Social Media Policy

Because my work life is a blend of horsemanship and therapy, I am actively engaged in the digital world of social media. While social media is a helpful tool for connection and sharing information, there can also be some confusion when it comes to how we interact. This social media policy outlines what you can expect from me online and why I interact in some ways and not others. If you have any questions about my social media policy, please feel free to ask me.

Horsemanship Clinics

Video recordings of clinics are NOT PERMITTED with the exception of filming yourself for personal learning ONLY. Please pass this information on to friends/family that may be attending to watch. Photos are permitted; however, to protect the privacy of the participants, photos of the clinic are for your personal use only and may not be used for public display or commercial purposes (unless you have obtained permission from every individual captured in the photo).

You are welcome to share photos (or videos in a reel without audio) that include only yourself, your horse and/or I. Before sharing any photos that include my team or myself, you must obtain our written or verbal consent.

Therapy Clients

Confidentiality is incredibly important and also your legal right if you consent to receiving psychotherapy services. If I was your therapist and we were to bump into each other at the grocery store, it is my responsibility to keep everything you tell me confidential, including the fact that you are attending therapy! This means that you are allowed to say hi to me if you’d like to, but if you’d prefer not to say hi, you can pretend like you don’t know me and avoid any questions from other people such as, “how do you know that person?” I let my clients know that I am happy to say hi and follow their lead if they greet me in public but if they don’t say hi to me, I won’t be offended because I care deeply about protecting their confidentiality.

While connecting out in the real world doesn’t happen all that often, connecting in the digital world literally occurs at the push of a button. If I am your therapist (or was your counsellor in the past), I must keep our relationship completely confidential except in cases where you might harm yourself or others. On the flip side, you have the freedom to decide what you keep confidential and what you would like to share with others. Sometimes we don’t give it much thought but it’s important for you to know that if you like, follow, or post on any of my social media pages, you open up the possibility that people might guess how we are connected or they might assume that we have worked together. You are allowed to choose what you share about yourself online but I will not reveal how we are connected because I am protecting your personal information.

With these things in mind, here are some guidelines for some specific circumstances online:

Friending. As much as I’d enjoy hearing updates on where life takes you, I do not accept friend or contact requests from current or former clients on social networking sites (Facebook, LinkedIn, etc.). Adding clients as friends or contacts can compromise their confidentiality and our respective privacy; in addition, it can confuse or blur the boundaries of the therapeutic relationship. I also do not respond to emergencies on social networking sites such as Facebook or Instagram. If you need to contact me between sessions, the best way to do so is by email; an alternate option is to get in touch with your local crisis line. If you are in Canada, you can call toll-free 1.833.456.4566 for 24/7 crisis support services. You can also call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 1.800.273.8255 for free, anywhere, anytime.

Following. I don’t expect any of my clients to follow my business Facebook page, Instagram account, or Youtube channel, but you are welcome to follow along on my journey if you’d like to. The important thing to know for this part is that I will not follow you back because I am protecting your privacy. I will also hide most of the photos that I am tagged in from my profile because it’s okay if people find me through you but it’s not okay if they find you through me.

Interacting. I do not offer any therapeutic advice or accept new clients through direct message on Facebook or Instagram. Please don’t share sensitive information on Facebook, Instagram, or Youtube because those are not secure platforms and I may not read/check messages regularly. If you are interested in working with me, the best way to get in touch is by email.

Conclusion. All of that being said, I genuinely care about how life is going for people, both while therapy is happening and after we have parted ways. I celebrate with my clients when they tell me, “I’ve reached my goals and I’m ready for a break!” or “I don’t think I need to come to therapy anymore!” Going to therapy is like going to school; you are taking a direct study on yourself and it tends to work best when you learn in chunks. I find that it works really well when people set a few goals, work hard to make some progress, and then take a break from therapy and go try out their new skills in the world. I encourage people to take notes on what works and what isn’t working and they are always welcome to come back and take "Personal Growth 102” after they’ve finished “Personal Growth 101.” For this reason, I give my clients an open invite to reach out in the future or send me little updates through email if they’d like to stay in touch.