Social Media & Phone Policy
This document outlines my policies related to use of texting, e-mailing and use of Social Media. Please read it to understand how I conduct myself on the Internet and how you can expect me to respond to various interactions that may occur between us on the Internet.
If you have any questions about anything within this policy, I encourage you to bring them up when we meet. As new technology develops and the Internet changes, there may be times when I need to update this policy. If I do so, I will notify you of any policy changes, offer a printed copy of the updated policy or you can view it at www.theresacawley.com.
E-mail, mobile phone, computers
No form of client communication is 100% guaranteed to be private. Conversations can be overheard, e-mails can be sent to the wrong recipients and phone conversations can be listened to by others. In today’s age of e-mail, Facebook, Twitter and other social media, psychotherapists have to be more aware than ever of the potential risks of breaching client confidentiality by using these types of communication.
Although they add convenience and expedite communication, it is very important that clients are aware that computers, e-mail and mobile phone communication can be accessed relatively easily by unauthorized people, and hence can compromise the privacy and confidentiality of such communication. E-mails in particular, are vulnerable to such unauthorized access due to the fact that servers have unlimited and direct access to all e-mails that go through them. For this reason only use email for scheduling purposes and please do not e-mail me content related to your therapy sessions or speak to me about secure email services. My email is secure.
I use encryption software on my computer to protect information I hold on you, should it be hacked. My computer and files are password protected in the event that they are stolen. Please notify me if you decide to avoid or limit, in any way, the use of e-mails, mobile phones SMS (text), or storage of confidential information on computers.
If you need to cancel or change an appointment time, my preference is that you would do this by phone call, so we can speak in person. Please do not communicate confidential or private information via SMS (text) or e-mail. Please do not use e-mail for emergencies. Due to computer or network problems, e-mails may not be deliverable, and I may not check my e-mails daily. I endeavour to respond to therapeutic enquiries within 2 working days of receiving them.
If you choose to communicate with me by e-mail, please be aware that all e-mails are retained in the logs of your and my Internet service providers. While it is unlikely that someone will be looking at these logs, they are, in theory, available to be read by the system administrator(s) of the Internet service provider. You should also know that any e-mails I receive from you and any responses that I send to you become a part of your legal record and may be revealed in cases where your records are summoned by a legal entity.
Social Media
I do not use Facebook, Twitter or Linkedin. I do not confirm nor deny any professional relationship between myself and my current/past clients on any social network sites which I may find myself on now or in the future. I reserve the right to discontinue any social network connection without prior notification in the interest of our respective privacy.
Location-based services
I am aware that placing my practice as a check-in point on LBS’s may allow clients with LBS-enabled devices to indicate when they are visiting my practice. This may compromise your privacy and I would encourage you not to do so. If you have GPS tracking enabled on your device, it is possible that others may surmise that you are a therapy client due to regular check-ins at my office on a weekly basis. Please be aware of this risk if you are intentionally “checking in” from my office or if you have a passive LBS app enabled on your phone.
Use of Search Engines
It is not part of my practice to search for clients on Google, Facebook or other search engines as a means of respecting their online privacy.
Business/Consumer Review sites
I am aware that my practice may show up on consumer review sites and that clients may perceive a listing as a request for a review or testimonial. I do not want my clients to leave reviews/testimonials/ratings as I cannot respond to reviews in any way confirming whether someone is or was a therapy client as this would be a breach in confidentiality.
Thank you for taking the time to review my Social Media Policy. If you have questions or concerns about any of these policies and procedures or regarding our potential interactions on the Internet, do bring them to my attention so that we can discuss them.