The Digital Tightrope: Navigating Social Media Ethics in Counseling

Social media has become deeply integrated into both personal and professional lives, yet the use by counseling professionals remains underexplored. This study investigated how various roles within the counseling field experience and utilize social media in their professional development, identity formation, and ethical practice. A qualitative online survey was utilized to collect data from counseling professionals (N = 20). Findings revealed six themes: (1) Conflicting Perspectives on Client Social Media Use and Engagement, (2) Personal Discomfort and Ethical Ambiguity, (3) Counselors’ Varied Approaches of Social Media Use, (4) Social Media Use for Professional Development, (5) Mixed Perspectives on Social Media Marketing and Content Creation, and (6) Artificial Intelligence. Findings may contribute to conversations surrounding future development of the ACA Code of Ethics and may be of use to counseling professionals who desire an understanding of how other professionals are navigating the nuances of social media.