Social Media Policy at Airdrie Counselling Centre

 

 

The following outlines our policies related to the use of social media (e.g. Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, Tiktok). Please read carefully to understand how we conduct ourselves on social media as mental health professionals and how clients can expect us to respond to various potential interactions between us on social media.

 

If you have any questions about this social media policy, please discuss them with your counsellor or contact our team partners, Clayton Falk or Dason Harker.

 

Friending/Following on Social Media

Airdrie Counselling Centre has our Facebook page and Instagram account, and counsellors at Airdrie Counselling Centre may have their own personal and/or professional social media accounts. Airdrie Counselling Centre and our counsellors do not accept a Friend/Follow request from current or former clients nor make a Friend/Follow request to current or former clients on any social networking sites. If we discover that we have accidentally established an online relationship through social networking sites with clients, we will cancel that relationship. This is due to significant online security risks and the risk of jeopardizing a therapeutic relationship.

 

Postings/Interacting on Social Media

Airdrie Counselling Centre posts wellness/psychology-related articles on our website and Facebook page and makes other posts on Instagram. You are welcome to use your own discretion to follow these articles or posts, but we do not expect that you as our client will follow them. Comments on our Facebook page and Instagram account have been disabled to protect your privacy.

 

We will not post any information about clients to protect your privacy, including testimonials, because the College of Alberta Psychologists Practice Guideline explicitly states, “The psychologist should not use the testimonials of current or previous clients, in any form, even when such testimonials are offered and not solicited.”

 

Please do not contact us through social networking sites (e.g. sending a private message through Facebook or Instagram) as those sites are not secure and do not meet our security standards. You can contact us securely through our website https://www.airdriecounsellingcentre.com/contact, phone at (403) 948-3968 or e-mail at admin@airdriecounsellingcentre.com

 

Use of Search Engines

Our counsellors will not use web search engines, such as Google or Facebook, to gather information about our clients without permission. We believe that it will violate your privacy rights. However, you might choose to use the internet to collect information about your counsellor, although the information you find on the internet may or may not be accurate. If you find any information about your counsellor or Airdrie Counselling Centre that raises a concern for you, please discuss with your counsellor or the program partners Clayton Falk or Dason Harker at the Airdrie Counselling Centre.

 

In rare exceptions, our counsellors might use the internet, e.g. Google or Facebook, to gather information about our clients if they have reasonable grounds that there is a safety risk. If they choose to use this method, they will fully document it and discuss it with you as soon as feasibly possible. It should also be noted that this is a very uncommon practice because we normally do not provide specific crisis services.
 

Business Reviews

There are various business websites where people can review and rate businesses or professionals, and you may see Airdrie Counselling Centre or our counsellors on these websites. These websites often automatically add businesses to their list without asking first.

It is your right to express your opinion on these sites. However, please know that posting publicly about your (positive or negative) experience with your counsellor may unintentionally expose your identity to the general public. It is also important to mention that our counsellors will not check the review or reply to the review on these websites. If you have any concerns or questions about our practice or counsellors, please discuss this with your counsellor or our program partners, Clayton Falk or Dason Harker, directly.

 

Conclusion 

Thank you for taking the time to read our Social Media Policy. Please feel free to contact our program partners Clayton Falk or Dason Harker or discuss with your therapist if you have any questions or concerns about those policies and procedures.

 

As new technology develops and social media changes continuously, we will update this social media policy accordingly and regularly.