Appalachian Psychoanalytic Society
a local chapter of the Division 39 of the American Psychological Association
presents a
Saturday Morning Seminar
with
Leticia Flores, PhD
on
Social Media, Privacy, and Ethics
in the 21st Century Therapy Relationship
Saturday, December 2, 2023
9:30am - 1:10pm
University of Tennessee Medical Center
Morrison Education and Conference Center
1924 Alcoa Highway
Knoxville, TN 37920
This program is designed to meet the requirement for psychologists licensed in the state of Tennessee to obtain continuing education in ethics and the law, including the requirement to obtain continuing education on Tennessee State Law.
For further information, please refer to the Rules and Regulations of the Tennessee Board of Examiners in Psychology.
Participants are advised to review the following articles/documents prior to the program:
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/women-who-stray/202004/sex-addiction-therapist-porn-star
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/women-who-stray/202005/my-therapist-the-porn-star
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/women-who-stray/202005/my-therapist-the-porn-star-0
See http://www.apa.org/ethics/code/index.aspx for the American Psychological Association’s Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct.
http://www.lexisnexis.com/hottopics/tncode/
for Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 63, Chapter 11.
1180 - Board of Examiners of Psychology (tnsosfiles.com)
for an Official Compilation of the Rules and Regulations of the State of Tennessee, Chapters 1180-1, 1180-2, 1180-3, and 1180-4.
Description of Program
This intermediate presentation will explore the abruptly shifting landscape of the therapeutic relationship in light of the proliferation of social media platforms. When there are so many ways to find (and be) someone, what does privacy and authenticity look like in today’s therapeutic relationships? The definitions of therapy and its components of privacy and disclosure were already rapidly evolving in the digital age (Berler,Trub, and Magaldi, 2023; Trub & Magaldi, 2021), with the COVID epidemic causing further disruption, and the field of professional psychology is still struggling to catch up (Drude and Messer-Engel, 2021). The evolving nature and incidence of disclosure and social media will be discussed (Zur, Williams, Lehavot and Knapp, 2009; Baer, 2019), as well as how effectively issues around disclosure, social media and therapy are taught in graduate programs and in continuing education programming (Glueckauf, Maheu, Drude, Wells, Wang, Gustafson, and Nelson, 2018). A contemporary vignette will be used to demonstrate how cultural and generational differences, technology and theoretical modality intersect to create varying and sometimes conflicting responses among professionals around disclosure and privacy in therapy. Programming will conclude by providing some general preliminary legal and ethical guidelines for how therapists can navigate today’s online landscape (APA, 2021).
Presenter
Leticia Flores, PhD, is a Clinical Professor in the Department of Psychology and the Director for the UT Psychological Clinic. Dr. Flores teaches courses annually on psychodynamic psychotherapy and ethics in psychology and has supervised graduate students in training clinics for over 15 years. Dr. Flores is Past President of the Association of Psychology Training Clinics (APTC), where she has frequently presented on ethical decision-making in graduate training and practice. She consistently engages in outreach, education and advocacy in the Knoxville community on behalf of marginalized communities. She is a current member of Knoxville’s Police Advisory and Review Committee (PARC), a volunteer for the Tennessee Equality Project, a 501c4 serving the state’s LGBTQ+ community, and a volunteer with the East TN Civil Rights Working Group. She has presented as well as published in both academic journals and lay media on issues regarding transgender rights, providing culturally competent care in states with discriminatory laws against LGBTQ+ people, and training graduate psychology students with values conflicts.
Schedule
9:30am Registration
9:55am Welcome and Introduction
10:00am Disclosure, Privacy, and the Therapy Relationship in Today's Increasingly Online World
11:30am Break
11:40am Ethical Implications and Guidelines for Practicing Therapy in Today's Increasingly Online World
1:10pm Complete Evaluations and Adjourn.
Learning Objectives
After attending this intermediate program in full, participants will be able to:
1. Describe two examples of the negative impact social media can have on therapist disclosure.
2. List two methods therapists can use to minimize accidental self-disclosure online.
3. Identify two ethical principles which directly address the potential influence of social media in the therapy relationship.
Participants
This program is open to all APS members and other interested mental health professionals who may not be members. It is not limited to individuals practicing in a predominately psychoanalytic mode. The material will be appropriate for clinicians with intermediate levels of experience and knowledge.
Registration Fees and Policies
BY November 27, 2023:
Professional Members and Scholar Members: $45
Non-members: $60
Early-Career Professional Members: $35
Graduate Student Members: Free.
AFTER November 27, 2023:
Professional Members and Scholar Members: $60
Non-members: $75
Early-Career Professional Members: $50.
Graduate Student Members: Free
Registration will close on December 1, 2023.
Although walk-ins will be accepted, please register online at www.aps-tn.wildapricot.org in advance to assure adequate food and seating.
If you prefer to pay by check, please print the Program Registration form, and mail with your payment to:
Wesley Gosselin, LMSW
APS Treasurer
100 Forest Court
Knoxville, TN 37919.
Refunds honored with written/electronic notice at least 48 hours before date of conference. Contact Wesley Gosselin, LMSW.
Contact the APS President Frank Pittenger, PhD to negotiate fees, if needed.
Facility is accessible to persons who are physically challenged. If participants have special needs, we will attempt to accommodate them. Please address requests, questions, concerns and any complaints to Frank Pittenger, PhD.
APS Membership
Eligible professionals can join APS or renew their membership for the 2023-2024 program year for $80. Scholars can join/renew for $50 and Early-Career Professionals can join/renew for $45. Graduate students may join or renew for $25.
American Psychological Association Approval Statement
Division 39 is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. Division 39 maintains responsibility for this program and its content.
Continuing Education
This program, when attended in its entirety, is available for 3 continuing education credits. With full attendance (sign-in at start of program) and completion of a program Evaluation and Learning Assessment, a certificate will be issued. Psychologists will have their participation registered through Division 39. Partial credit is not available for partial attendance.
This program is designed to meet the requirement for psychologists licensed in the state of Tennessee to obtain continuing education in ethics and the law, including the requirement to obtain continuing education on Tennessee State Law.
APS and Division 39 are committed to conducting all activities in conformity with the American Psychological Association’s Ethical Principles for Psychologists. APS and Division 39 are also committed to accessibility and non-discrimination in continuing education activities. Participants are asked to be aware of the need for privacy and confidentiality throughout the program. If program content becomes stressful, participants are encouraged to process these feelings during discussion periods.
Selected References/Recommended Reading
American Psychological Association, APA Committee on Professional Practice and Standards. (2021). Guidelines for the Optimal Use of SocialMedia in Professional Psychological Practice. Retrieved from https://www.apa.org/about/policy/guidelines-optimal use-social-media.pdf
Baier, A. (2019) The Ethical Implications of Social Media: Issues and Recommendations For Clinical Practice, Ethics & Behavior, 29:5, 341-351, DOI: 10.1080/10508422.2018.1516148
Berler, M., Trub, L., & Magaldi, D. (2023). The therapist's evolving public self in a digitally disrupted marketplace. Journal of Psychotherapy Integration, 33(3), 285-301. https://doi.org/10.1037/int0000295
Drude, K., & Messer-Engel, K. (2021). The development of social media guidelines for psychologists and for regulatory use. Journal of Technology in Behavioral Science, 6(2), 388–396. https://doi.org/ 10.1007/s41347-020-00176-1.
Glueckauf, R. L., Maheu, M. M., Drude, K. P., Wells, B. A., Wang, Y., Gustafson, D. J., & Nelson, E. (2018). Survey of psychologists’ telebehavioral health practices: Technology Version 5/2/2022 4 use, ethical issues, and training needs. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 49(3), 205-219. https://doi.org/10.1037/pro0000188
Contact
If participants have special needs, we will attempt to accommodate them. Please address requests, questions, concerns and any complaints to the APS President Frank Pittenger, PhD.
There is no commercial support for this program nor are there any relationships between Division 39, APS, presenter, program content, research, grants or other funding sources that could reasonably be construed as conflicts of interest. During the program, the validity/utility of the content and risks/limitations of the approaches discussed will be addressed.