Social Media Policy
Purpose of this Policy
This policy explains how Afon Pathways uses social media and outlines the boundaries I maintain regarding online interactions with current and former clients. These boundaries help protect confidentiality, privacy and the integrity of the therapeutic relationship.
Professional Social Media Presence
Afon Pathways maintains professional profiles on social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.
These platforms are used to provide information about services, share relevant content and direct people to the Afon Pathways website for further details. They are not intended to be used as a method of therapeutic communication.
Friend Requests, Connections and Following
To maintain appropriate professional boundaries, I do not accept friend requests, connection requests or similar invitations from current or former clients on any personal or professional social networking platform.
Likewise, I do not follow current or former clients on social media.
If you choose to follow or engage with Afon Pathways social media accounts, please be aware that your activity may be visible to others and could inadvertently reveal that you are connected with a counselling service.
Contacting Me Through Social Media
Please do not use social media platforms to contact me regarding appointments, counselling matters or urgent concerns.
Social media messaging systems are not routinely monitored and should not be considered secure methods of communication.
To protect your confidentiality, I will not respond to public comments, tags, mentions or direct messages relating to counselling services.
If you need to contact me, please do so using the contact methods provided on my website, by email at hello@afonpathways.co.uk, or by telephone where appropriate.
Online Searches
As part of maintaining professional boundaries and respecting client privacy, I do not intentionally search for information about current or former clients online.
This includes searching social media profiles, blogs, websites or other publicly available content.
If there is something from your online life that you would like me to understand or consider within our work together, I encourage you to bring it into our sessions directly.
Reviews, Testimonials and Recommendations
You may come across Afon Pathways on online directories, business listings or review platforms.
In accordance with professional ethical guidance, I do not request testimonials, endorsements or reviews from current or former clients.
For this reason, I do not publish client testimonials on my website or social media channels.
While you are free to leave reviews on public platforms, I encourage you to consider carefully whether doing so may reveal personal information about your use of counselling services.
Please understand that I may not respond to reviews or comments, as doing so could compromise confidentiality.
If you would like to provide feedback about your experience, I welcome this directly through private communication.
Concerns and Complaints
If you have any concerns about the counselling service you have received, I encourage you to discuss them with me in the first instance. Wherever possible, I will seek to address concerns openly, respectfully and constructively.
If we are unable to reach a satisfactory resolution, you have the right to seek further guidance from the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP), whose Ethical Framework informs my practice.
Information about the BACP Professional Conduct Procedure can be found on the BACP website: www.bacp.co.uk.
Location Services and Check-Ins
Afon Pathways does not actively promote check-ins or location tagging features.
However, if location services are enabled on your device, social media platforms or mobile applications may record or share information about your whereabouts. This may allow others to infer that you have attended counselling sessions.
You may wish to review your device privacy settings if this is a concern.
Changes to This Policy
Technology and social media platforms continue to evolve. As a result, this policy may be reviewed and updated from time to time.
Where significant changes are made, clients will be informed and an updated copy will be made available upon request.
Questions
If you have any questions about this policy or how online interactions are managed, please feel free to ask.
You may also refer to the Afon Pathways Privacy Policy for further information regarding the collection, storage and use of personal information.
Acceptance
By engaging in counselling services with Afon Pathways, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this Social Media Policy and agree to the professional boundaries outlined within it. These boundaries are designed to protect confidentiality, maintain professional standards and support a safe therapeutic relationship in accordance with the BACP Ethical Framework.
Version: 1.0
Effective Date: 15 June 2026
Review Date: 15 June 2027