Ethics of professional practice

Ethics of professional practice
So what are ethics and what do they have to do with massage? Ethics are the rules of conduct recognized in respect to particular class of human actions or particular groups.( www.dictionary.com)
So what do they have to do with massage? To have a successful massage clinic having good or bad ethics will make you or brake you! Good ethics is doing things by the book being completing all tasks in a order that will best suit the client involved and always doing things to the best of your ability.
Client centred care
Quickest way to sum this up would be to say it’s all about the client! Everything you do should be having their needs in mind from explaining what you are going to do or in how you drape them. Everything the client says should be taken on board and taken care of. The client should not feel surprised by anything and feel relaxed and at ease all because of how professional you are.
Informed consent
Informed consent is all about letting the client know what is going on and for them to open up to the therapist , by stating what they would like or what they have wrong (contraindications) with them so that the therapist can make a treatment plan or know not to go near some areas. Informed consent also lets the therapist have written consent to treat someone this very professional but yet allows you to know your client better.
Scope of practise
It’s all about staying within your boundaries! Being a real professional means you do what you have been trained to do and you do it well, doing things that you are not trained to do can result in a serious injury to the client.
Showing your qualification in your massage room reassures the client that they are in good hands and again shows that the therapist knows what they are doing. This is another way of showing good ethics to make a client comfortable.

Confidentiality
Everything that is said to a massage therapist should always be said in confidence that it will not leave the room, this should be the case for the entire session from what is said before during and after the massage. All records of clients past and present should be kept away from the public and locked away in filling cabinet to stop people getting hold of confidential information.

Boundaries
Boundaries should be set in place by the therapist from the word go. Being a professional means that the boundaries are set for touch speech and manor and should be stuck to because giving the wrong impression can effect your business reputation.
Power Differentials
Being a true professional means that you are in charge of the situation and know what your doing is best for that client. Clients feel alot more at peace when they know that the therapist has taken care of the situation all part of using good ethics.

Relationships
Being a successful massage therapist means you need to have a lot of professional relationships with people but the line between therapist and client should not be crossed and should be always kept in mind. When meeting with a client you do need to build a relationship with them so that they can open up and feel relaxed with you.

Transference and counter transference.
Transference can happen when client steps over the professional boundaries and asks things that are on a personal level the therapist may not be aware that this is happening but never the less it has to be easily directed in another way.Counter transference can happen when the therapist gets in over their head and may think something is happening and feel guilt about this .these feelings can be felt through the massage so its best to keep the mind on the job and stay professional.