Social Media & Online Engagement

This notice describes how Solutions to Serenity, PLLC informs and interacts regarding social media and online engagement. Please review it carefully.

Social Media & Online Engagement

Solutions to Serenity, PLLC has various social media account (i.e. Facebook and Instagram), allowing me to share practice information, news, and mental health content with other social media users. This document outlines my practice’s policy related to use of social media. 

This policy is not meant to keep you from sharing that you are in therapy at Solutions to Serenity, PLLC wherever or with whomever you like. Confidentiality means that as your therapist, I cannot tell people that you are my client. You are encouraged to take your own privacy as seriously as I take my commitment of confidentiality to you.

Friending

Therapists are not permitted to accept “friend” requests from current or former clients on their personal social networking sites (i.e. Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc.). Adding clients as “friends” on these sites can compromise your confidentiality and our respective privacy. It may also blue the boundaries of our therapeutic relationship. If you have questions about this, please bring them up when you meet with me in session.

Liking/Following

You are welcome to “like” or “follow” my social media feeds or read/share articles I post; however, because social media sites are public spaces, anyone who can see my social media pages can see your post or comment. In addition, when you post, comment, or “like” a page, it will be published on your page as well. My primary concern is your privacy. You are welcome to use your own discretion in choosing whether to follow my practice.

In order to maintain ethical boundaries, therapists are not permitted to follow you back. I believe that casual viewing of clients’ online content outside of the therapy hour can create confusion in regard to whether it’s being done as a part of your treatment or to satisfy curiosity. If there are things from your online life that you wish to share with me as your therapist, please bring them into the sessions where those things can be viewed and explored within our therapeutic relationship.

Use of Search Engines

It is NOT a regular part of my practice to search for clients on Google or Facebook or other search engines. Due to the fact that therapists are mandated reported, extremely rare exceptions may be made during times of crisis. If a therapist has a reason to suspect you are in danger and you have not been in touch with your therapist via typical means (coming to appointments, phone, or email) there might be an instance in which using a search engine (to find you, find someone else close to you, or to check on your recent status updates) becomes necessary as part of ensuring your welfare. These are unusual situations and if your therapist resorts to such means, the information will be fully documented and discussed with you during your next session.

Business Review Sites

You may find Solutions to Serenity, PLLC on sites such as Google, Yelp, Healthgrades, or other places which list businesses. Some of these sites include forums in which users rate their providers and add reviews. Many of these sites comb search engine for business listings and automatically add listings regardless of whether the business has added itself to the site. If you should find Solutions to Serenity, PLLC on any of these sites, please know that this listing is not a request for a testimonial, rating, or endorsement from you as a client. The American Counseling Association’s Ethical Code prohibits clinicians from requesting testimonials for marketing purposes. 

If you are using these sites to communicate your feelings about your therapeutic experience with your therapist, the communication may not be seen by your therapist. You have a right to express yourself on any site you wish; however, due to confidentiality, I cannot respond to any review on any of these sites whether it is positive or negative. My hope is that you bring your feelings and reactions concerning your treatment directly into the therapy process. This can be an important part of treatment, even if you decide to go elsewhere.

If you do choose to write something on a business review site, please keep in mind that you may be sharing personally revealing information in a public forum. If you feel your therapist has done something harmful or unethical, and you do not feel comfortable discussing it with your therapist, you should contact the North Carolina Board of Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselors, which oversees mental health licensing in North Carolina, and they will review the situation you have identified. Their address and number is:

North Carolina Board of Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselors

P.O. Box 77819, Greensboro, NC 27417

Ph: (336) 217-6007

Safe Communication

Please be aware of any scams or misrepresentations that target therapy clients. Solutions to Serenity, PLLC will NEVER require you to share information of any nature including contact, financial, clinical, judicial, and familial information through social media platforms. Clients are encouraged to update their personal information through the secure client portal (i.e. Grow Therapy, Alma, or Simple Practice) and to contact Makenzie Wilbourn, LCMHC, LCAS, CCS about scheduling adjustments through my secure email or texting service (Spruce Health).

Any content related to clinical and therapeutic work is to be exchanged during the session. Additional feedback from clients is welcome and encouraged to be given directly to their therapist during sessions or to Solutions to Serenity, PLLC at (828) 383-0491.

Conclusion

Thank you for taking the time to review my Social Media and Communication Policy. If you have any questions or concerns about anything written in this policy, or regarding potential interactions with myself as your therapist on the Internet, please bring them to my attention so that we can discuss them further. As new technology develops and the Internet changes, there may be times when this policy needs to be updated. Any updates or changes will be posted and on my website: www.solutionstoserenity.com