This document discusses developing a professional online identity and presence. It provides information on using LinkedIn, privacy concerns with online activities, using Twitter to connect with other professionals, Google Plus, using Facebook pages professionally, learning from other mental health professionals, using blogs, portfolios, managing your online brand, creating websites and choosing domain names, using social media to promote important issues, setting goals for social media use, and using SlideShare to share presentations. Final thoughts emphasize gratitude for the resources to start a private practice and brand a mental health business.

1. TRMA 585 P1: Developing A
Professional Online Identity Spring 2012
KAYLAN CARPENTER

2. ONLINE IDENTITIES, PERSONAL
BRANDING, SOCIAL MEDIA

3. LINKEDIN
• LinkedIn seems to be the perfect answer to social networking without
having to cross paths with your personal Facebook site.
• Easy to set up and use, more and more professionals are using it to attract
employment and search for jobs, and connecting to professional groups.
• Upload a resume, build your profile and ask for recommendations all from
one site.
• Study that shows LinkedIn is a hot social networking site :
http://videos.webpronews.com/2011/07/new-study-proves-value-of-
linkedin/

4. ONLINE PRIVACY
• Nothing that you place online is private, and even though you
delete or erase thoughts or images they are never truly gone.
Keep in mind when thinking about the future and employment
• A tip sheet for staying safe:
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B_0Fn6B0sB1xNzRhYmIzYmQtN
mExMi00ZjFjLTlkYjUtMjZlYzhmZDNjMzkw/edit?pli=1
• Remember you can be tracked or found online
via, web posts, birthdates, pictures, and friends
sites. Keep this in too consideration when
• Think before you put something online, and talk
to your friends as well about what they post.

5. TWITTER #TRMA585
• A way to share your thoughts with the world
• A way to link to other professionals, get there
opinions and share yours, a possible way to
promote yourself and your business
• A link to the AAMFT video of Twitter for therapists
http://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=uD7OjyqJ3JQ&feature=youtu.be
• Very enjoyable way to keep up professionally,
possibly leading to business ventures.
• Hashtags (#......) a way to tweet or connect to an
idea of interest.

6. GOOGLE PLUS (G+)
• Google Plus is a newer social network, a bit of a
cross between Twitter and Facebook
• A new site that is not yet used as much as
Facebook and Twitter, but still has relevant use.
• A bonus for someone that wants to keep all
information within Google (mail, social networking,
websites.
• Keep informed on security issues, and make sure
you read the new security policy.
• I personally did not make an
account

7. PROFESSIONAL FACEBOOK PAGES
• A well known site that is easy to use and has the added
benefits of being used by many, although could get
confusing to keep personal and business separate.
• A link discussing Facebook pages for therapists
http://blogs.psychcentral.com/private-
practice/2011/08/facebook-pages-for-therapists/
• Should friends or personal clients be invited to join your
Facebook site.?? Confusing ethically, could require a
special section in the PDS.

8. LEARNING FROM MENTAL HEALTH
PROFESSIONALS & ORGANIZATIONS
• Lets not re-invent the wheel
If you have questions, ask someone or research
someone with more experienced
I really liked Dr. Keely Holmes, PsyD & Julie Hanks
Both I felt had valuable tools for all therapists to
consider.
• Be involved with your membership organizations
(AAMFT, ACA, APA) Keep up with what's going on.
• Ignorance is no excuse.

9. BLOGS: BLOGGER, WORDPRESS,
TUMBLR, POSTEROUS
• Blogging- A great way to share material with others
online. Therapists can use blogs to post valuable
information to perspective clients as well as give
perspective clients an idea of personality and style
before scheduling an appointment.
• I loved word press as it seemed easy to set up and use.
I found many other clinicians also using that site.
• Blogger was also a useful site to learn about as it uses
a lot of the Google products that we also learned
about in this class

10. PORTFOLIOS & PROFILES
http://about.me/smoothchanges

11. MANAGING YOUR ONLINE
IDENTITY
• HooteSuite, TweetDeck and Seesmic are popular
social media communications dashboards used
for online brand management.
• Google alerts send you daily emails of things that
you have tagged as having an interest in.
• I found that managing your online identity to be a
daunting task with all the different sites and
updates to do. I absolutely fell in love with
HootSuite. It seems easy to use and
keeps track of everything for you. I
found that many other clinicians use
it too.

12. WEBSITES & DOMAIN NAMES
• Ever thought it was hard to make a website….. Think
again check out a way to do it in five easy steps
http://www.makeawebsiteguide.com/5/how-to-
make-a-website/
• Love the idea of starting a webpage both for my
business and possibly for my hobby. Use this link to
check and see if the name you always wanted is
available. http://namechk.com/
• I used to think that making a website was so
difficult, no I am excited to get started.

13. HAVING AN IMPACT
• Social media – such as Facebook, YouTube, Twitter,
& websites can give individuals a voice to the
world
• Many are using these sites to get important topics
out to the general population that does not know
they exist.
• Individuals are making a difference in the lives of
millions, because of their want to make a
difference.
• Are you ready to make change happen???

14. GOALS & STRATEGIES
• Figure out a plan, who you want to attract, and
what you hope to gain out of having social media
as part of your business
• Identify ways to standout
• If you don’t have a lot of time pick one for two
social sites to be involved in full time instead of
trying to keep up with all of them
• Track your progress, if you start with goals you will
be able to see if you are meeting them, if your not
reevaluate your plan.

15. • A way to post PowerPoint's, articles and other
information to share with the world
• Works very well for big events such as conferences
or for educators at school, to give an entire group
your presentation to follow along with
• It is very easy to get drawn to slideshare and lose
track of time. Be careful on your hours spent looks
at others when you could be build your own

16. FINAL THOUGHTS
• Coming to the end of my graduate career I am
thankful for all of the information that we learned
to help start a private practice and help to brand
ourselves.
• Although it will be a bit before I launch my own
business, all of the resources I have gathered
will help me to formulate a smart business
plan when the times comes.
• I really appreciated all of the info
specific to the mental health