[WrkNPrgress]

Has anyone here ever 'friended' a former therapist on Facebook (or for that matter, a current one)?

I'm wondering how common this is these days. I know there are some Ts who forbid the idea and other's who are more laid back about it. Seems like it's a generational thing.

[itjustis]

I asked my exT of I could friend her on fb. She said I will have to wait 3 years to add her and she will think about it!

[ElectricManatee]

My former T was on Facebook, but it never occurred to me to ask to be Facebook friends. I don't think she was on Facebook when I was her client. She was in her early fifties then, and it was back when Facebook was almost exclusively college kids.

My current T is on Facebook, and I am 100% sure she would not agree to be FB friends, now or ever. I think she needs separation between her work life and her personal life. Plus I think it could be complicated or confusing to "see" her in that context. She is in her forties now.

I would never friend a therapist on Facebook, even if it was a former therapist. I think it's considered unprofessional of them to accept, and I would assume they would not accept anyway.

Neither of my former Ts have Facebook accounts, which is just as well. I wouldn't want to friend them.

RoboT has even fewer friends than I do, which is saying something. This indicates to me that RoboT would never friend a client, current or former.

Psychiatrist friended me. He's older, so not a generational thing. Don't think it's that big of a deal.

Sometimes I think something is a bid deal or taboo or forbidden, or that I "shouldn't" do it; only later to realize it was only my mind making a big deal about it.

Thinking of things like this makes me reflect on how I've learned to be more laid back again, like when times were good.

[Calilady]

My former T requires a consent form (obviously) that includes her protocol on this. No facebook friend requests will be accepted by any current or former clients. None.

As for my current T, I wouldn't even think to ask him. Don't wanna know him on a friendly/personal level even after conclusion.

Originally Posted by Blanche_

Psychiatrist friended me. He's older, so not a generational thing. Don't think it's that big of a deal.

Sometimes I think something is a bid deal or taboo or forbidden, or that I "shouldn't" do it; only later to realize it was only my mind making a big deal about it.

Thinking of things like this makes me reflect on how I've learned to be more laid back again, like when times were good.

Thanks for this post.

My ex therapist is not on fb and neither am I. Nevertheless, we are good friends. Another ex therapist I saw when I was pregnant and nursing moved to a different state years ago and so did I. When I used to use Facebook I found her many years ago. She accepted my friend request. She is in her eighties now. I have gone to visit her 5-6 times when I am in that state for vacation I drive 2 hour to see her and have some of my fondest memories. She never married or had kids and has a small family in America. She was professor and a few of her former students are fb friends. She welcomes our visits and makes my son the most delicious European pastries.

If I have left a lot of things undone with a former therapist and was still doing the dreaded "attachment" piece then I would walk away, but if my work with her was as far as it could go, given the circumstances, I would take the offer and who knows, a beautiful life long friendship might develop.

I also have a standby therapist and she has a long ago abandoned Facebook acct. I have no desire to be a part of her Facebook, it I don't know what she would say.

[Pennster]

My therapist has a professional Facebook page. I haven't signed on as I hate the idea of my therapist popping up in my Facebook feed, but I think he puts up a lot of helpful articles related to meditation and such on it. I don't want to see these things, but I think it's kind of a nice way for therapists to handle it for clients who might like to have such a connection.

[stopdog]

I don't have a facebook account. I don't know if the woman has one or not

[Myrto]

Maybe it's common in the US as the boudaries seem much more relaxed than in my part of Europe. Both my ex and current therapist are on Facebook and it would never even cross my mind to add them.
I really don't think it's appropriate since therapists are not my friends. I would side-eye hard any therapist accepting their client on social media.

Maybe it is different in the US as friending someone on Facebook doesn't necessarily mean you are friends. It often indicates a connection or acquaintance.

I do think therapists who have trouble with boundaries best to not friend anyone. In my opinion, it seems ok for those who don't have boundary problems.

Originally Posted by AttachmentesBueno

Thanks for this post.

My ex therapist is not on fb and neither am I. Nevertheless, we are good friends. Another ex therapist I saw when I was pregnant and nursing moved to a different state years ago and so did I. When I used to use Facebook I found her many years ago. She accepted my friend request. She is in her eighties now. I have gone to visit her 5-6 times when I am in that state for vacation I drive 2 hour to see her and have some of my fondest memories. She never married or had kids and has a small family in America. She was professor and a few of her former students are fb friends. She welcomes our visits and makes my son the most delicious European pastries.

If I have left a lot of things undone with a former therapist and was still doing the dreaded "attachment" piece then I would walk away, but if my work with her was as far as it could go, given the circumstances, I would take the offer and who knows, a beautiful life long friendship might develop.

I also have a standby therapist and she has a long ago abandoned Facebook acct. I have no desire to be a part of her Facebook, it I don't know what she would say.

That's a lovely story. Reading it warmed my heart.

[LonesomeTonight]

I know my T has one, as she showed up as a suggested friend a few months ago. She had a baby picture of either herself or one of her kids as her profile pic, plus has a common name, so would likely be harder for clients to find.

MC popped up as a suggested friend about a week ago (no friends in common--I'm guessing FB got him and T from my contacts or location?) I think maybe it's a new account for him. But he used a current photo of himself as his profile and listed their practice as what shows up under his name. So, even though he also has a common name, would be much easier for a client to find, I imagine.

I didn't friend either of them (did alert them that they showed up for me) and am sure at this point they wouldn't accept a friend request, as I'm a current client. My T will probably be retiring soon, but she has said that, as a social worker, she's never supposed to be friends with past clients, even if it's been 20 years (different than the 2-year rule for psychologists). So I doubt she'd accept a friend request from me even after she retires, though that would be nice. She did say we could e-mail or talk on the phone a few times a year.

[88Butterfly88]

For college and high school teachers I know sometimes they add their good students after graduation. I would think the same could be true for ts after you complete sessions. I guess the thing that is different with ts though is that one could decide to go back to therapy and then would the client have to unfriend. I could see where it could get awkward.

Originally Posted by 88Butterfly88

For college and high school teachers I know sometimes they add their good students after graduation. I would think the same could be true for ts after you complete sessions. I guess the thing that is different with ts though is that one could decide to go back to therapy and then would the client have to unfriend. I could see where it could get awkward.

I was forewarned by my former therapist that you can't go backward and try to reclaim the therapeutic relationship and I would not want to. Her code of ethics would come into play and would view that as not being in the clients's best interest. I have turned to my ex therapist for important issues and she has responded like a good friend that happened to have therapeutic skills. Plus it helped me that she had intimate knowledge of the people involved. Our personal relationship continuous to help propell me forward.