Our 2013 Digital Art Therapy and Social Media Presentation to the Buckeye Art Therapy Association in Columbus Ohio. Since this time, the Art Therapy Credentials Board has updated their ethics document, so this presentation serves as a way to track the historical development of art therapy and the growing challenges of digital technology and social media in professional practice. Please note: the movie portion of this presentation is not activated.

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© 2013 Art Therapy & Ethics in a Digital Age
2013 Buckeye Art Therapy Association Symposium
Presented by:
Cathy Malchiodi, PhD, LPAT, LPCC, ATR-BC
Donald Cutcher, MA, ATR-BC, HLM/BATA

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Our Goals & Objectives…
Ethics can be pretty
boring…so we are
going to focus on two
topics and give you a
chance to participate:
1) Internet and
electronic/digital
communication and
privacy;
2) Online therapy and in
particular, the ethical
dilemmas of online art
therapy education.

3. +About Ethics | General Principles
a. It’s not unethical if the professional association you
belong to permits it.
b. It’s not unethical if an ethics code never mentions
the concept, term, or act.
c. It’s not unethical as long as no law is broken.
d. It’s not unethical as long as we can name others who
do the same thing.
e. It’s not unethical as long as we don’t mean to hurt
anyone
Marlene Maheu, PhD says “I encourage you to
consider the following cognitive statements:”

4. +What is Electronic Media?
 Broadcast or storage media that takes advantage of
electronic technology
 May include television, radio, Internet, fax, CD-
ROMS, DVD, and any other medium that requires
electricity or digital encoding of information.
 Also includes other forms of news publication,
including websites, blogs and social networking
sites.
 The term “electronic media” is often used in
contrast with print media.

5. Has the Internet become part of the new Maslow Hierarchy of
Needs? Apparently, some people think so! [source unknown, but
found on Facebook]

6. +The Internet is Always Following
You ~~ A TED Talk

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Have you Googled yourself lately?
 Try it– you will be surprised
at what you discover about
yourself that is on the
Internet.
 Major sources of Google
hits: Social media such as
Facebook activity and
websites with your name on
them.
 Your clients can see them
all.
 Nothing ever disappears
from the Internet. Nothing.
Really. Lucy is shocked by how much
about her is searchable on the
Internet…

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Electronic
Media…digital
art images,
records, social
media, films and
more…
What are the
ethical
concerns?
Confidentiality
challenges?
Legal issues?

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Health
Information
and Digital
Transmission
Protected Health
Information:
HIPAA Privacy and
Security Rules
But how protected is any
electronic information?

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About Electronic Media…
“Even before you put electronic client
information or an image online or send it
by e-mail it is at risk.”
“The risks for electronic data can be
internal, external, and random, and can
result in data damage, falsification, loss,
or leakage.”
P. Orr (2011), ATCB Summer Review

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ATCB Ethics Code
 3.11.5.1 Addresses issues related to the difficulty
of maintaining the confidentiality of electronic
transmitted communications, and the difficulty in
removing any information or imagery that has
been posted electronically if consent is later
revoked.
 3.11.5.2 Inform clients of all colleagues,
supervisors, and employees (including
Informational Technology (IT) administrators,
who might have access to electronic
transmissions.
ATCB Code of Professional Practice states:

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AATA Ethical Principles for Art
Therapists | Section 14.0
Art therapy by electronic means is a new and
evolving application of art therapy. As such, it
presents opportunities for service, as well as ethical
dilemmas not encountered in the past. Art
therapists are advised to use caution as the ethical
ramifications of providing art therapy services via
the Internet and other electronic means emerge.
14.1 Art therapists who offer services or
information via electronic transmission
inform clients of the risks to privacy and
the limits of confidentiality.
AATA [5/24/2011] states:

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AATA Ethical Principles for Art
Therapists | Section 14.0
14.2 Art therapists who provide services
through electronic means are governed by
the AATA’s Ethical Principles for Art
Therapists.
14.3 Art therapists are responsible for
taking reasonable steps to ensure that any
services through electronic means are in
accordance with all applicable laws and
regulations and are aware of the licensing
requirements of the state in which their
clients reside.
AATA [5/24/2011] states:

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A “hypothetical” case
scenario.
Posting Client
Films to
Facebook…it
happens.

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It happened…
An art therapist posted video
tapes of sessions with a minor
child onto her Facebook
website. The client was
identified by name and there
was no masking of face or
images.
This was reported to the ATCB and
AATA; ATCB standards of
professional practice indicated
an ethics violation and the
person was required to remove
all data and respect
confidentiality. Cartoon source unknown, but content
is certainly accurate!

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A Couple of Social Media
Questions…
 A client sends you a email
through your personal
Facebook account,
requesting that you friend
him/her……………..what is
your response and what is
your rationale?
 You are a member of an
online discussion group
and confidential
information is shared
regarding a client, inclusive
of information that would
identify the client. How do
you respond to the posting?

17. +Online Art Therapy…is it possible?
Could it be effective?
 What do you think
online art therapy
would be like?
 How do you envision
it?
 Is it even possible?
 Under what
circumstances would
it be possible or even
preferable?

18. +Totally Online Art Therapy
Education…is it possible? Could it
be effective?

19. +Audience Participation: Questions
for Triads to Discuss [5 minutes]
 What are some of the ethical issues involved in
online education of art therapists?
 How much face-to-face education is ethically
necessary to train competent art therapists?
 What other issues emerge in relation to the
provision of totally online art therapy graduate
education?
 If you were told you would receive $100,000 a year
to conduct a totally online art therapy degree, what
would you do?

20. +References
 Be warned: 'Online therapy' is not therapy, not really
http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/over-
simulated/201003/be-warned-online-therapy-is-not-
therapy-not-really
 A Tuition-Free Art Therapy Graduate Education
http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-healing-
arts/201307/tuition-free-art-therapy-education-0
 Art Therapy Meets Digital Art and Social Media
http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-healing-
arts/200911/art-therapy-meets-digital-art-and-social-
multimedia
 A Facebook Fan Page for Your Private Practice?
http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-healing-
arts/200907/facebook-fan-page-your-private-practice

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Questions & Answers…
…and thank you for attending our presentation! {we
know how boring ethics can be…}