Issue link: http://cp.revolio.com/i/142672
ethical conduct Just as "location, location, location" is the mantra in real estate, "listen, listen, listen" should be the bodywork credo. Listen to your client, listen to the wisdom the profession has set forth, and listen to your own good sense. Maintaining ethical relationships with your clients is as important as ensuring the therapeutic value of your bodywork. The way in which you administer to your clients reflects not only on you and your business, but on the touch therapy profession as a whole. It's more than just proper draping and it's more than ensuring a safe, clean environment. Ethical conduct means everything from understanding your boundaries with the client to setting and applying the same equitable business policies for all your clients. Never forget clients are paying you for your services. Clients have come to you to relieve stress, pain, or tension. It is your responsibility as the practitioner to provide them a comfortable, nurturing atmosphere, to keep them at ease, and to provide them with those services. Clients are not there to satisfy your ego, nor to provide you with a body to practice on. Your clients don't need to be lectured about the importance of stretching, nor is that your role. Your role is to provide therapeutic bodywork, offer suggestions for health when appropriate and requested, and, most importantly, be attentive to their needs. Keep these things in mind and your clients will be happier and your practice will be more successful. Listen To The Profession Outside of the therapy room, your ethical conduct is also at stake. It's important you let the guiding principles of the profession help prevent you from stumbling. First, respect the ethics of laws and legislation that may be regulating your work. When applicable, make sure your licenses and permits are in order and up to date. Just as important, make sure your professional liability insurance is current and forgo potentially dangerous lapses in coverage by renewing your coverage on your due date. Understand your scope of practice and what that means. Would you want your primary care physician doing open heart surgery on you? No. Nor would you want to receive craniosacral work from a colleague trained only in Swedish techniques. While the client asking for help with diabetic concerns may not know what your scope of practice is, it is your responsibility to tell him or her you aren't qualified to offer advice in this area. Don't leave him or her hanging, however. Refer out to a physician you've worked with before or suggest he or she talk to a nutritionist. In a more literal sense, a way to underscore good ethical conduct is to seek out supervision. Establishing a relationship with someone in a supervisory role allows you to discuss professional issues without violating client confidences.