The Rise Of Trauma and Mental Health Influencers
I’ve been wanting to write on this topic and raise awareness around the dangers of influencing and sharing information about trauma and mental health via social media for some time.
As always, when discussing the pitfalls of the coaching and mental health industries respectively, I must disclaim that what I share does not apply to all coaches, clinicians, or service providers nor am I inferring that it does.
My perspectives and approach as an advocate, educator, and coach will not be for everyone. I do not use buzzwords like “safe space.” I cannot guarantee that for a number of reasons. I may not feel safe for some folks, particularly due to having to hold a firm stance at times as an advocate. I fully acknowledge that, with transparency and reverence.
I welcome feedback if you are open to sharing it with me. You can comment below or send me a private message here.
Lucrative Business
Becoming an influencer is one of the most sought-after paths to success today. There are handfuls of them flourishing across the internet. Viral sensations and influencers entertained us during the height of the pandemic as work/life shifted and adjustments needed to be made in a variety of ways.
While influencing can be lucrative, like any industry, it is not without its pitfalls.
A Dangerous Game
Online spaces are becoming filled with coaches and other helping professionals turned trauma and mental health influencers. While the rise of influencing in these areas has made it possible for hundreds of people to feel supported, there are dangers lurking out there.
Not everyone is influencing for the right reasons, especially considering monetization culture, and how we can now get paid for comments and engagement. This has become a growing problem across platforms, Tik Tok, Instagram, X, and Facebook in particular.
It has become quite the trend to deliberately distort information and create content that is not truly grounded in truth, or weighted with enough factual information, specifically to influence an outcome designed to get the most comments and engagement.
Purposeful polarization for the sake of growing a following and attacking other providers and audience members has led me to disengage, unfollow, and speak up about some very influential clinicians and coaches in the online mental health and coaching space.
It can increase risks for vulnerable groups who may be struggling with accessing resources and taking care of themselves and their mental health. Taking advantage of one’s eagerness to find support and heal is manipulative. This can impact how people take in and process that information, how they interpret things, and what they believe. It can influence personal decisions, mindset, and other outcomes.
This does not build trust and rapport.
Something I’ve learned on my own journey is the importance of mindfulness when following or interacting with anyone on social media. I am what I call curiously cautious of anyone who is:
Diagnosing, or labeling symptoms as part of a diagnosis
Presenting information or educating often with blanket statements and absolute statements
Claiming that they can “heal” trauma, autism, PTSD, depression, anxiety, etc. with a three to five-step framework, or within specific time periods
Offering mental health, trauma healing, and recovery services in exchange for money on a public platform. There is currently a court case in progress around this, and if the State of California should win, there could be serious implications for these types of influencers, as well as life coaches because it will set a precedent.
Where possible, please use discretion and discernment when following people, regardless of the letters behind their name, licensure, the years of experience they have had in any particular area, or their follower count.
I encourage you to learn about me as well. I intentionally added many details to my website to support the ease of doing so. I am open to connecting on a call, so that we may get to know one another a little better. You can learn more about me here.
Please note this is not about removing the freedom of speech. This is about protecting people from harm and manipulation that is uniquely of this era in time.
Becoming Aware
Many of us have already seen the damage that can be done when the guru gets exposed for taking advantage of folks. The curtain comes down, but so many have already gotten hurt.
In the digital age of influencing, helping professionals should already know that a certain population of folks among their following may not be able to discern and think critically about the information being presented to them.
I would hope that therapists who are offering services and support alongside creating content would recognize the importance of preserving the therapeutic relationship and refrain from exploitation. However, it would be remiss of me not to mention the increased tendency of developing parasocial relationships with followers on social media for a perceived benefit.
People are getting hurt by well-resourced influencers who are manipulating and misinforming their audience as a way of obtaining likes, followers, clients, and credibility.
When sharing on the topics of trauma and mental health, there should be a higher standard of accountability and care.The impact of what we share, goes beyond social media.
Hiding Behind A Following
The presence of a large following and credentials, active or not, are not the only grounds one could be looking at to determine and verify that the information being shared from an account is accurate or that the person or agency sharing it is adequately informed. Informed and aware are not synonymous. As a lifelong patient, I stand by that.
In addition, just because content may indeed contain facts, does not mean that the presentation is factually appropriate and does not warrant a deeper conversation, further research, some elaboration with factual context, or an explanation of terminology.
Trauma and our experiences make up a diverse landscape. Often, a larger conversation is needed to address the layers and nuances that are a part of a larger tapestry when it comes to dialogue on trauma, mental health, and recovery.
I am not asking for an essay. Just some thoughtful consideration of how things are shared. I encourage the use of more descriptive words that leave room for self-reflection and curiosity. Self-healing isn’t happening when folks have to do the emotional labor to defend themselves.
It is deeply concerning that some would rather engage in power plays and hit the block button than take accountability.
The mental health influencers risking a crisis
At the time that I had penned the original version of this blog, I had been inspired to write it after things unfolded in the online space with a well-known mental health influencer.
I am sad that some incredible educators and therapists that I followed felt pressured to delete their accounts in order to reduce threats to themselves and their practice.
Many of these individuals are sending in their followers to essentially take down anyone who disagrees with them.
When disagreements arise in the online space, it is not helpful to use the words “you’re triggered” as an insult, or a way to deflect, evade accountability and side-step ownership.
This statement is not a stand in for other words such as upset, uncomfortable, activated, or angry.
The social adaptation of the definition of trigger, has done a disservice to trauma survivors and minimizes the experience. When someone is legitimately triggered, stigma can also impact how they are received and supported in the process.
Mental health language should not be weaponized. No number of disclaimers, licenses, followers, or how many times someone blocks and deletes someone will excuse or erase harm done, nor should it.
I also believe that life coaching should be regulated, and it is clear to me that we need more regulations, and guidance around what is shared on the internet for various reasons.
Education and Advocacy
As someone who has dedicated 25+ years to service work and advocacy, I am addressing this because am concerned for the well-being of other survivors. I cannot be a bystander to harm and predatory practices.
Finding common ground and support can be helpful, but I would like to see more ethical considerations, and safeguards, when it comes to content creation in these areas. I am concerned about what these displays overall may foreshadow for the future of mental health care and support.
Educating around these issues is particularly challenging for a few reasons.
The probability of clinicians and licensed professionals doing harm tends to be socially and professionally minimized, especially by clinicians themselves. Their reasoning on doing less harm has been: "We have a board and a code of ethics."
The generalized idea that peer support has a lesser value and impact than therapy.
Professional rivalry and perhaps envy, between coaches and therapists.
The struggle to accept the idea that coaching may be preferred over therapy because of affordability, access, and less stigma.
In this era of the internet and chronically online culture, people in general, are sharing information that is beyond their personal and professional scope, and there are no regulations, limitations, or ethical guardrails.
A Matter of Ethics + Professional Sensibility
This may be hard to hear, but peer support through lived experience alone, though extremely valuable, is not ethically enough. There are not enough safeguards in place, platforms are not regulated enough, and it is hard to track follow-up.
I strongly recommend that coaches and those offering peer support through communities, groups, and channels on the internet get some training. Therapists should also maintain continued education in trauma support. The work doesn’t stop based on years of practice, a degree, or a certificate from an in-service. Years you've been in practice is not a free pass.
It should be a given that many survivors and vulnerable individuals make up a large percentage within an audience based on the type of content being created and who it is likely to attract. Care should be taken to reduce re-traumatization across the board.
There are those who may be consuming content or opting to enroll in coaching before attending, or in place of seeking therapy. Naturally, many of us may find ourselves looking for ways to fulfill unmet needs, like sense of belonging, validation, and a path to healing. I have been here myself. This does not make anyone bad, or wrong. It is simply an aspect of being human to find ways to get our needs met.
People tend to believe what they hear and read without a second thought these days, especially if prominent, trusted figures and professionals are saying it.
Any mental health professional worth their salt who is creating mental health and trauma related content should know that and take that into consideration.
If we have a platform, we have the power to influence.
It's not just social media influencing that we are responsible for, either.
So many people already have a hard time trusting, and their experience with us can influence critical things like the state of their nervous systems, their mental health, or their willingness to seek out a therapist or other forms of support when needed in the future.
Being able to model repair and attune to the needs of those who hold us in high regard is essential. As providers, especially those in positions of leadership with more privilege — an acknowledgment of expressed needs and concerns from one’s followers, clients, or group members is important, no matter their status. There are simple ways to do this that can lead to valuable contributions toward our effectiveness. A feedback informed approach can be beneficial for both therapists and coaches alike.
Though we cannot prevent harm from happening entirely it is important to be taking responsibility for our energy and practices when it comes to the experiences that we are cultivating and co-creating. The people that we connect and work with should know that we believe in them and that we genuinely care.
As I have said time and again. As coaches, service providers, and leaders, I believe it is important for us to hold our power and influence as responsibly as possible. What we do with our power matters. How we show up, matters.
The ways that we connect and communicate with others through our messaging, marketing, and practices can have a profound and lasting impact.
A Personal Note
I want you to know that I would never ask anyone who follows me or reads my content to agree with me or take the same stance that I do. You do not need to defend me or adopt my views. If ever a matter arose that a situation or account needed to be reported, I would handle it with care.
Image Credits:
