“Professional Massage Therapists must be able to make sound ethical decisions to navigate the variety of dilemmas that may arise during a client’s massage session”, said Harmony Morgan, Director for Healing Hands School of Holistic Health – Laguna Hills.  “They need to be aware of the law and must fully understand and abide by the ethics of the Massage Therapy Professional.  Healing Hands Staff Instructor, Chris Morgan strives to do just that in his 50-hour ‘Professional Practices’ course, coming to our Escondido campus starting on September 22^nd through October 23^rd”, she added.

A Massage Therapist’s behavior, both inside and outside of the therapy room can dramatically impact their personal and professional lives.  State licensing boards such and professional associations set forth ‘Codes of Ethics’ to define the standards of professional conduct.  This ensures the highest good for the Practitioner and client in a therapeutic relationship.

Healing Hands’ Professional Practices course covers established regulations and many ethical ‘absolutes’ of professionalism. The following Code of Ethics is considered an industry standard here in California as it was developed by the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork (NCBTMB).  The NCBTMB is dedicated to advancing the highest standards in the massage therapy industry. For more information, visit www.ncbtmb.org.

 

Professional Massage Therapists’

CODE OF ETHICS

 

Massage Therapy Certificants shall act in a manner that justifies public trust and confidence, enhances the reputation of the profession, and safeguards the interest of individual clients.

Certificants will:

1. Have a sincere commitment to provide the highest quality of care to those who seek their professional services;
2. Represent their qualifications honestly, including education and professional affiliations, and provide only those services that they are qualified to perform;
3. Accurately inform clients, other health care practitioners, and the public of the scope and limitations of their discipline;
4. Acknowledge the limitations of and contraindications for massage and bodywork and refer clients to appropriate health professionals;
5. Provide treatment only where there is reasonable expectation that it will be advantageous to the client;
6. Consistently maintain and improve professional knowledge and competence, striving for professional excellence through regular assessment of personal and professional strengths and weaknesses and through continued education training;
7. Conduct their business and professional activities with honesty and integrity, and respect the inherent worth of all persons;
8. Refuse to unjustly discriminate against clients and/or health professionals;
9. Safeguard the confidentiality of the client’s identity and information in all conversations, advertisements, and any and all other matters unless disclosure of identifiable information is requested by the client in writing, is medically necessary or is required by law;
10. Respect the client’s right to treatment with informed and voluntary consent. The certified practitioner will obtain and record the informed consent of the client, or client’s advocate, before providing treatment.  This consent may be written or verbal;
11. Respect the client’s right to refuse, modify or terminate treatment regardless of prior consent given;
12. Provide draping and treatment in a way that ensures the safety, comfort and privacy of the client;
13. Exercise the right to refuse to treat any person or part of the body for just and reasonable cause;
14. Refrain, under all circumstances, from participating in a sexual relationship or sexual conduct with the client, whether consensual or otherwise, from the beginning of the client/therapist relationship and for a minimum of six (6) months after the termination of the client therapist relationship, unless an ongoing current sexual relationship existed prior to the date the therapeutic relationship began;
15. Avoid any interest, activity or influence which might be in conflict with the practitioner’s obligation to act in the best interests of the client or the profession;
16. Respect the client’s boundaries with regard to privacy, disclosure, exposure, emotional expression, beliefs and the client’s reasonable expectations of professional behavior.  Practitioners will respect the client’s autonomy;
17. Refuse any gifts or benefits that are intended to influence a referral, decision or treatment, or that are purely for personal gain and not for the good of the client; and
18. Follow the NCBTMB Standards of Practice, this Code of Ethics, and all policies, procedures, guidelines, regulations, codes, and requirements promulgated by the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage & Bodywork, Inc.

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Revised:   September 15, 2017

Copyright 2017:  NCBTMB: National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage & Bodywork, Inc. Code of Ethics. All Rights Reserved

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Since 1992, Healing Hands has successfully prepared more than 7,500 students for rewarding careers as Professional Massage Therapists and can do the same for YOU! To learn more about Professional Practices, or any of the other 80+ Massage and Holistic Health classes taught at Healing Hands, visit us on-line at www.HealingHandsSchool.com or call us at (949) 305-2722 in Laguna Hills, (760) 746-9364 in Escondido or (858) 505-1100 in San Diego.

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