best to leave the client with positive feelings about you and the practice of massage therapy. Provide referrals to Sexuality and massage Sexual misconduct , one of the most egregious examples of inappropriate behavior, refers to any sexual activity between the massage therapist and client. While women are less likely than men to be accused of sexual misconduct, they are not immune to such allegations. Some practitioners employ strategies of avoidance, ignoring the issue of sexuality entirely, either consciously or unconsciously, due to Strategies for client safety The emotional, financial, and legal consequences of professional misconduct for both the client and professional community are profound. Preventive policies should include an educational component explaining power dynamics in the therapeutic session, what constitutes appropriate and inappropriate conduct with individuals of the same and opposite genders, and strategies for speaking and acting in ways that delineate and reinforce appropriate boundaries. Ensuring your clients’ safety requires more than not being sexual toward them, or avoiding overt sexual behaviors with them. It means actively and consciously “desexualizing” the experience of massage; that is, making something with potential sexuality no longer sexual, or de-emphasizing that dimension. Desexualizing massage is a process of deconstructing the experience into its component parts, acknowledging human sexuality as a given, and accepting the practitioner and client as sexual beings. It’s natural for clients to feel some degree of anxiety or insecurity related to the process of disrobing and draping. Minimize anxiety or concern by stating and/or providing written information regarding disrobing. Before the client undresses, state that a draping procedure is required for purposes of modesty and physical comfort. Mention or have a written notice that explains draping; that it will cover all parts of the client’s body except the specific area receiving attention. Once you finish work in that area, you will recover it, and move to the next area. Tell clients to let you know if they have a question or concern, or are uncomfortable in any way. If you encounter a client who prefers not to be draped, explain that you are unable to proceed with the session until the client agrees to this customary procedure. Explain to clients what can and cannot be removed or left on without impeding your access to those parts of the body; reassure the client that it is not necessary to remove any Misconduct Misconduct has been a persistent and troubling issue in health care and medical professions since the early days of modern medicine. Written more than 2,000 years ago, the Hippocratic Oath urged members of the medical profession to refrain from “mischief, and in particular, sexual relationships with both female and male persons.” 4 In recent years, accusations of misconduct in the health care and personal service industries have become increasingly common, due in part to formal regulation of the complaint process and greater awareness of the issue among the general public. Misconduct takes many different forms that vary considerably in type and degree of severity. The following examples of misconduct demonstrate the need for ethical vigilance in every aspect of business practice, from organizational matters, to billing, to social interactions. Even in cases where inappropriate behaviors are the unintended result of thoughtlessness, errors in judgment, or improper planning, they risk potentially serious repercussions for the client and heavy penalties for the practitioner. Victims
other massage practitioners or health care professionals, as appropriate.
their own embarrassment or discomfort with the topic. While this approach may save you an awkward moment or two, an inability or refusal to address the subject when necessary (ignoring signs of sexual arousal, for example) may not only be inappropriate, but professionally irresponsible and a breach of ethical conduct. more clothing than their personal comfort or modesty will allow. Request that clients do not begin undressing until you have left the room. Never allow the client to dress or undress in your presence. Inform your client before you begin what areas will be your focus and ask permission to proceed. Expose and work on only one area of the body at a time, and cover the exposed part before moving on to another area. Avoid ambiguity or the appearance of impropriety in your words and manner. Dress appropriately in a professional manner, avoiding any outfit that could be construed as revealing or provocative. Your demeanor should approximate that of other professional health care personnel. Use appropriate language; avoid cursing or indelicate comments. Use medical terminology when referring to physical conditions or parts of the body. Never discuss sexual topics with or in front of the client, joke about sexual matters, make sexual remarks or jokes, or use sexual innuendo. Maintain a comfortable and professional environment. Avoid meeting new clients at unknown locations, at hotels, or in the client’s home, where your personal safety may be at greater risk. If you meet the client on-site, set up the massage table in a neutral location, rather than a bedroom. Encourage relaxation through your client’s visual, auditory, and olfactory senses, but keep the look and smell of your environment subdued and professional. Avoid creating an overly perfumed, romantic, or sensual atmosphere. Remember that a client may be allergic to certain odors, have strong negative reactions to certain smells, or associate a given odor with an unpleasant memory or incident. Music should also be soothing and subtle, and played only after you have asked your client about his or her preference for music or silence during the massage. may face emotional and physical scarring with lifelong implications, and allegations of misconduct – even false ones – wreak havoc with practitioners’ lives and livelihoods 5 . Misconduct takes many forms. The following list provides some examples: ● Misrepresentation of educational status: Identifying yourself as a craniosacral therapist after taking a two- hour course. ● Substance abuse: Practicing under the influence of alcohol, drugs, or any illegal substances (with the exception of prescribed dosage of prescription medication which does not significantly impair the practitioner). ● Financial impropriety: Charging a cash-paying client a different fee than an insurance-paying client. ● Exploiting the power differential: Asking a stockbroker for financial tips during a treatment. ● Misleading claims of curative abilities: Telling a client you guarantee her pain will be gone in two sessions.
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Book Code: MNJ0524
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