Social Media Policy

Who am I?

Dr Simone Grey, Chartered Counselling Psychologist, HCPC number: PYL044592

This policy explains how I use social media and how I manage contact with clients online.

It is here to protect:

• your privacy
• your confidentiality
• the therapeutic relationship
• clear professional boundaries
• my ability to practise safely and ethically

I follow the professional standards set by the HCPC and the British Psychological Society.

1. My social media accounts

I may use social media to share general information about psychology, therapy, nutrition, wellbeing, relationships, trauma, emotional health, and related topics.

My social media content is for general education only.

It is not:

• therapy
• personal advice
• crisis support
• a substitute for professional help
• tailored to your individual circumstances

Reading, watching, liking, commenting on, or sharing my content does not create a therapeutic relationship.

2. Following my professional accounts

You are free to follow my professional social media accounts if you choose.

However, please be aware that social media is not private. Other people may be able to see that you follow, like, comment on, or share my content.

To protect your confidentiality, I will not:

• follow you back
• comment on your personal posts
• like your personal content
• respond in a way that identifies you as a client
• publicly acknowledge that I know you

This applies to current clients, former clients, and people who have made enquiries about therapy.

3. Personal social media accounts

I do not accept friend requests, follow requests, or connection requests from current or former clients on my personal social media accounts.

This is not a rejection. It is a professional boundary.

It helps protect:

• your privacy
• my privacy
• the therapy relationship
• the clarity of my professional role

4. Contacting me through social media

Please do not use social media to contact me about therapy, appointments, personal issues, risk, distress, or clinical matters.

Social media is not a safe or reliable way to communicate about therapy.

Messages can be missed, delayed, hacked, misdirected, or seen by others.

For therapy-related contact, please use the agreed contact method, such as:

• email
• client portal
• Practice Better
• telephone, where agreed

I do not provide therapy, advice, assessment, risk support, or crisis support through social media messages.

5. Direct messages

I may not read or respond to direct messages on social media.

If you send me a therapy-related message through social media, I may ask you to contact me through the proper channel instead.

I may not respond at all if the message is:

• clinical
• personal
• urgent
• inappropriate
• disrespectful
• boundary-crossing

This is to protect both of us.

6. Crisis or urgent support

Social media is not monitored for emergencies.

If you are at immediate risk, feel unable to keep yourself safe, or need urgent help, please contact emergency or crisis services.

In the UK, this may include:

• 999 in an emergency
• NHS 111
• your GP
• your local crisis team
• Samaritans on 116 123

Please do not use comments, tags, or direct messages to ask for urgent help.

7. Public comments and engagement

You are welcome to engage with my professional content if you choose.

However, please remember that comments are public or semi-public depending on the platform.

Please avoid sharing personal, sensitive, or confidential information in comments.

This includes information about:

• your therapy
• your mental health
• trauma history
• relationships
• medical history
• legal issues
• family matters
• anything you would not want publicly visible

If you post personal or sensitive information publicly, I may not respond. I may remove or hide the comment where possible.

8. Respectful communication

I aim to keep my social media spaces respectful, safe, and professional.

Respectful disagreement is allowed.

Abuse is not.

I may ignore, hide, delete, restrict, or block comments or accounts that are:

• aggressive
• threatening
• insulting
• shaming
• discriminatory
• sexually inappropriate
• harassing
• intrusive
• repeatedly argumentative
• personally attacking
• clinically inappropriate
• trying to provoke conflict
• sharing private information about me or others
• attempting to use social media as a substitute for therapy

I do not have to respond to disrespectful, hostile, or boundary-crossing contact.

This boundary protects me, my clients, and the wider online community.

9. Confidentiality

I will never confirm online whether someone is, or has been, my client.

This means that if you comment on my content, I will not reply in a way that confirms our relationship.

For example, I will not say things like:

• “We can talk about this in session”
• “As your therapist…”
• “I remember you mentioned this”
• “Please email me about your appointment”

This protects your confidentiality.

10. Online reviews and testimonials

I do not ask clients for reviews or testimonials.

This is because therapy is a private relationship, and I do not want clients to feel pressured to make their experience public.

If you choose to leave a public review, that is your decision.

However, I will not respond in a way that confirms you are or were a client.

11. Tags, shares, and mentions

Please do not tag me in personal posts about your therapy, mental health, private life, or crisis support needs.

Please do not use public social media posts to ask me clinical questions.

If you tag or mention me in something personal or sensitive, I may not respond.

Where possible, I may remove the tag or ask you to contact me through the appropriate channel.

12. Searching for client information online

I do not routinely search for clients online.

There may be rare exceptions where I may need to look at publicly available information if there is a serious concern about safety, safeguarding, risk, or professional responsibility.

This would only be done where clinically or ethically necessary.

Where appropriate, I would discuss this with you.

13. What happens if I see your content online

If I accidentally see something you have posted online, I will not usually bring it into therapy unless it is directly relevant to risk, safeguarding, or our work together.

I will not monitor your social media.

I will not use your social media to gather personal information about you.

14. Boundaries with former clients

These boundaries also apply to former clients.

Even after therapy ends, I will not attempt to connect with you through personal social media.

This is to protect your confidentiality and the integrity of the previous therapeutic relationship.

15. Professional boundaries protect both of us

Clear online boundaries are not about being cold or distant.

They are about protecting the therapeutic relationship.

Therapy works best when communication is clear, safe, private, and held within appropriate professional channels.

16. Changes to this policy

I may update this policy from time to time to reflect changes in professional guidance, social media platforms, or how I work.

17. Questions

If you have any questions about this policy, please raise them in session or contact me through the agreed professional channel.