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 that explains 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 (Fritz & Fritz, 2020). For massage therapists to ensure clients’ safety, they must actively and consciously desexualize the experience of massage; that is, make something with potential sexuality no longer sexual, de-emphasizing that dimension. Desexualizing massage is a process of deconstructing the massage experience into its component parts, acknowledging human sexuality as a given, and accepting the practitioner and client as sexual beings (Fritz & Fritz, 2020). It is natural for clients to feel some degree of anxiety or insecurity related to the process of disrobing and draping. Massage therapists can minimize anxiety or concern by stating and/or providing written information regarding disrobing. Before the client undresses, therapists should state that a draping procedure is required for purposes of modesty and physical comfort. Therapists can also 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 therapists finish work in that area, they will re-cover it and move to the next area. Massage therapists can tell clients to let them know if they have a question or concern or feel uncomfortable in any way. If therapists encounter a client who prefers not to be draped, therapists should explain that they are unable to proceed with the session until the client agrees to this customary procedure (Fritz & Fritz, 2020). Therapists should explain to clients what can and cannot be removed or left on without impeding access to parts of the body that will receive therapeutic attention. Therapists should reassure the client that it is not necessary to remove any more clothing than personal comfort or modesty will allow. In addition, therapists should request that
clients wait to undress until after they have left the room. Therapists should never allow the client to dress or undress in their presence. Before they begin, therapists should inform the client of what areas they will focus on and ask permission to proceed. Therapists should expose and work on only one area of the body at a time and cover the exposed part before moving on to another area (Fritz & Fritz, 2020). Massage therapists should avoid ambiguity or the appearance of impropriety in their words and manner. For instance, therapists should dress appropriately in a professional manner, avoiding any outfit that could be construed as revealing or provocative. The therapist’s demeanor should approximate that of other professional healthcare personnel. In addition, massage therapists should use appropriate language and avoid cursing or indelicate comments. When referring to physical conditions or parts of the body, therapists should use appropriate medical terminology. Therapists should never discuss sexual topics with or in front of the client, joke about sexual matters, make sexual remarks or jokes, or use sexual innuendo (Fritz & Fritz, 2020). Several precautionary measures can help massage therapists to maintain a comfortable and professional environment. Massage therapists should avoid meeting new clients at unknown locations, at hotels, or in the client’s home, where personal safety may be at greater risk. If therapists meet a client on-site, they should set up the massage table in a neutral location rather than a bedroom. Therapists can encourage relaxation through the client’s visual, auditory, and olfactory senses but should keep the look and smell of the environment subdued and professional, avoiding creation of an overly perfumed, romantic, or sensual atmosphere. Therapists should also 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, subtle, and played only after therapists have asked the client about a preference for music or silence during the massage (Fritz & Fritz, 2020). ● Misrepresentation of educational status : Identifying oneself 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 that does not significantly impair the practitioner). ● Financial impropriety : Charging a cash-paying client a different fee than a client paying with a credit card. ● Exploiting the power differential : Asking a stockbroker for financial tips during a treatment. ● Misleading claims of curative abilities : Guaranteeing a client that their pain will be gone in two sessions. ● Accessibility : Refusing to adapt the office (or making some reasonable accommodation) for those with physical challenges. ● Bigotry : Refusing to work with someone due to race, religion, size, or sexual orientation. ● Inappropriate advertising : Using a provocative picture in advertising; presenting misleading qualifications. ● Dual relationships : Dating a client. ● Violation of laws : Practicing out of one’s home when it is not permitted by law.
MISCONDUCT
Misconduct has been a persistent and troubling issue in healthcare and medical professions since the early days of modern medicine. In recent years, accusations of misconduct in the healthcare 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 (NCBTMB, 2017). 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 may face emotional and physical scarring with lifelong implications, and allegations of misconduct—even false ones—wreak havoc with practitioners’ lives and livelihoods. Misconduct takes many forms. The following list provides some examples of each type of misconduct:
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Book Code: MFL1225B
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