Social Media & Communication Policy

Friending

In order to honor professional boundaries, ethical nuances, and not engage in and prevent any potential form of dual-relationship, I will NOT follow or accept friend requests from current or former clients on any social media platforms. The practice of adding clients as friends or contacts on these sites can compromise your privacy and confidentiality and may impact the boundaries of the therapeutic relationship. If you need to contact me between sessions, please use email or phone. 

Interacting

Please do not use messaging on social networking sites, such as Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn to contact me. These sites are not secure and I will not respond to any messages on these platforms. Do not engage with me in the comments of posts, as doing so can compromise your privacy. The best way to interact with me is by email or phone. 

I do not "google" my clients or look up information on them for any reason. If I do come across your information online, I will avoid reading content. 

Phone & Email 

Phone communication is the most direct form of communication but answering the phone is often difficult so secure email is my most common mode of communication. The practice I work for (Discovery Counseling Austin) uses a HIPAA secure email to send and receive messages. 

Even with the HIPAA secure services I use, I advise you to avoid sharing personal information in any written communication and to wait until a telehealth meeting to discuss confidential matters. 

When you reach out to me: If you feel you cannot wait for a response or if you feel unable to keep yourself safe, please call 9-1-1 or 1-800-273-8255. If you are in Austin, Texas, and you are experiencing a psychological crisis, please contact Seton for help at http://www.seton.net/behavioral-health-care/emergent- psychiatric-treatment/or call 877-918-2039. If you are experiencing a psychological emergency, Seton does not serve walk-in emergency clients so please go to your nearest emergency room or call 9-1-1. If you want to text for support, you can also Text “START” to 741-741 to connect with the National Text Crisis Line: http://www.crisistextline.org/get-help-now/

Text

I do not use text messages to communicate with clients. If you need to reach me between sessions, please do so via phone or email. 

Website

This website is my professional website, and is for marketing and educational purposes only. It displays information about my services, fees, and information about who I am as a therapist and what areas of therapy I specialize in. I do not own or operate my own private practice; I work at a practice called Discovery Counseling Austin.

You are welcome to access and review the information included on my website. If you have any questions, please reach out to me via email or phone. You can also use the contact form on the Contact page of my website. 

Location-Based Services 

If you use location-based services on your mobile phone, you may wish to turn these settings off. While my name is not listed as a check-in location on Google, Facebook, Foursquare, or other sites, if you have GPS tracking enabled on your device, others may conclude you are a therapy client based on your shared location. 

Thank you for taking the time to review my Social Media Policy. If you have any questions or concerns about any of the procedures or policies, please reach out to me so we can discuss further. 

— Eden Stone, Licensed Professional Counselor Associate (Supervised by Chelsea Fielder-Jenks, LPC-S)