Social Media as a Context of Therapeutic Practice: Digital Visibility and Ethical Tensions Among Mental Health Professionals

ABSTRACT Background The increasing integration of social media into everyday life has transformed how mental health professionals communicate, construct professional identities and manage therapeutic boundaries. Although digital platforms expand access to psychological knowledge and services, they also introduce ethical challenges related to confidentiality, visibility and boundary management. Empirical research on how practitioners experience and navigate these challenges remains limited. Aims This study explored mental health professionals' experiences of social media use, focusing on digital visibility, ethical decision‐making and perceived impacts on therapeutic relationships. Materials & Methods A exploratory qualitative design was employed. Semi‐structured interviews were conducted with 14 mental health professionals who actively produced Instagram content and had over 10,000 followers. Participants were recruited using criterion sampling. Data were analysed using inductive content analysis. Results Five main themes and 17 subthemes emerged: ethical concerns, therapeutic challenges, benefits for therapists, societal impacts and accessibility and visibility. Discussion Findings suggest a dual process in which increased visibility enhanced public awareness, client outreach and professional development, while also complicating boundary management, increasing exposure to criticism and creating emotional strain. Participants reported using self‐regulation strategies to protect confidentiality and professional identity. However, platform‐driven engagement practices introduced tensions between professional responsibility and the demands of online visibility. Social media constitutes a complex environment where therapeutic practice, professional identity and ethical accountability are continuously renegotiated. Conclusion Developing clearer, evidence‐informed ethical guidelines and strengthening digital professionalism may support practitioners in balancing opportunities and risks. These findings highlight the need for practice‐oriented and policy‐relevant guidance in digital mental health contexts.