Separation of Work and Home

I've fallen into an ethical dilemma. I know how I am going to handle it, but I feel that I need to address it here just so I can see the process through from start to finish.

Here is the dilemma.

A former client of mine (former by 4 days - left last Friday for a new school) has requested to be my friend on Facebook.

I enjoyed being the therapist for this student, but I am not ready to be his Facebook friend. I want to keep my work life separate from my home life. Now, I do not post lots and lots of social information about myself on Facebook, but there are more links into my outside life than I want a client to access. I know that he is not currently my client, but the relationship is still too close for my comfort.

I wonder what his current teacher thinks when she posts things about her "grape slushie" drinks that she enjoys several times per week. I wonder what types of censorship I would put myself through wondering what he would see on my timeline, who he would talk to, and how it would be interpreted.

I will not be his Facebook friend. I wish I could, but I am EXTREMELY uncomfortable, so that is my signal for my path through the dilemma.

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