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Massage Ethics Classes are often a required part of  massage licensing renewal.   They are also a part of renewing your National Certification through the NCBTMB if you are required to have that.

Ethics classes used to seem like the most boring part of being a massage therapist but studying ethics now seems like the only thing we should have to do as a massage therapist.  The techniques don’t really matter much if you don’t have clear boundaries and relationships with clients.

Ethics is just about relationships.  Relationships are the core of building a successful massage business or being successful in your massage job.  Studying ethics will help you if you are male and in this female dominated profession helping you to understand your role.   Women can benefit from studying ethics to help them deal with the many challenges of working on men (yes the dreaded E!) .

Ethics is just the process of uncovering your values and learning about relationships and how your work as a massage therapist can influence those relationships.   The clients that fall in love with you and want to marry you, the people who want to always get a discount or will hate it when you raise your rates.

People who are under stress and in pain and are half naked underneath a sheet are vulnerable.  As a massage therapist it is your responsibility to understand your role and understand where they are coming from or at least be able to not interfere in their lives.   I remember Oprah saying once on TV that she just wished massage therapists would shut up!

Ethics requires rational thought about what it is that you are doing or what is happening in your massage world.  Many may first think that they know what to do when a client asks them out on a date and may think there is no harm in dating clients or even just being friends with clients.  Educating massage therapists as to what happens in the therapeutic relationship can help them make more informed decisions about their actions.

It isn’t about being right or wrong.  It is about making a decision that supports you and your massage business.  There is also a legal side to being a massage therapist and working within your scope of practice.  What is legal is not always ethical and what is ethical is not always legal.  Ethics is about striving to be the best you can be and about treating people decently and respectfully.

Taking massage ethics classes is the most important thing you can do for yourself and the massage profession.

It is fairly common knowledge that emotions are a part of bodywork and massage -isnt’ it?  I was once again shocked by the massage therapists on indeed.com who had never heard that the two were related.  Feelings are all in the body which is why there is so much focus on ethics, boundaries and learning to use touch safely with people.   No matter what technique or method is used the client only knows how it feels to them.  They don’t care if you are doing sports massage, deep tissue massage, triggerpoint massage or cranial-sacral therapy.  Their feelings are what tell them where they are at and teaches their body that it can relax and heal.

The body stores memories of feelings in it’s cells.  It starts at an early age when we hold back our feelings and emotions.  It is often taught that it is not good to have feelings and emotions.  People will buck up and keep their feelings inside. Touch has a way of allowing these emotions to come to the surface.  As massage therapists it is out of our scope of practice to deal with the emotions.  We of course have to learn how to deal with them when they do come up or it could cause further problems.

Emotions can be anything from anger, sadness, grief, panic, anxiety, frustration and even laughter and joy.  It can be a simple sigh of relief or a deep breath.  It can be heat or cold in an area of the body.   It can be people who ask for extreme deep tissue sessions because they actually can not feel and are numb both physically and emotionally.   People may say they have a  high tolerance for pain and won’t feel pain or will ignore it for a long time before doing anything about it. Anyone can experience emotions on the massage table.  Elliot Greene in his book The Psychology of the Body (Lww Massage Therapy & Bodywork Educational Series)
says that people who suffer from chronic pain are also somewhat more likely to experience emotional release.  When the massage therapy begins to disrupt the underlying physical patterns behind the pain, then emotional patterns related to the chronic physical pattern may surface.”

Sexual, physical and emotional trauma at an early age or in any stage of life for that matter can leave it’s mark on a persons body and emotions.   People with a history of  abuse of any kind have a high likelihood of having body armor.  It includes people who have been traumatized in war, natural disasters and things like car accidents or crime victims.  Armoring in the body is a natural result of trauma.  It is defined as chronic patterns of involuntary tension in the body that dampen or block emotional expression, alter perception of both the outer and inner psychological world, diminish or eliminate kinesthetic awareness and other sensations and restrict the range of motion according to Greene in the “Psychology of the Body”.   The war vet will think that everyone is following them and be sent into fight or flight when someone touches their neck if they sat in a trench for awhile waiting for the enemy to come from behind.   People in car accidents that experience intense physical impact while they turn their head may years later recall the sound of the crash every time they turn their head in the same way.  Stress can build up so much in tense muscles that just the lightest touch can bring tears to the eyes of many.

To be able to work with people who are undergoing emotional release requires that you be able to be present with the client.  This basically is staying in a non-judgmental open state and not ask questions or direct peoples conversation.  It is a state where you totally allow the experience to unfold and focus on the client without letting your emotions and agendas (if any) to get in the way.  To do that requires that you do your own personal emotional work either through massage and bodywork or with a skilled therapist.  Supervision can also help you in learning to deal with emotional releases on the massage table.

The thing to know about working with people is that the goal is not to try to get an emotional release.   The feelings can actually be released without having emotions come forth.  Because it is inevitable that a client will have an emotional release at some time on your massage table it is important to get further training in this area to be able to support the client appropriately.

Online Class:
Body Psychology

Recommended Reading:
The Psychology of the Body (Lww Massage Therapy & Bodywork Educational Series)
-Elliot Greene

Somato Emotional Release
by John Upledger, DO

Massage Ethics are really what building a massage business or being a massage therapist is really all about.  To have a successful and rewarding (both financially, emotionally, mentally and spiritually) studying ethics and learning more about yourself and your values can help you in doing just that.

Many professional associations have a so called “Code of Ethics” which members are supposed to abide by.  The thing is that they are so general in nature that they can be widely interpreted.  Here are some sample code of ethics statements of professional associations:

The AMTA Code of Ethics:

This Code of Ethics is a summary statement of the standards by which massage therapists agree to conduct their practices and is a declaration of the general principles of acceptable, ethical, professional behavior.

Massage therapists shall:

1. Demonstrate commitment to provide the highest quality massage therapy/bodywork to those who seek their professional service.

2. Acknowledge the inherent worth and individuality of each person by  not discriminating or behaving in any prejudicial manner with clients and/or colleagues.

3. Demonstrate professional excellence through regular self-assessment of strengths, limitations, and effectiveness by continued education and training.

4. Acknowledge the confidential nature of the professional relationship with clients and respect each client’s right to privacy.

5. Conduct all business and professional activities within their scope of practice, the law of the land, and project a professional image.

6. Refrain from engaging in any sexual conduct or sexual activities involving their clients.

7. Accept responsibility to do no harm to the physical, mental and emotional well-being of self, clients, and associates.

The ABMP Code of Ethics is a little longer.

Client Relationships

• I shall endeavor to serve the best interests of my clients at all times and to provide the highest quality service possible.
• I shall maintain clear and honest communications with my clients and shall keep client communications confidential.
• I shall acknowledge the limitations of my skills and, when necessary, refer clients to the appropriate qualified health care professional.
• I shall in no way instigate or tolerate any kind of sexual advance while acting in the capacity of a massage, bodywork, somatic therapy or esthetic practitioner.

Professionalism

• I shall maintain the highest standards of professional conduct, providing services in an ethical and professional manner in relation to my clientele, business associates, health care professionals, and the general public.
• I shall respect the rights of all ethical practitioners and will cooperate with all health care professionals in a friendly and professional manner.
• I shall refrain from the use of any mind-altering drugs, alcohol, or intoxicants prior to or during professional sessions.
• I shall always dress in a professional manner, proper dress being defined as attire suitable and consistent with accepted business and professional practice.
• I shall not be affiliated with or employed by any business that utilizes any form of sexual suggestiveness or explicit sexuality in its advertising or promotion of services, or in the actual practice of its services.

Scope of Practice / Appropriate Techniques

• I shall provide services within the scope of the ABMP definition of massage, bodywork, somatic therapies and skin care, and the limits of my training. I will not employ those massage, bodywork or skin care techniques for which I have not had adequate training and shall represent my education, training, qualifications and abilities honestly.
• I shall be conscious of the intent of the services that I am providing and shall be aware of and practice good judgment regarding the application of massage, bodywork or somatic techniques utilized.
• I shall not perform manipulations or adjustments of the human skeletal structure, diagnose, prescribe or provide any other service, procedure or therapy which requires a license to practice chiropractic, osteopathy, physical therapy, podiatry, orthopedics, psychotherapy, acupuncture, dermatology, cosmetology, or any other profession or branch of medicine unless specifically licensed to do so.
• I shall be thoroughly educated and understand the physiological effects of the specific massage, bodywork, somatic or skin care techniques utilized in order to determine whether such application is contraindicated and/or to determine the most beneficial techniques to apply to a given individual. I shall not apply massage, bodywork, somatic or skin care techniques in those cases where they may be contraindicated without a written referral from the client’s primary care provider.

Image / Advertising Claims

• I shall strive to project a professional image for myself, my business or place of employment, and the profession in general.
• I shall actively participate in educating the public regarding the actual benefits of massage, bodywork, somatic therapies and skin care.
• I shall practice honesty in advertising, promote my services ethically and in good taste, and practice and/or advertise only those techniques for which I have received adequate training and/or certification. I shall not make false claims regarding the potential benefits of the techniques rendered.

The basics of ethics is uncovering your own beliefs and values and understanding what motivates your actions and thoughts.  In doing so you can create a massage business or find your ideal massage job that is a clear reflection of you and your values.   It is an ongoing process because most of our values are ‘inherited’ from our early upbringing and not really chosen by us.  They are taught to us by our parents and in school.

Massage clients also come to a massage therapist seeking help.  The dynamics of the helping relationship recreate the dynamics of the parent/child relationship.  It is important to be clear about what is what to become an effective massage therapist.  Situations will arise on a daily basis as a massage therapist that will constantly challenge your values and your core beliefs about yourself.  To help you unravel the underlying needs and perceptions participating in peer supervision groups or individual supervision classes can help you to do that.

Since we need to take ethics to meet continuing education requirements and to build successful careers finding the best massage ethics classes isn’t always so easy.  There are a handful of online classes that you can read some material and take a test.  While this fulfills the requirements for continuing ed having a live interactive class  or participating in supervision will help you in creating your own code of ethics and help you in learning to live by your values and create meaningful therapeutic relationships with you clients.  It is the therapeutic relationship that will help you build your career.

I have started an small directory of the online massage ethics classes where you can post your class and also write a review on the class and rate it.   There is also some more information on massage ethics that I have started and will be adding too on my www.massage-career-guides.com website.  I also have some earlier writings on ethics in the massage profession on this site and in my blog posts on ethics for massage therapists.

Online Ethics Classes
The 2-Hour Ethics Course: Professional Roles and Boundaries

The 6-Hour Ethics Course: Ethics from the Dalai Lama

The 4-Hour Ethics Course: Legal and Ethical Issues