Description

Find out whether your online presence is putting your license at risk — before a licensing board does.

This free, research-informed social media audit is designed for therapists, such as LCSWs, LMFTs, and psychologists, who are active on Instagram, TikTok, or other social media platforms. In approximately 5 minutes, you’ll evaluate your current social media presence across five key ethical domains: professional identity, client boundaries, confidentiality risks, clinical responsibility, and content integrity.

Why therapists need a social media ethics audit

Most clinicians were trained in in-person ethics, not online ones. But your license, your client relationships, and your professional reputation all apply online. Without a structured framework for therapist social media ethics, even well-intentioned content can blur professional boundaries, create unintended confidentiality risks, and increase exposure to ethical complaints.

This audit helps you identify those gaps before they become real problems.

What you’ll assess

The checklist walks you through 15 statements across five categories:

• Professional identity: Does your profile clearly reflect your credentials and role?
• Client boundaries: Do you have a clear policy on DMs, follows, and client interactions?
• Confidentiality risks: Could any of your content identify a client, directly or indirectly?
• Clinical responsibility: Are you clearly separating psychoeducation from therapy?
• Content integrity: Would you feel comfortable if a licensing board reviewed your posts?

What your results mean

Any statement you can’t confidently check off is a risk area, is where your ethical structure may be inconsistent. These gaps are common, but they can increase the likelihood of blurred roles, client misunderstandings, or unintended harm. The audit helps you see exactly where to focus.

Who this is for

This tool is especially useful if you’ve ever wondered: Should clients be allowed to follow my account? How do I respond to DMs without crossing boundaries? Where is the line between psychoeducation and therapy online? Am I accidentally sharing too much in my content?

Next steps after the audit

If your results reveal gaps, the Social Media Ethics for Therapists Workbook, a 40-page, evidence-based resource grounded in 88 peer-reviewed sources, gives you the structured system to address them, including the CARE Framework, a complete social media policy template, real-world ethical case studies, and decision-making tools for complex online situations.