Ethics Statement
Back to the Body™ and all team members are held to the following ethics:
Practitioners and team members sign an agreement with Back to the Body™ that they will not engage in romantic or social contact with clients.
We are professional in attitude and conduct, responsible in relations with clients, reliable in agreements, and timely in appointment schedules.
We recognize the importance of consent and choice in all somatic sex education with groups and individuals. We will strive to provide a range of options for the client to actively elect that which will serve their own education.
At no time shall a client be required or coerced to participate in any activity, event or exercise.
We will educate about consent and choice and actively create learning environments where clients are empowered to exercise these skills.
Practitioners may use physical touch in an educational context. If they do so, they touch consciously and with the attitude to do no harm. Practitioners agree to obtain clients’ consent and to act with concern for their safety, growth, and awareness of boundaries.
In group or individual sessions, all touch will be unidirectional or one-way, i.e. by the practitioner for the client and never vice versa. We request that our clients pursue couples retreats and bring their partners when they wish to learn interpersonal erotic skills or invite them to practice such skills in their personal life.
In group or individual sessions we remain clothed when touching our clients.
Professional protocol includes the use of medical-grade examination gloves.
We acknowledge the importance of maintaining appropriate boundaries, including asking permission to touch and stopping touch when clients request.
In group or individual sessions we refrain from oral stimulation and kissing.
Practitioners practice open transparency with clients and the Back to the Body team. Practitioners will never ask clients to hold secrets or withhold content about their sessions from other team members.
We are conscious and make our clients conscious that while we share authentic intimacy, sessions are not intended to fulfill the practitioner nor the client's desire for romantic connection.
We understand the inherent power we hold in our roles of teacher, mentor, guide, practitioner, and will not use this power for the exploitation of our clients.
We practice risk-reduction and professional protocol in all individual and group sessions. We take steps to minimize any physical or emotional harm, in active collaboration with all clients.
We will refrain from providing bodywork, training sessions and/or presenting any instructional material while either the team member or the client is under the influence of alcohol or illegal drugs.
Practitioners may unilaterally terminate services, on just and reasonable grounds after careful consideration of all situational factors and any possible adverse effects. The team is responsible to make appropriate referrals and to provide support to clients during this transition.
We will respect, defend, and preserve the privacy of all information gained during sessions.
We will release professional obligations for confidentiality only by written authorization from clients, statutory requirement or court order; a general, nonspecific, or verbal authorization is not sufficient.
We will preserve the anonymity of clients when using information for purposes of teaching, research, and supervision.
The only exception to anonymity is when holding confidential consultations within the Back to the Body™ team in the context of retreats, for the express purpose of best supporting the client.
We require all persons attending classes, retreats, or sessions reach written or spoken agreement that respects and maintains the confidentiality of information shared during such sessions.
Back to the Body™ will maintain appropriate professional records of all classes and sessions.
Back to the Body™ will obtain informed, written permission from clients before taping or filming any session or class, explaining the intended use of the tape or video and the limits of confidentiality.
