Dr. Keely Kolmes of San Francisco continues  to be a valuable resource for therapists engaging in social media.  Check out her blog post dated August 5th in which she exposes the privacy concerns  caused by Psychology Today’s newly implemented call tracking.

I just changed the setting on my own listing to decline call tracking and, I’m encouraging you to do the same.

[Thanks, Keely, for continuing to keep us informed on these matters!]

Tags: Privacy, Social Media, Telephone

If you’ve missed my posts concerning the risks of mental health professionals’ use of social media here and here, you may want to go back and take a look. 

More privacy concerns related to Facebook are addressed in Jenna Wortham’s article this week in the New York Times. That’s why I was happy to also stumble across Will Baum’s interview with Keely Kolmes, Psy.D. about her thoughts on mental health professionals’ use of social media.  (Don’t forget to check out Keely’s Social Media Policy here.)

If you have your own policy on social media (or any aspect of it), I hope you’ll email a copy of it to me so that I, in turn,  can share it with others here at Private Practice from the Inside Out.

Tags: Ethics, Social Media

Every therapist in private practice needs to make contingency plans for consultation.  In fact, every therapist needs to engage in regular consultation. It is quickly becoming a standard of care in the mental health professions.

Here is an excellent post in American Medical News addressing the many risks to be considered before consulting with your colleagues online.

I’m interested in learning how you go about meeting your own consultation needs in private practice. What options (other than social media) do you have for consultation?  Or, are you still engaging in online consultations?  Let’s chat!

Tags: Social Media, Standard of Care

You may not know that I also host a second blog for my clinical practice.  Last week, I was writing a post for it, titled How to Empty the Garbage (in Your Head).  As I was sitting down today to write, I realized that this post is equally relevant to psychotherapists in private practice.  Sometimes it’s just the garbage in our heads that prevents us from having the practice of our dreams.

If the garbage in your head is what keeps getting in your way, take a moment to check out my other blog to learn a very specific method to extricate that nasty self talk from your path to a bright and successful business future!

Tags: Habits, Self Talk, Social Media

Are you a psychotherapist who uses Facebook and Twitter?  Do you blog or engage in other forms of social media?  If so, you need to consider the sticky situations that you may stumble into without any ill intent.  Here is one article by Dana Scarton in the Washington Post that highlights examples of what I’m talking about.

I’ve begun to look for mental health attorneys to join us here on occasion at Private Practice from the Inside Out to help us tackle some of these choice points in private practice.

Let me know if you think this would be helpful to you and if you have a favorite mental health attorney to recommend.

Tags: Boundaries, Ethics, Social Media

Erin Blakemore of VOCO Creative wrote a great little post suggesting 10 easy ways to nurture those online relationships you are building.

Whether you call it “do unto others,” “cross-promotion,” or “backscratchin,” the results are the same.  Check out her tips and get busy building your private practice with social media!

Then, drop in here and tell us where we can find you and how it’s working for you.

Tags: Relationships, Social Media

If you are a health blogger i.e. a therapist who blogs,  then you need to check out Julie Cohen’s thoughtful post on her blog, Links for Shrinks.

And, when you leave here, make sure you leave info about your own health blog with a link so that we can pass your good work along!

Tags: Social Media

You’ve heard how big a fan I am of online discussion lists for networking.  However, ever so often I am reminded of the more frustrating side of a list . . . .

Here’s what not to do online. This week on one of the mental health professionals’ lists (I subscribe to many), two members started lecturing each other about X all under the auspices on “sharing,” “clarifying,” and “informing.”  They included a little name calling and a lot of posturing about who was wiser and who was more experienced and who was more knowledgeable.  (And, they used their actual names!)  It might as well have been an exchange similar to this one that Peter Shankman posted here.

To embarass or not to embarass . . . . I considered (briefly) asking the authors for permission to share screen shots of their words with you here but decided not to.  After all, I am embarrassed for both of them.  I hope their colleagues, employers, and referral sources aren’t reading that thread!

Good intentions. Of course, others joined in to take sides, to broaden perspectives, or in an attempt to find common ground.  Some actually unsubscribed from the list citing their reasons (both on / off list) as “too much junk email.”  And, I suspect that many, like me, have just sat back watching the lack of civility and lack of professional communication escalate and then die back down on its own. WHEW!

A few things to consider . . . . If you are new to social media or simply need a few reminders about how to proceed when someone presents ideas that are not in sync with your own, here’s a few to get you started:

"Wall of Peace - Moscow" by Jeff Bauche

• You are not anonymous – especially if you have signed your name!
• Don’t take it personally.  We all have goofy or mistaken ideas on occasion.
• Online communication is limited.  Humor and sarcasm don’t translate well.  Words get twisted or completely omitted.  Tone and intensity are often missing or misunderstood.  And, unfortunately, we tend to not proofread every post before we hit send.
• Take a breath and resist the urge to dash off a knee-jerk, emotional response.  Just B-R-E-A-T-H-E.
• If you do decide to reply, consider the options available.  Is there really a need to respond to the entire discussion list?  Do you have a private email address, phone number, etc.?
• The only time you MUST reply to the entire group is if you’ve messed up (and need to clean up) in public.
• If you are going to write back, find something to agree with.  Can’t find anything?  Then, you aren’t in the frame of mind to professionally respond yet.  (Think about it.  Clients come in every day with values, beliefs, and behaviors that you don’t agree with.  And, yet, you find a way to join with them.  This is the very same skill.)
• After you compose your message and before you hit “Send,” take time to re-read it.  Is there a better way to get your message across.  What’s your goal in sending it?
• Be generous in your response.  Give your reader the benefit of the doubt. . . .  Perhaps they were in a bad mood.  Or maybe they aren’t as experienced as you are . . . . We all have something left to learn.
• Be kind.  If you feel that someone is lacking some information and doesn’t know it, is there a way to pass the info along without making someone feel like an idiot or look like a fool?
• Consider your real motives in responding.  What triggered your reaction?  And, again, what was your goal in sending it?

OK, so maybe you aren’t like me and out to change the world.  Maybe hurt feelings and civility aren’t really of concern to you at all.  What I know is that this is still important to you and here’s the reason why . . . .  Your employer, your referral sources, your colleagues and even your clients have access to your words once you put them out into cyberspace.

As you are building your private practice, remember that any time you are in public – either physically or via technology – you need to have your professional hat on and that includes using professional communication.  Your professional image is on the line.

What else needs to be considered when you run into conflict online?

Tags: Conflict, Discussion List, Online Etiquette, Reputation, Social Media, Trigger

"The Tools of Artist, Leo D’Lázaro in Havana, Cuba" by Ontario Wanderer / Dean Gugler

For those of you who are blogging to build your businesses, check out Gina Trapani’s great list of 10 Tools to Make Your Blog Smarter, Faster, Better.  She posted it here at Fast Company.

And, by all means, introduce yourself and leave us a link to your blog!

Tags: Social Media

If you are still reluctant to step into the midst of the Social Media Revolution, check out this quick video.

Then, drop me a note here and let’s talk about how this influences our work in private practice.

Tags: Social Media

If you have access to the internet and have not made your way to a discussion list relevant to your profession, you are missing out on a great way to let people learn about you and your services.  These electronic mailing lists are typically subject specific and anyone who subscribes to them is allowed to post.  Your post is then emailed to everyone else on the list and they, in turn, may respond.

Discussion lists allow you to share information and news of interest among a large number of people with little effort.  (And, if you don’t find a discussion list to be useful to you, it’s easy to “unsubscribe” to them, too!) These are some of the ways that you may find them to be of use to you as you grow your private practice:

• Promote your latest project or offering.
• Gather resources.
• Seek opinions.
• Build a reputation for offering thoughtful feedback to others.
• Find colleagues with which to collaborate on future projects.
• Learn about new areas.
• Develop new interests / understanding.
• Connect with professionals in different parts of the country / world.
• Exchange ideas.

I use discussion lists (both personal and professional)

"Kids Surfing On-Line" by bebetoujours

on a weekly basis for all of the reasons listed above and want to encourage you to do the same.  On the lists that I belong to, I have gotten referrals for clients from therapists states away; I’ve sent and received volumes of resources on everything ranging from trauma and eating disorders to book lists and vacation tips; I’ve also learned about great continuing education opportunities and built name recognition for my practice at the same time!

Here are several of the professional discussion lists that I belong to:

• POWR-L is a discussion list focused on the psychology of women.  This list, hosted by the Association for Women in Psychology, is a dynamic and resource-focused list .  Membership in AWP is not required in order to join the discussion list.

• Counselors at Yahoo is open to behavioral heath professionals and students. Another dynamic and active forum that is very friendly to students and new professionals.

• Warren Corsen III’s Counseling Resources is open to clinical professionals, students, and educators in counseling and related fields.  Another student-friendly list emphasizing graduate and doctoral students.

• Boulder Psychotherapy Institute’s Networking List is primarily focused on resources / continuing education / networking opportunities within the State of Colorado for mental health professionals.

• Dramatherapy List is for individuals interested in drama therapy.  Although it is hosted by the National Association for Drama Therapy, membership in NADT is not required for joining this listserv.

If you decide to join an on line discussion group, you should know that every list has its own culture and most lists have a set of rules to abide by.  As with any other group that you choose to join, it is advisable to know the guidelines and expectations from the beginning.  Sign up and sit back for a few weeks just to audit the group and get a feel for the on line culture.  Once you are ready and have a burning question or thoughtful comment to offer, you are ready to jump right in!

Do you know of other professional discussion lists that may be of interest to mental health professionals?  If so, I hope you will share them with us here.  If enough of you respond, I will be happy to compile the list and re-post into one massive list for easy access!

Tags: Discussion List, Dramatherapy List, POWR-L, Social Media, Warren Corsen III's Counseling Resources