Abstract
Couple and family therapists (CFTs) may use professional social media to build a therapy brand and reach potential clients, disseminate knowledge, and/or express themselves. There currently is a lack of guidance on the ethics of professional social media use for CFTs. This qualitative study asked CFTs about their professional social media. The authors asked questions regarding intended audiences, how boundaries are maintained between therapy practice and social media, and how information is shared on participants’ social media. Thirty CFTs (n = 30) accessed and completed the online survey. The authors conducted a thematic analysis where patterns were constructed based on participant responses (Braun and Clarke, in Qual Res Psychol 3(2):77–101, 2006. https://doi.org/10.1191/1478088706qp063oa). The analysis revealed five major themes. Ethics included participant descriptions that identified ethical principles and professional resources for making ethical decisions on social media. Research was a pattern constructed from participant descriptions about how and if research informs their social media posts. Influencing was a code identified when participants either rejected or accepted that their social media platform could affect their audience. Audience was coded when participants described their intended audience. Participants described their intended audience to include the general public, potential clients, and colleagues. Social Justice was coded when CFTs described dismantling systems of oppression in their goals for their professional social media. These results are discussed in the context of current ethical guidelines and suggestions for further development are made.
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Hynes, K.C., Triplett, N.T. & Kingzette, A. Incidental Influencing: A Thematic Analysis of Couple and Family Therapists’ Experiences of Professional Social Media. Contemp Fam Ther 45, 276–286 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10591-022-09658-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10591-022-09658-1