Social Media Policy

We use social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook for professional purposes only. This may be where you first learned of my practice. While we value the opportunities for information and connection that social media provides, we also want to ensure your privacy and confidentiality to the degree possible. 

Interacting: 

1. Therefore, we do not accept “friend” requests or similar connection requests from clients and only follow other professionals on social media platforms. Commenting or direct messaging through social media is not an appropriate way to contact me, and we will not acknowledge or respond to client communication attempts through these channels. This includes current clients and past clients. We apologize if this may at first appear to be cold; it is designed to protect your interests and your privacy. This type of interaction increases the chances of this information being documented and stored in your legal medical file.

2. To reach our office, please call the main number at 334-676-1383 or send a secure email through the client portal. We do not provide client contact information to any social media platforms. However, you still may find that these platforms present some risk to your confidentiality. They are known to match people using descriptions like “People You May Know” simply if you and the other person share the same contact in your phone, and have given the social media site access to your contacts. If you have “Liked,” commented on, or otherwise attempted to respond to any of my posts in the past, this information may also be used by social media platforms to connect you to me and may result in you being connected to others who have connections with me in various ways. As such, you may be suggested as a potential contact for other clients, and other clients may be suggested as a potential contact for you. We have no ability to control or alter how social media platforms use information about you or me that we did not share.

3. Reducing risk to your confidentiality

As noted above, many social media platforms use data from users’ phones to connect you with possible contacts. This poses some risk to your privacy and confidentiality, regardless of the fact that I do not share client information with these platforms. You can minimize that risk by: (1) not adding me as a contact in your phone (bearing in mind your phone may create a contact automatically if you call my office from your phone), and (2) turning off any social media platform’s ability to access your contacts or your location. The ultimate choice and responsibility for protecting your confidentiality relative to social media lies with you.

4. Reviewing your social media

We will not access your social media posts without your written or expressed permission to do so, even if they are publicly accessible. If you believe it will be helpful to the counseling process for me to review social media posts in session,  we ask that you print them out in advance of session and bring them with you and we can review posts together in person or you can securely upload them to the portal.

5. Supervision and Consultation Using Online Platforms

At times your provider may consult with medical and mental health providers about your case using a secure online platform without revealing identifying information about you, for the purposes of providing the highest quality care. These consultations do not take place on any social media platform.