Terms of Service

Rights, responsibilities, procedures, boundaries, disclaimers, and code of ethics

Of the client

Communication: the massage therapist needs to know if you have had any injuries, anything contagious, if you’re on any medications that contraindicate massage, if you’re pregnant, if you have any lack of range of motion in any joints, tenderness and soreness of soft tissue, as well as any discomfort experienced during the massage. I may ask on a scale of one to ten where the pain level is, and the type of pain (dull, sharp, shooting, acute).

Integrity: clients are not to engage in any discussion or conduct that would disclose personal information of you or anyone else, not related to massage, including but not limited to conduct or discussion of a sexual nature.

Understanding: massage therapy is not a replacement for medical care, and that no medical diagnosis will be made. Massage therapy is not a replacement for mental health care.

Punctuality and cleanliness: clients are expected to arrive on time. If it is your first visit, or it has been over a year since you last filled out a form, please arrive 10 minutes early to fill out a health history and consent form. The client is expected to arrive in good hygiene.

Of the therapist:

1.                  Have a sincere commitment to provide the highest quality of care to those who seek my professional service.

2.                  Represent my qualifications honestly, including education and professional affiliations, and provide only those services that I am qualified to perform.

3.                  Accurately inform clients, other health care practitioners, and the public of the scope and limitations of my 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 my 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 clients 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. I will obtain and record the informed consent of the client, of the client’s advocate, before providing treatment. This consent may be written or verbal.

11.              Respect the clients right to refuse, modify or terminate the 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 at minimum of six months after the termination of the client therapist relationship, unless an ongoing current sexual relationship existed prior to the date in which 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 interest of the client or of 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 clients autonomy

17.              Refuse any gifts or benefits that are intended to influence referral, decision or treatment, or that are purely of personal gain and not for the good of the client

18.              Follow all standards of practice in this Code of Ethics, and all policies, procedures, guidelines, regulations, codes, and requirements promulgated by the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork, Inc. and Healthy Kneads Body Work, LLC.