Social Media Policy

This notice describes how Second Growth Counseling informs and interacts regarding social media and online engagement. Please review it carefully.

Social Media & Online Engagement

Social Media can be an informative and supportive tool that helps people connect and engage. Second Growth and its representatives utilize the following standards, specific to the mental health profession, related to the use of social media.

We welcome the ways social media can normalize, uplift and de-stigmatize mental health. We also take responsibility to inform you of our professional boundaries to the therapeutic work as it relates to social media and online interaction. We outline these standards and the possible implications to you so you can make conscientious decisions that are right for you. As a client, you are free to share (or not share) that you are in therapy and how you feel about the process. You can do so at any time, in any way, and with anyone of your choosing, mindful that providers are bound to confidentiality and cannot publicly acknowledge or respond to any inference or possible interpretation of clinical connection with current or former clients. Please review this section to understand how mental health professionals conduct themselves on the internet and what you can expect in response to online situations.

In order to maintain your confidentiality, keep clear the therapeutic relationship and uphold each therapist’s respective privacy, we do not respond to or accept friend or contact requests from current or former clients on any social networking site (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, etc). We do not use social media platforms for any direct communication with clients and any comment, question, review, or message may not ever be seen, could be deleted, is not considered secure, and does not meet HIPAA standards. Be aware of any scams or misrepresentations that target counseling clients. Second Growth will never require you to share information of any nature including contact, financial, clinical, judicial and familial details through social media. Clients are encouraged to make updates to their personal information through the secure client portal (platform: TheraNest) and to contact their therapist about scheduling adjustments through our secure email or text service (platform: Spruce). Clients may also wish to have records securely faxed to Second Growth and can do so (503) 506- 0441 (platform: Spruce). Any content related to clinical and therapeutic work is to be exchanged during the session. Additional feedback from clients is welcomed and encouraged to be given directly to their therapist during sessions or to Second Growth Counseling at (503) 549-4714.

Therapists do not follow current or former clients, for any reason, on any social media platform. If there are things from your online life that you wish to share with your therapist, please bring them into your session where it can be reviewed together, during the therapy appointment.

While Second Growth Counseling maintains a social media presence for an educational purpose, there is no expectation for you to access or follow it. You are welcome to use your own discretion, and your choice has no bearing on access or utilization of the clinical services available to you. As part of our industry ethics code, we will also never solicit reviews, testimonials, endorsements, ratings or grades from clients. There are sites, such as Yelp, that may automatically list businesses, even without their knowledge or approval. If you find a listing with our information, any presence we may have on a platform may be done with or without our knowledge and/or consent. Any listing or social media presence should not be interpreted as a request for client commentary or participation.

You may have a social media presence as well, such as a Facebook page, Instagram account or Twitter account. It is not our practice to view these, “google” you, or look up information on you. The therapeutic relationship is based on engagement and references during sessions, not on what can be misinterpreted from casual online viewing. Extremely rare exceptions may be made during times of crisis. If a therapist has a reason to suspect that you are in danger and you have not been in touch through usual means (coming to appointments, phone, text or email) there might be an instance in which using a search engine (to find you, find someone close to you, or to check on your recent status updates) becomes necessary as part of ensuring your welfare. These are very unusual situations and if ever used, therapists fully document and discuss it with you in the next session.

If you have questions or concerns about these standards and potential interactions on the Internet, do bring them up with your therapist or with Second Growth so they can be discussed. Social media is a constantly changing field and there may be times when updates to this framework are needed, whereby clients will be notified.