This is my portion of a presentation at the American Psychological Association's convention in Toronto in 2015. In it, I review: the importance of social media for your professional mission, learn how to enhance online education, and creating professional versus personal boundaries on the internet. The talk focuses on the use of Twitter, podcasting, YouTube, and Blogger/WordPress.

1. John D. Gavazzi, PsyD ABPP
@johngavazzi
www.ethicalpsychology.com
psychbuilder.tumblr.com
john.gavazzi@gmail.com

2. Learning Objectives
• Be able to use Twitter and blogging to
support your professional missions.
• To describe the importance of
developing an online presence for
professional education purposes.
• Distinguish between your personal and
professional activities on the Internet and
understand the importance of doing so.

3. The Reality of the 21st Century
• Technology and Social Media have expanded
the ways in which individuals access
professionals and specific forms of
information, including health information.
• Many health professionals are building an
online presence and there are some issues to
contemplate about your online presence.
• It is likely best to align your online presence
with your general professional mission.

5. Quick exercise to see, literally, who is
on social media in general
Which platforms people are comfortable
using on a professional basis

7. Some Questions to Contemplate
• Why am I joining social media?
• What do I hope to accomplish?
• What image or brand am I trying to
develop? (if any)

8. Some Questions to Contemplate
• How do I plan to develop it?
• What resources do I have, including
time, to invest?
• Do I understand the technology?

10. True story on how things can go wrong if
you do not understand the technology

11. At the most basic level, you are trying to
develop a network of online connections
in which you can give and take
information, and possibly rebroadcast it
to others.

12. 1. Do what you do
best
2. You do not need
to respond
3. Birds of a feather
Don’t try to tell jokes on
SM unless you are a
comedian
Expect a nasty or
unfavorable comment
every now and then
More likely to follow and
connect with others like
you
Basic Heuristics for Social Media

13. One-Way, Static Forms of Information
• Available 24/7
• Practice Information
– Appointments, practice information,
informed consent, HIPAA policy, etc.
• Expert Information
– Blog, FB, G+, posts, podcasts, Tweets,
YouTube videos, curating information

14. Two-Way Communication
• Social Media provides ways to
communicate back to individuals
– Facebook: Messenger System
– Twitter: Direct Message
– Tumblr: Messaging System
– LinkedIn: Messaging System

15. Ethics of Two-Way Communication
• Informed Consent
• When does a person in cyberspace
become a patient?
• HIPAA compliant communication?

16. Between Session Contacts via SM
• Informed Consent
• HIPAA compliant communication
• Googling or using social media to
learn more about your patients

17. Good General Heuristic
Keep your personal life separate from
your social life on social media
Avoid boundary crossings
Avoid boundary violations

18. Boundaries in Cyberspace
• Would you drive past your patient’s
house for any reason?
• Would you go to a patient’s party?
• Would you look into your patient’s
windows?

19. Using Social Media for Professional
Purposes

20. Possible Reasons for Joining Social
Media
• Altruism
• Ego Needs
• Educating Others
• Developing an Expertise
• Growing a Practice
• Make Money

21. Blogging as a form of professional
activity
• Educate the public
• Educate the profession
• Inspire others
• Develop professional expertise
• Become a better writer
• Generate Referrals

22. What is a blog?
What is blogging?
• A blog (weblog) is a type of website in
which the blogger posts information in
a reverse, chronological order.
• Blogging is posting original content or
curating information on any topic or
field

23. Popular Blogging Platforms

24. Popular Psychology Blogs
• PsyBlog
• MindHacks
• British Psychological Science
Research Digest
• PsychCentral Blog
• Over 100 psychology blogs

25. Good Ethics Blogs
The Ethical Professor
Mitchell Handelsmann, PhD
The Ethical Therapist
Sharon K. Anderson, PhD

26. • Daily post(s)
• Library with 100+
articles
• Vignette warehouse
• Video Resources
• Guides & Guidelines
• Ethical Codes &
Codes of Conduct
• Audio Resources
• Podcasts
Ethics and Psychology Site
www.ethicalpsychology.com

27. Podcasting
The Very Basic of Basics

28. Podcasting Basics
• Podcasts are digital media files
(usually audio), which are produced in
a series, and typically have a certain
theme.
• Ethics and Psychology Podcast
• People typically subscribe to the
series

29. Popular Podcasting Sites
Liberated Syndication (Libsyn)
Podbean
SoundCloud

30. Podcasting Basics
• Very simple way to disseminate
information.
• Low cost way to produce a “show” or
content
• Can be accessed around the world

31. Podcasting Basics
• You create an audio file
• You publish your audio file to your
host site, like LibSyn
• Direct to iTunes and/or publish on
your web site

32. Creating Audio Files
Hire a teenager
Use Google Hangout
Use Skype
Use your Mac

33. Podcasting as “narrowcasting”
• Disseminating information to a small
audience or niche market
• Partnered with PPA to sell as
continuing education credits
• More to promote ethics education

34. Some Benefits of Podcasting
• One way to publish important content
for continuing education
– PA Mandated Child Abuse Training
– PA Supervision Requirement
• One way to publish redundant content
– PA Mandated Child Abuse Training
– Ethical Decision-making

35. Imagination is the Limit for Podcasting
• Make 5 minute podcasts taking about
anxiety, depression or your specialty
to help market your practice
• Can use for updates for your state
psychological association
• Use to recruit members

36. A Compliment to Podcasting
Additional Functions and Value

37. YouTube
• Using YouTube to supplement
podcasting
• Using YouTube to promote ethics
education primarily
• Using YouTube for committee work
• Used YouTube to promote
membership in your state psych assn

38. One Example of how to use YouTube

39. Online Professional Development
Building Your Own Library from

40. Building Your Professional Library
• Many researchers and authors put
their draft and published work on their
pages
• You can follow researchers and
researcher compilers
• Can download publications from
author’s web sites or request e-copies

41. Building Your Professional Library
• Some people are good seeders or
sharers
• Can always follow someone, then
unfollow if not impressed
• No cost to join, no cost to follow

42. Some Accounts/People to Follow
@colincapaldi
@PsyPress
@UPENN_MedEthics
@hastingscenter

43. Final Thoughts on this Section
• Look to how social media can help
you grow professionally
• Look to how social media can help
grow your practice

44. Social Media Struggles with Ethics
• Freedom of Expression
– Free Speech is different and involves
government censorship
• Pornography
– The Great Porn Purge with Twitter
– Blogger enforcing their porn rules
• Bullying
• Branding

46. john.gavazzi@gmail.com
717-979-4550
@johngavazzi
www.ethicalpsychology.com
John D. Gavazzi, PsyD