abstract: Technology is rapidly evolving, and mental health professionals are increasingly using technology in their clinical work. In reaction to this shift, it is important that research examines the ethical implications of online behaviors. The current study examined the online practices of graduate students in the mental health field and generated prediction models for online client searches and best practices in informed consent and online disclosure. The sample consisted of 316 graduate students in counseling, clinical, and school programs. Of those with clinical experience, a third had utilized the Internet to find information about their client. Progress in the participants' program, as measured by credits completed or in progress, and years of social networking experience were positively related to online client searches. The vast majority (over 80%) of individuals who conducted an online search did not obtain informed consent prior to the search. Curiosity was the most frequent reason given for conducting a client search. Previous professional discussions and belief that information online is private were not significant predictors of obtaining informed consent. The final analysis examined disclosure of client information and found that lower scores on ethical decision-making and years of social networking experience predicted online disclosure. This study is an important step in understanding the implications of the intersection of technology use, ethics, and clinical practice of graduate mental health professionals. / Dissertation/Thesis / M.C. Counseling Psychology 2012

L’année 2017 a été marquée par le mouvement social #MoiAussi dénonçant les violences à caractère sexuel. Une vague de dénonciations en ligne en a résulté, où de nombreuses personnes partageaient sur les réseaux sociaux leurs expériences en écho avec des situations d’inconduites sexuelles qu’elles auraient subies. Pour ce projet de recherche, je me concentre sur les personnes qui s’identifient comme femmes et qui ont témoigné en ligne. La revue de la littérature explore la construction de sens autour des violences à caractère sexuel, portant sur certaines thématiques: les postures épistémologiques féministes et les savoirs situés, l’espace de la cause des femmes, la dénonciation en ligne ainsi que le contexte québécois du #MoiAussi. La problématique s’inscrit dans une analyse des dénonciations en ligne québécoise, qui explore les perceptions et les expériences des personnes s’identifiant comme femmes en lien avec le mouvement #MoiAussi. La question générale de recherche initiale est la suivante : comment les participantes décrivent-elles leur processus de dénonciation sur Instagram, sept ans après le début du mouvement #MoiAussi? Pour la méthodologie de recherche, l’épistémologie féministe opère comme ancrage, étant donné que l’étude s’inscrit dans une posture épistémologique dite interprétative pour cette recherche de nature qualitative. / The year 2017 was marked by the #MeToo social movement condemning sexual violence. As a result, there was a wave of disclosures where many people shared on social networks their experiences with situations of sexual misconduct they had lived. For this research project, I focus on people who identify as women and who have testified online. The literature review explores the construction of meaning around sexual violence, focusing on certain themes: feminist epistemological postures and situated knowledge, the space of the women's cause, online disclosures and the context of #MeToo in Quebec. The problematic for this thesis is centred around an analysis of online disclosures in Quebec, exploring the perceptions and experiences of people identifying as women linked to the #MeToo movement. The initial general research question was: How do participants describe their process of disclosure on the Instagram platform, seven years after the start of the #MeToo movement? For the research methodology, feminist epistemology operates as an anchor, since the study is part of an interpretive epistemological posture for this qualitative research.