannot be kept secure.

The use of search engines - It may be necessary on very rare occasions, i.e. in a time of crisis, for example, if a client failed to attend a session and I was concerned for their safety, I may use search engines as a source of information about you. If I do use a search engine, I will inform you at our next session.

Business Review Sites - You may find my practice may appear on business review sites; these reviews have not been requested by me. As a client, you are free to post whatever you choose on review sites, but due to confidentiality, I wouldn’t be able to comment on anything that was posted. Be aware that anyone could post anything on review sites, both positive or negative and may not reflect the views of genuine clients. 

Testimonials - The National College of Hypno-Psychotherapy professional body, and the United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP) considers the practice of publishing testimonials as unethical. Therefore, no testimonials will be published on my website or social media channels. Private messages from clients who have completed their therapy as feedback are welcome.

Location-Based Services - if you are using location-based services on your phone, it would be important for you to be aware that others may deduce that you are accessing therapy at my practice premises.

Email - similar to text and Whatsapp messaging, the use of email is only for logistical contact (e.g. for appointment times and address information or online therapy sessions details) due to the inherent insecurity of email. It could be possible that you may wish to engage in “email therapy” and can use a password-protected Google Docs/Microsoft Word document to contain whatever you wish to communicate, for example, art, photos, poems, letters, between sessions you wish to.  I can set this up if needed. 

Telephone - Texting may be used for logistical contact. It may not be possible to answer the phone if I’m with another client; therefore, texting is preferable. Whether phoning or texting, please only do so between the hours of 9.30 AM and 5.00 PM Monday - Thursday. You can expect a response to their email, call and messages ideally within a 24-hour period.