interest. The second is the requirement to refrain from doing what damages the patient’s interest. Different claims covered by the principle of beneficence may come into conflict and force difficult choices. Ideally, your relationship and interactions with the client are a partnership that promotes healthy behaviors, leads to sound, informed, health care decisions, and ensures the client’s voice is heard. The client’s best interests should always be your primary goal, and the guide for all your actions and decisions. If you ever suspect you are acting out of an unhealthy need or motive, or feel your interactions or relationship with the client are impeding rather than facilitating the therapeutic process, seek assistance and/ or supervision. Consult a professional massage therapy organization with which you are affiliated for guidance, supervision, and other professional resources. The following sections discuss key points of ethical massage therapy practice. Once you have successfully completed an approved training course, written examination (state and/or national) and, in some cases, a practical evaluation, you are deemed “competent” in the subject area of massage therapy, despite the fact that your specific skills, training, and knowledge base may be very different from that of other practitioners in your neighborhood, state, or country. Licensing agencies and professional societies establish standards of quality and professional expertise in the field and ensure that licensed individuals are keeping pace with recent developments through continuing education requirements. and professional experience, and list credentials. You will have to decide for yourself if you can rightfully claim substantive experience in a discipline for which you’ve attended a three-hour workshop or watched a series of instructional videos, or when you can properly call yourself an expert in one modality or another. Misrepresenting one’s educational achievements, credentials, or abilities is a serious breach of responsibility that endangers client safety and reflects poorly on the profession as a whole. If a subject is outside your area of expertise, don’t hesitate to say so, and direct the client to appropriate informational resources or professional services. Make sure any information or suggestions you pass along are supported by the professional community and recent research findings, and are appropriate and safe for the client. personnel more familiar with the client’s condition. Never allow the client, the client’s relatives, or even the client’s doctor to pressure you to proceed if you have any doubts regarding the safety of a specific procedure for a specific client. You are ultimately responsible for any injury sustained by the client during or resulting from massage and the medical and legal liability associated with it – even if the client’s physician specifically recommended or prescribed the bodywork. If you have strong concerns about the client’s health related to medication or procedures received through another source, suggest that the client have a trusted health care professional review the course of treatment. Pronouncements like this should not be made flippantly, as they could be the basis of legal action against you for
Individuals are treated ethically not only by respecting their decisions and protecting them from harm, but also by making efforts to secure their well-being. Such treatment falls under the principle of beneficence. The term “beneficence” is often understood to cover acts of kindness or charity that go beyond strict obligation. In this context, beneficence is understood in a stronger sense, as an obligation. Two general rules have been formulated as complementary expressions of beneficent actions in this sense: (1) do not harm and (2) maximize possible benefits and minimize possible harms (beneficence and nonmaleficence). The principle of beneficence requires us, other things being equal, to do good, or what will further the patient’s interest. The principle of nonmaleficence requires us, other things being equal, to avoid harm to the patient, or what would be against the patient’s interests. Both principles rest on the fundamental importance of what is in the patient’s interest. The first is the positive requirement to further the patient’s Accountability Professional organizations protect public safety by certifying the competence of their members through licensing and continuing education requirements. Accreditation and professional affiliations maintain quality control and show your accountability to clients, colleagues, and the profession, as a whole. They confirm that you abide by prevailing health and safety standards, conduct yourself in accordance with relevant legislation and/or professional regulations, and possess the specialized knowledge and skills of your field. Scope of practice Scope of practice refers to your area of competence, usually obtained through formal study, training, and/or professional experience, and one for which you’ve received certification or other proof of qualification. Unlike other standardized training programs or fields of study, schools of professional massage therapy and state requirements vary significantly in the number of necessary hours of study and curriculum. Some schools provide substantial training in specialized procedures, such as lymphatic-drainage techniques or hydrotherapy, while others may only touch upon these subjects, if they are discussed at all. Choosing to provide services for which you are not appropriately trained or competent is a dangerous personal decision that undermines the profession and may carry weighty legal implications. Your personal level of discretion and ethical standards will largely determine the manner in which you advertise your services, describe your education Safety Practitioners are required to abide by industry standards of safety and hygiene. Client draping, towels, the table surface, and other relevant items or materials must be cleaned according to accepted standards of sanitation, and meet all legal health and safety requirements (including universal precautions relating to communicable diseases). Practitioners should know how to cover cuts and use sanitizing supplies such as disinfectant hand wipes effectively. Practitioners must have the skills and knowledge to assess a client’s condition and provide safe and appropriate therapy. They must be attuned to verbal and non-verbal client feedback, and alert to possible contraindications for massage. Sometimes these decisions are less than clear- cut, requiring a bit of research or consultation with medical
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