The educated heart : professional guidelines for massage therapists, bodyworkers, and movement teachers

This handbook offers practitioners of the manual therapies much-needed guidance on professional and ethical boundaries in client-therapist interactions.The author examines the complex psychodynamics of the client-practitioner relationship, explains why clear professional boundaries benefit clients, and shows how to establish and maintain boundaries in every type of encounter with clients.Replete with real life examples, the book presents practical solutions to dilemmas, judgment calls, and sensitive situations that face every professional, including confidentiality, sexual attraction, socialising with clients, negotiating fees, and deciding when to stop working with a client. Close attention is given to red flags that signal potential boundary problems. "The Educated Heart" is destined to become the classic on professional and ethical boundaries in the manual therapies. It is a delightful, indispensable guide for every practitioner and student of the manual therapies. This groundbreaking work demystifies the crucial but under-examined issue of professional boundariesbringing both humanity and humor to the intricacies of shaping an integrity-based practice. "The Educated Heart" "red flags" that signal potential boundary problems, compassionate insights into everyday professional challenges, real-life examples illustrating common pitfalls and helpful strategies, and step-by-step guidelines for making ethical decisions. Also features the wonderful cartoon illustrations of Mari Gayatri Stein.