Psychotherapy, Professional Relationships, and Ethical Considerations in the MySpace Generation

The pervasive use of Internet technologies has created new ethical dilemmas for psychology trainees and professionals. In particular, Web sites that allow users to post personal information have sparked controversy regarding the amount of freedom psychologists should have in placing personal informa...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Professional psychology, research and practice research and practice, 2010-04, Vol.41 (2), p.160-166
Main Authors: Lehavot, Keren, Barnett, Jeffrey E, Powers, David
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Human
Internet
Interpersonal Relationships
Personal information
Polls & surveys
Professional Ethics
Professional relationships
Psychologists
Psychotherapists
Psychotherapy
Social networks
Technology
Therapeutic alliances
Web sites
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Summary:The pervasive use of Internet technologies has created new ethical dilemmas for psychology trainees and professionals. In particular, Web sites that allow users to post personal information have sparked controversy regarding the amount of freedom psychologists should have in placing personal information online and how discovering such information may impact professional relationships, including the therapeutic relationship. Results from a graduate student survey ( N = 302) address the prevalence of the use of online social networking sites, security measure efforts that limit public access, incidents of client access to psychotherapists' personal Web sites and Internet use by psychotherapists to obtain client information, and their subsequent effect on the therapeutic relationship. Using applicable ethical principles and standards, we provide recommendations for the field in an effort to decrease potential harm and maximize areas of opportunity for psychologists and constructive professional relationships.
ISSN:0735-7028
1939-1323
DOI:10.1037/a0018709