social media policy

This policy explains how Beyond the Mind UK approaches social media in order to maintain appropriate professional boundaries and protect your privacy and confidentiality.

Social media platforms and technology continue to change, so this policy may be reviewed and updated from time to time. The most current version will always be available on the Beyond the Mind UK website.

If you have any questions about this policy or how it relates to our work together, please feel free to ask.

Following on Social Media

Beyond the Mind UK has professional accounts on platforms including Instagram and LinkedIn, which are used to share educational content, information and updates about the practice.

You are welcome to follow or connect with my professional accounts if you choose to do so. However, I will not follow or connect with current clients in return, or routinely view clients' social media profiles.

Please be aware that following or interacting with a Beyond the Mind UK account may make your connection with the practice visible to others, depending on the platform and your own privacy settings.

Personal Social Media Accounts

To maintain appropriate boundaries between my personal and professional life, I do not accept friend, follow or connection requests from current clients on my personal social media accounts.

I will not initiate contact with you through a personal social media account.

Comments, Likes, Tags and Public Interaction

You are free to like, follow, share or comment on content published by Beyond the Mind UK.

However, I will not respond to or engage with comments, tags or other public interactions from current clients in a way that could acknowledge or suggest that you are a client.

This is not intended to be dismissive or to ignore you. It is intended to protect your confidentiality and maintain the boundaries of our therapeutic relationship.

Please remember that anything you choose to post publicly may be visible to others. Beyond the Mind UK cannot control who sees, saves, shares or otherwise interacts with information that you choose to make public.

Direct Messages

Social media direct messages are not used for therapeutic communication or ongoing communication with existing clients.

If you are an existing client and need to contact me about an appointment or another practical matter, please use the contact methods we have agreed rather than Instagram or LinkedIn messaging.

General enquiries from prospective clients may be acknowledged through social media and, where appropriate, redirected to the usual Beyond the Mind UK contact or enquiry process.

Searching for Clients Online

I will not routinely search for you online or look through your social media accounts.

There may be exceptional circumstances where accessing publicly available information is considered necessary because there is a serious concern about your safety or the safety of another person.

If this were necessary, I would consider your privacy and confidentiality carefully and, where appropriate and safe to do so, discuss this with you.

Former Clients

Professional responsibilities relating to confidentiality continue after therapy has ended.

I will therefore not routinely initiate social media contact or connections with former clients. Any interaction involving a former client will continue to be considered carefully in relation to confidentiality and professional boundaries.

Reviews and Testimonials

You may come across Beyond the Mind UK on search engines, professional directories, social media or online review platforms.

You are under no obligation to leave a review or testimonial, and Beyond the Mind UK will not request client testimonials for use in advertising or promotional materials.

If you independently choose to post publicly about your experience of therapy, please be aware that doing so may reveal information about your therapeutic relationship.

To protect your confidentiality, I will not publicly confirm whether someone is, or has previously been, a client. This means I may not respond to reviews or comments in the way that another business ordinarily might.

Confidentiality Online

I will not intentionally disclose or confirm your status as a client through social media.

If we happen to interact or come across one another in a public online space, I will maintain your confidentiality and will not acknowledge our therapeutic relationship.

You are free to disclose that you attend therapy if you choose to do so. However, once information is shared publicly online, Beyond the Mind UK cannot control how that information may subsequently be viewed, stored or shared.

Electronic Communication

Information regarding the use of email, telephone, WhatsApp and other electronic communication, including how information is handled and protected, can be found within the Beyond the Mind UK Privacy Notice and Confidentiality Policy.

Professional Standards

My use of social media is guided by my professional responsibilities regarding confidentiality, privacy, professional boundaries and ethical practice.

Further information about how your personal information is collected, used and stored can be found in the Beyond the Mind UK Privacy Notice.

Further information about confidentiality and its limitations can be found in the Beyond the Mind UK Confidentiality Policy.