⚖️ To accept or not accept client 'friend' requests?

This is a continuation of a series on Social Media and Psychotherapy. Read last week’s edition on What happens when clients Google you?, 2nd post- How to respond to clients Googling you?and 3rd Post- Have you ever Googled a client?

A client sends a request to ‘friend’ or ‘follow’ you on your personal social media account. What do you do? Each action can have ramifications:

• ‘Accepting’ sends a signal of being ‘friends’ and blur the therapeutic boundary by entering each other’s personal lives.

• ‘Rejecting’ the request could make the client feel that they are not liked.

• ‘Ignoring’ can also bring up unpleasant feelings.

Tips to support you in having that conversation-

• Handling with sensitivity: Consider how this particular client, given their history might respond to to the decision you make and the impact it can have on the therapeutic work.

• Enquire about the meaning of the request: is it a bid for connection? an attempt push boundaries? or is it just something they did without a thought? Different generations might have different relationship with social media and the act of sending a friend/follow request.

• Explain your stance: Elaborate how engaging with each other online can compromise the work and hold space for client’s feelings about your decision.

Having a Social Media Policy from the outset can be helpful to proactively set boundaries about such issues. Next week, I’ll talk more about what that can include.

Until next week,
Suvrita

Help me reach 1000 subscribers, forward this to a colleague who’d find this useful!