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 PRINCIPLES OF ETHICS/HOLISTIC PRINCIPLES BY WHICH WE PRACTICE

Holistic Health Practitioners of Northeast Connecticut (HHP) is an informal membership organization providing a variety of networking opportunities and support for its members.  HHP seeks to provide a forum for the exchange of ideas amongst members and between conventional and complementary/alternative health practitioners.

Given the diversity, as well as the group's informal nature, it is expected that members who also hold membership in professional organizations within their disciplines will abide by their respective code of ethics.  Given that many of the members work in alternative health, not everyone has a professional organization with which to affiliate, nor is everyone subject to licensure and/or certification.  It is vital, therefore, that the membership, as a whole, holds ourselves accountable to some basic ethical standards.

In all circumstances, members of HHP render their unique services with full respect for the dignity of living beings.  The treatments, products, and services offered shall be, at all times, in the best interest of the recipient.  Persons will participate in decisions regarding their care, including decisions about conventional and complementary/alternative modalities.  We seek to educate clients regarding ethical conduct on the part of the HHP and to make copies of this statement of ethics available to all clients at any time.

QUALIFICATIONS AND COMPETENCE

A.                 We accurately represent to clients and to HHP our qualifications, training, experience, professional affiliations and areas of expertise.

B.                 We recognize the limits and scope of our personal competence and our disciplines.  We only provide services and use techniques for which we are qualified by training and/or experience.  We refer clients to appropriate qualified professionals when this is in their best interest.

C.                 Members agree to consistently maintain and improve professional knowledge and competence.  Members recognize the need for continuing education and endeavor to maintain the highest possible level of competence and expertise within their field of practice.

D.                 We encourage the regular use of group or individual supervision for learning, assessment of professional and personal strengths and weaknesses, maintenance of professional perspective and boundaries.  We strongly recommend this kind of support during times of personal crisis, which may negatively influence the provision of service.

E.                  If there is any concern presented by a member or someone outside HHP about a member's competency or professional behavior, the organization of Board of Directors may ask the Ethics Committee to ask the member to present their credentials.

CONFIDENTIALITY

A.                 We respect the confidentiality of information obtained from persons in the course of our professional activity.

B.                 We reveal such information only with the consent of the person involved, except in circumstances in which not doing so would result in a clear danger to the client or others, when instructed to do so by an appropriate legal body, and/or when mandated by state regulations.

C.                 When we present client material in supervision, consultation, lectures or written work, we obtain prior consent to do so or adequately disguise identifying information.

DO NO HARM

A.                 We are aware of our influential position with respect to clients and avoid exploitation of trust and dependency.

B.                 We do not practice or condone discrimination against people on the basis of race, color, culture, gender, disability, ethics, sexual orientation, age, religion, national origin, marital status, or socio-economic status.

C.                 A practitioner shall not knowingly or in negligence offer any professional service that duplicates, interferes or conflicts with a client's existing treatments or other professional relationship(s).  Every effort is made to provide service within context of same or offer fully informed choices.

D.                 Practitioners judiciously terminate the client relationship when services/products are no longer therapeutic or/or desired by the client.

E.                  Under no circumstances do we engage in sexual activities with our clients.  This includes acting upon sexual impulses whether by means of gesture, words, innuendo, or quality of touch.  Sex with clients following termination of the therapeutic relationship is strongly discouraged and unacceptable. This also applies to training and supervisory relationships.

F.                  Members make every effort to avoid dual relationships that could impair professional judgment or increase the risks of exploitation.  When a dual relationship cannot be avoided, members take appropriate professional precautions to ensure that the service being provided is consistently and completely in the best interest of the client.

G.                 Ethical decisions with regard to any of the above consider the well being of the client/customer, the therapist/provider and the organization (HHP).

H.                 An HHP member shall not knowingly participate in, condone, or be associated with dishonesty, fraud, deceit or misrepresentation in carrying out professional responsibilities.

I.                    Members, who practice therapy, counseling and other applicable healing arts are aware of their influential position with respect to clients, and avoid exploiting the trust and dependency of such persons.

ETHICS OF TOUCH

Touch is a basic biological, emotional and developmental need.  Touch can generate and evoke strong emotions, sensations and memories.  For these reasons those of us who use touch are conscientious in educating clients about the diagnostic and therapeutic value of touch and particular interventions and practices utilizing touch.  We also strive to develop and maintain a clear understanding of our own feelings regarding touch and work to develop clear and sensitive boundaries regarding the use of touch in our work.

A.                 We specifically inform clients about their rights regarding decisions involving the use of touch in therapy, including their right to refuse touch at any time.  We also understand that a client may have difficulty recognizing and/or expressing her or his need to refuse touch.

B.                 The client has the right to refuse or terminate at any time any touch on the part of the therapist.

C.                 As with any discipline that involves touch, any modification of attire (partial or full disrobing) is to serve only the client's therapeutic relationship and clinical needs.

BUSINESS PRACTICES

A.                 Members will charge reasonable fees for their services and provide full and clear explanation of their fees to their clients before entering into a professional relationship.  Members shall not charge for making or receiving referrals.

B.                 When members advertise their services, such advertising will not guarantee improvement or cure.

C.                 We seek to stay in compliance with the laws of our local, state and governing bodies in regard to our practice.

COLLEGIAL RELATIONSHIPS

We treat colleagues with the same consideration and respect that we would like to receive from them.  However, no collegial relationship will take precedence over the best interests of a person seeking our professional assistance.

A.                 We do not defame colleagues or directly or indirectly undermine their professional reputations.

B.                 We do not solicit other practitioner's clients.

C.                 We respect and safeguard our colleagues' right to privacy.

D.                 In all interactions with colleagues and when serving in an educational, consultative, or public capacity, the HHP member will clearly stipulate whether he/she is speaking as an individual or as a representative of the organization.

GRIEVANCE PROCEDURE

A grievance procedure exists for addressing complaints concerning possible ethical violations.  Depending upon the nature of the violation, the member may be asked to make appropriate changes or to leave the organization. Please direct any concerns or complaints to hhpnc@hotmail.com. 

HHP gratefully wishes to acknowledge the Massachusetts Association of Body-Oriented Psychotherapists and Counseling Bodyworkers (MAPOPCB) for its permission to use the MABPPB Code of Ethics as the basis for this statement of ethical guidelines.

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