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Psychiatrist on Facebook

Jane315STARX

I am due to start specialist pschotherapy apparently next year so I looked up the place which is NHS.I saw that there had been complaints and reviews left on Google about a Dr/Psychiatrist there.Anyway I looked him up and dug a bit deeper only to find he has a Facebook page like a member of the public!.It's all very odd.It states who he is his medical profession etc and photo which corresponds exactly.Surely this breaks some kind of code?.I'm not assuming he would accept friend requests from patients or ex patients but I just find it extremely odd and open to all kinds of weird things.I could NEVER imagine my old Psychiatrist openly being on Facebook and certainly if he was it wouldn't be under his real name.I feel there is something very strange going on

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Rosie_Scope

Hi @Jane315STARX, Some people use Facebook a bit like LinkedIn, as more of a professional thing where they have their CV and network with others, perhaps that's what he's doing? Bit strange as most mental health professionals choose to be more private, but it may not be against any official codes of conduct. That might be down to the specific rules within the NHS trust he works in. I'm not too sure!

Is it him that you'd be seeing when you start next year?

Jane315STARX

I am not sure but it doesn't instill trust at all.With all the corruption that goes on within every sector today.Nothing surprises me anymore

Jane315STARX

This is definitely not a professional page either.Its all very personal things on there which is why I find it odd.

Jane315STARX

Like restaurant he recently went out to with a photo etc.This can't be right.

Jane315STARX

If it is him im definitely not going

Nightcity

I'd block him and be asking for a replacement it's not the professional thing to do being that laid back and open in that profession, and he's risking himself! to by advertising so much if he ever upset a less stable patient he'd possibly have a large problem if they were inclined to try locate him by trying to work out his rough area of abode.

Jane315STARX

I have blocked it incase I come up in search.But I totally agree.there could totally be a patient he is already seeing whom has anger issues or obsessed.Tge list goes on.But as a psychiatrist you would would think this is common sense.This is why it terrifies me to think what on earth is the reasoning behind this

Nightcity

yes, you're definitely right to be extremely weary.

Biblioklept

Hmm I don't know, I don't think it's an issue? He is a person too and allowed to have social media and share with his friends and family what he is up to and about his life.

I kind of feel he's an adult and if he wants to risk his personal life being public, like millions of other people do, I don't see why he shouldn't be able to?

What about it don't you like? Is he sharing anything inappropriate like views that are inappropriate or stuff?

Jane315STARX

I agree everyone should and deserves a personal life.But take teachers for example.I have never once come across one of my sons teachers on Facebook.Im sure they have them but are encrypted for some of the reasons and others ive not mentioned.Also ive met many people over the course of my life to know that having looked at this there is definitely something off and its in plain sight.

Jane315STARX

It's almost screaming "look at me im here doing this,im in this position,im not doing anything wrong or am I? And how can you prove it?.I could be wrong but I've never seen another consultant lead psychiatrist on Facebook so openly

OverlyAnxious

A lot of my old teachers are on Facebook. They often pop up in my 'people you might know' section. Some of them still work as teachers. Some of them have old pupils as friends. I don't see anything wrong with it personally. I choose not to post my private life publicly but don't believe I have any right to prevent anyone else from doing it.

Jane315STARX

I think My personality is naturally inquisitive anyway and I have also many bad qualities in that I look for chinks in people's armour ( so to speak).I found many in the first so called Speciality Dr who analysed me over the phone in 16 minutes and then wanted to prescribe me olanzepine ( which I clearly don't need).I have never heard from him again which even my GP thinks is very odd based on the fact he was assigned to me and my care.I just spoke up and remembered what my old psychiatrist told me over 20 years ago "patients choice".Anyway getting back to the point I do think its better in that Dr's,Teachers and those with jobs such as these have a social media presence which is unaccessible to patients or pupils parents etc

callyfox77

Many moons ago now, I worked as a psychologist and taught trainees about the importance of the 'therapeutic relationship'.....I don't know if any of this might be helpful to you and it is only my personal thinking on it - take what is, leave what isn't.

For any kind of talking therapy to help, it requires you to build trust with your therapist. The Dr you are talking about is clearly not the person for you and it is really good that you know that because you can ensure you don't see him!

Any therapeutic relationship needs to have boundaries that make it different to talking about things with a friend. So, say if you said 'my anxiety has been bad this week', you want a therapist to hear you and respond to what you've said about your experience, not to say "oh, I know, mine had been terrible too", blah blah blah!.

You also want someone to be non-judgemental, so they can be hearing what you say without being overly biased by their own opinions. As an example, a therapist might not personally have any interest in cars. But it wouldn't be ok for them to express an opinion like 'anyone who loves cars is an idiot': that's not professional, respectful or helpful.

A final thing is being aware of is how people you are working with as a therapist might interpret what you post. Say you were a client seeing someone because you have difficulty making relationships. Some people might find it inspiring to see the therapists social media posts about how happy their relationship is. But some people might find it unhelpful because the therapist is making something they find really hard look easy (which isn't necessarily the case of course, but that's the impression they are giving), and they end up feeling even worse.....

So therapists in general share personal information sparingly and only if they genuinely think it would would help their client. For instance, sometimes it might be a way of letting the client know they have experienced something similar, so they have a 'lived' experience of how difficult it can be.

Obviously before social media, it was much easier for therapist's lives to remain private. I'd say what is unusual about this person's page is that they have not made access to it restricted for all the above reasons.

However, providing the person is not breaking the confidentiality of anyone they are working with, making derogatory remarks or expressing prejudiced opinions etc, I would guess it comes down to their individual choice of what they share and whether they do so publicly.....

SaraC_Scope

I'm a counsellor and have a Facebook page but I use my maiden name and I have high privacy settings. I do post updates for my family and friends, but never talk about clients I'm seeing. The goes against the confidentiality of the client/counsellor therapeutic relationship.

I explain to my clients at the start of our time together, the boundaries of seeing each other in public and not accepting friend requests on social media.

Jane315STARX

Yes I think this is very professional and I respect this decision.I think from what I've seen its something that the majority of people in your profession seem to do as this person ive come across is the only one I've Ever seen being so open,on Facebook and with a photo so easily identifiable ( all of which I personally find very odd).I think stastically most professionals have LinkedIn but can have privacy settings depending on their preference.Same applies to X and Facebook.

jonf

https://forum.scope.org.uk/discussion/139895/psychiatrist-on-facebook

did someone steal his identity

Jane315STARX

I am not sure.I blocked it as when you have looked up someone you come up as a suggestion at some point