This information acknowledges the complex world of digital media in which we live, and attempts to address issues emerging as a result, primarily concerning boundaries.
My media activities:
I maintain a relatively low social media presence with professional listings on Facebook and LinkedIn.
Keeping Boundaries:
The nature of an online presence can blur interpersonal boundaries, so in service of being as clear as possible I keep clinical work boundaries within our session time.
Data Protection:
GDPR compliance is essential to maintain the confidentiality and security of our work. My data protection policy appears on my website and makes up part of my working agreement. Here’s the page if you wish to review https://claremyatt.co.uk/privacy-policy/
Email:
I am not currently using an e-mail encryption programme, so any emails we send to each other may be vulnerable to viruses or human error. For this reason, it is best to be thoughtful about what you include in emails to me, preferably relying on email for non-confidential communications like setting up appointment times.
If you choose to communicate with me by email, be aware that all emails are retained in the logs of Internet Service Providers. Furthermore, they can be vulnerable to viruses and unintended forwarding or replication. If you are concerned about the confidentiality of your emails, you may wish to contact me by telephone instead.
I check emails only at fixed times during office hours and avoid checking them on weekends and holidays. I endeavour to respond to all emails within 24-48 hours upon opening them. If I am away for an extended period, you will receive an automated response. Emails should never be used in the event of an emergency, in which case you should contact emergency services.
E-invoicing:
I use an online software application to process invoices that are then sent out to your chosen e-mail address. If you would prefer not to receive these invoices by email, please let me know and we will agree on another method.
Text messages:
You may feel free to contact me by text message to alert me if you are running late for a session or for similar reasons. However, because of the lack of context of text messages, it is generally not the best method for communicating with me about more important matters, so please do phone and leave me a message.
As a private practitioner I am unable to offer an emergency service, even by phone. Should you experience an emergency please contact either the emergency services or if you are feeling suicidal, ring The Samaritans: 116 123. If you feel that this may be an issue, please discuss it with me.
Telephone and webcam:
There may be times when we have a session by telephone or video conferencing and I use the platform Zoom which provides an adequate level of security (while Skype does not). When engaging via video conferencing, we both agree not to record sessions. It is also crucial that you’re sure your environment is safe, secure, and private. It’s also helpful to consider the time
leading up to and after our meeting – I suggest allowing yourself the kind of mental preparation/processing time you’re accustomed to when meeting in person.
Social Media:
I maintain limited web-based public presence, primarily to share interesting resources. I would prefer that our relationship remain as much as possible between us when connected, therefore I will not knowingly engage with you over social media. I, like many others, maintain a private Facebook account for personal reasons, and a Linked- In account for professional ones. I aim to keep my Faceboook as private as possible and it would not be appropriate to be Facebook “friends” with you. I acknowledge that there can be some overlap across social networks, and that this sometimes comes to light on
Facebook. If this were the case, it would be something we would need to discuss in session.
Linked-In offers different professional opportunities, so if you wish, we may be connected there as anyone viewing our profiles would not thereby know we are connected in a therapeutic or coaching relationship.