Issue link: https://www.massageandbodyworkdigital.com/i/1402696
78 m a s s a g e & b o d y wo r k s e p te m b e r/o c to b e r 2 0 2 1 Having a transparent policy cultivates trust and establishes confidence that clients are dealing with a company with high ethical standards. Often, clients who are dissatisfied with some aspect of their treatment don't directly express their concerns; they just stop coming. Encourage every complaint, regardless of how small it may seem, and follow up on it. If the client is inappropriate, the organization must support the therapist in terminating the session and banning that client from all of their facilities. Conversely, an inappropriate therapist should be immediately suspended and investigated by the police, an independent company, or internally. Surveys should be sent out immediately to each of that therapist's clients over the past six months. Immediately arrange an interview with the reporting client at a location of their choosing. If the allegations are found to be true, and if the client gives their permission, the therapist should be reported to the police and should be terminated. Ethically and morally, the therapist should be reported to the massage therapy board, which would prevent them from simply relocating to another state or location to abuse again. In most cases that end up in court, there is often a pattern of small complaints before an instance of gross abuse. Therefore, having a safe, clear avenue for complaints to be voiced can prove to be invaluable, as it can bypass a more grievous situation later. Having a robust complaint process will help discourage therapists with predatory tendencies who will be searching for an establishment with less rigorous checks and balances. There are companies that can manage the complete complaint process for your organization. One such company is Redirect (redirectrisk.com), a company founded by a board-certified forensic psychologist that conducts investigations in the aftermath of reports of sexual misconduct. By integrating forensic psychology with professional investigation, Redirect uses a trauma- informed, fact-finding process that is driven trustworthy relationship with a supervisor to review and evaluate such challenging or difficult experiences. Supervision can occur in groups or in one-on-one sessions. There are two types of supervision: technical supervision and relationship, or clinical, supervision. A technical supervisor can help guide therapists to develop their hands-on techniques. A relationship (or clinical) supervisor helps practitioners learn how to define their own boundaries, set boundaries for challenging clients, and deal with any intense feelings or sexual attraction that may develop. Offering both clinical and technical supervision for your therapists by a qualified practitioner is an asset to your business and a deterrent to underlying personal and professional conflicts. (Additional resource: see "The Role and Types of Supervision" at abmp. com/keeping-clients-safe.) CLIENT EDUCATIONAL BROCHURE Provide every client a printed or digital brochure that lets them know what to expect in the massage therapy session, what is expected of them, and how to recognize and respond to signs of inappropriate conduct. This documentation creates There is a spectrum of types of sex offenders. One primary example is a sexual predator who is seen as continuously trying to obtain sexual contact with another person in an abusive manner. Analogous to how a predator hunts down its prey, the sexual predator is thought to seek out or "hunt" for their sexual objects. Sexual predators usually commit multiple sexual assaults throughout their life. Another type of sex offender is the person with very poorly developed interpersonal, physical, and/or sexual boundaries. This individual can mistakenly think or feel that the person they are drawn to is interested in sexual contact with them. They act on those sexual impulses without explicit agreement from the other person, often with dire consequences. For this type of sex offender, a sexual assault may be a one-time event. Of course there are other categories of sex offenders that fall on either side of these two. None of these individuals should be in the massage therapy profession. well-informed clients and serves as a safety valve and deterrent to those with unclear professional boundaries. Clients don't always know what to expect or what is acceptable behavior in the massage therapy treatment room. This is especially true for clients new to massage; however, regular clients can also come across situations they do not know how to appropriately react to. For therapists who may be unclear about boundaries, knowing that a publication of this sort is given to every client may also serve as a deterrent. If you put the client brochure on your website instead of handing a paper brochure to the client, it's important to make sure they read it. Not everybody reads what is on the website. If the brochure is only on your website, ask each client if they have read it. If not, hand them a printed copy, or have them read it on a tablet you have at the office. (Additional resource: see "Client Bill of Rights and Brochure Recommendations" at abmp. com/keeping-clients-safe.) COMPLAINT PROCESS There should be a clear and rigorous process for complaints—either about a client's or a therapist's behavior. This can help protect your clients, your practitioners, and your business. Sexual Offender Types