Issue link: http://cp.revolio.com/i/142672
sexual misconduct As a precaution, professionals in all fields must take care to ensure clients will never misinterpret their motives or services as being sexually oriented. This is especially true in somatic professions. "It's testimony to the good intentions and good sense of most practitioners that there don't seem to be more instances of sexual misconduct," writes Nina McIntosh in The Educated Heart. "But we sometimes forget how suggestive and confusing the situation can be. Not only are we touching people who are naked, or close to it, but our work invites them to enter an altered state that leaves them open and vulnerable to us and also to the memories buried in their tissue." Educate Your Clients The physical contact of a practitioner can, unfortunately, be misinterpreted as sexual contact by an inexperienced or uneducated client. To avoid misunderstandings, always educate each client regarding the techniques you will use (body parts, type of strokes, pressure, possibility of pain, etc.) and the duration and reason for the type of technique applied. Create a shared goal with your client for the session's outcome. Consistently reassure novice and longtime clients that they may accept or reject any suggested technique before or during the session. Urge them to be open in communicating with you concerning the work, before, during, and after each session. As a professional providing services to the public, it is important you understand your legal rights, obligations, and risks. Unfortunately, this is especially true due to the misuse of the term massage by those offering sexual services to the public under the guise of therapeutic bodywork. Prior to all bodywork sessions, therapists should clearly communicate to the client the nonsexual nature of the services they provide. Put similar language on your intake form, and make sure clients read and sign it. When providing services to minors, always have parents or a legal guardian sign a consent form and insist they be physically present (in the room) during the session. Be aware of the perceived power differential between a clothed practitioner and an undressed client receiving massage, bodywork, or somatic therapies. You must be conscious never to exploit a position of perceived power or even imply that possibility. Clients' rights to privacy must be respected at all times. Clients should be allowed to undress and dress in private. They also must be given a