must refrain from engaging in unhealthy practices, such as recreational drugs or alcohol use, that will interfere with professional judgment and behavior (Ginn, 2013). Codes of Ethics cannot cover every issue that will occur and ethical decisions involve complex variables and require thorough investigation, review of ethical standards, and careful decision making. There are a number of areas within the practice of massage and bodywork that often lead to ethical conflicts which may build over time, despite the practitioner’s best efforts to practice ethically. In summary, the characteristics of healthy boundaries include but are not limited to awareness, congruency, mutuality, protection, and flexibility and adaptability. To be more precise, awareness refers to massage therapists’ understanding that they must delineate and maintain boundaries. In order to maintain awareness, therapists must think clearly at all times and should therefore refrain from engaging in unhealthy practices such as recreational drugs or alcohol before or during times in which massage therapy is practiced. Congruency means that massage therapists’ boundaries should align and be compatible with their core values. Without congruency, boundaries will be difficult to delineate and maintain. Mutuality refers to a respect for others and their associated boundaries, both within and outside of the professional therapeutic relationship. In effect, this means that whatever boundaries massage therapists keep during a massage session apply to interactions with clients in the public arena. Protection refers to the protection granted by healthy boundaries, which safeguard each client’s sense of self-worth and individuality, as well as the therapist’s sense of self- worth. Finally, flexibility and adaptability of boundaries help to meet the various dynamics inherent in dealing with multiple individuals whose needs differ depending upon their unique situation. When massage therapists periodically evaluate their own boundaries, it allows them to create more or less rigid boundaries as any given situation may demand. ● How will it affect their professional boundaries? Therapists should also consider their own privacy. For example, what if a therapist and a client attended the same Alcoholics Anonymous meeting? This might make it hard for both to get the full benefits of attending the meeting during times of stress or relapse. Self-disclosure is not always conscious and deliberate. Words can be blurted out, poorly thought out, or tinged with emotion. When in doubt, do not self-disclose (Cameron, 2024). In a similar vein, it is usually best for therapists to withhold emotional responses or judgments (both negative and positive). A good rule of thumb is for therapists to monitor their own feelings without imposing them on clients. If therapists are distracted by a strong feeling, they should mentally put it to one side, wait until after the session, and then talk with a peer or supervisor or deal with it personally. As with other boundary crossings, self-disclosure should be client-focused and based on the welfare of the client. Different clients and practitioners have different personal boundaries, so appropriate boundaries must function within the client’s comfort zone (Cameron, 2024). Personal and professional boundaries exist for the benefit of both the practitioner and the client. Changing or moving boundaries results in an unclear or ambiguous relationship that puts the safety of the client at risk, although it may not appear to have negative repercussions at that time. Transgressions often have delayed consequences that do
therapy, they should make sure their behavior or comments are not a contributing factor. Relieving stress and physical stiffness or pain should be a relaxing and comfortable experience. If a massage therapist’s behavior is appropriate but a client appears anxious or uncomfortable in the session, the therapist should discuss potential concerns with the client (Allen, 2019). A boundary violation occurs when a professional’s behavior goes beyond appropriate professional limits. Boundary violations generally arise when a personal interest displaces the professional’s primary commitment to the patient’s welfare in ways that harm the patient or the patient-practitioner relationship. Interactions between massage professionals and patients or clients are ethically problematic when they can affect the care that other clients receive or they affect the massage professional’s relationships with colleagues—or when they give the appearance of doing so (Allen, 2019). Boundaries may be breached in several ways. Some breaches are inadvertent or not intentionally exploitative. These are known as boundary crossings. Commonly cited examples are a goodbye hug initiated by a client at the completion of treatment, nonsexual physical reassurance at times of extreme stress, running a session overtime, or selective self-disclosure. Repetitive boundary crossings are potentially harmful because they blur boundaries, thereby increasing the chances of boundary violation. Boundary violation is a significant and potentially harmful breach where the practitioner overrides the client’s rights or actually does harm to the client. Some examples include affectionate or flirtatious communication, self-disclosure about the practitioner’s personal problems, or breaking confidentiality (Allen, 2019). The therapist is responsible for setting, communicating, and maintaining boundaries. In order to accomplish this, they must be observant, think critically, follow ethical standards of practice, develop effective communication with clients, and apply decision making skills. Practitioners Personal boundaries and self-disclosure Self-disclosure is the process in which the practitioner reveals personal (rather than general or professional) information about themselves to the client. There are many different motivations for and types of self-disclosure. An incident may be deliberate or accidental, initiated by either the client or the therapist, and spoken or unspoken. An example of unspoken intentional self-disclosure is how therapists choose to decorate their workplace (with careful selection of a meaningful poster or picture, or a family photo, for example). Some self-disclosure is unavoidable, as therapists’ presence communicates facts about their gender, approximate age, and so on (Cameron, 2024). Some disclosure is accidental because it is not meant to be shared but is communicated through body language or tone of voice. Accidental self-disclosure also occurs in cases where a practitioner bumps into a client unexpectedly, when both are sitting in their doctor’s waiting room, for example. Therapists may or may not want to disclose information about why they are there, and it may be difficult to find a safe middle ground, revealing enough to be professional and friendly but not enough to compromise their own personal space and privacy (Cameron, 2024). It’s difficult to know where to draw the line. Massage therapists should ask themselves two questions before self- disclosing: ● How will it benefit the client?
EliteLearning.com/Massage-Therapy
Book Code: MFL1225B
Page 16
Powered by FlippingBook