Issue link: https://www.massageandbodyworkdigital.com/i/1509769
When it comes to boundaries, consistency is key. If you set a boundary, you must consistently maintain it. Otherwise, confusion and potential future boundary crossings are likely to occur. Grit is a powerful force within you that answers the why and how of boundary setting. • Why = your connection to your values, goals, and commitments to yourself and others. • How = summoning courage, determination, passion, and perseverance because you are in alignment with your why. Great ways to access your grit are to journal, put on a "power song" that inspires you and stokes your motivation, and speak with an experienced professional who can encourage you to stay on track. It also helps to know what "on track" means. So, as you encounter situations in your life that require a boundary to be set, write it down. Maintain a running list of boundaries alongside your values list so that if and when a similar situation occurs, you have already done the work and gained the clarity you need without spending valuable time reinventing the wheel. Industry Guidelines Ethical dilemmas are tricky, as they often involve determining if a boundary needs to be set or if an existing boundary could potentially be crossed. Luckily, there are industry resources that can help you navigate ethical situations. In my opinion, the best resources are textbooks specific to the massage and bodywork profession. It's a unique profession since we intimately connect A B M P m e m b e r s ea r n F R E E C E h o u r s by rea d i n g t h i s i s s u e ! 89 TAKEAWAY: No matter where you are in your career, it's of utmost importance to go through the process of identifying what your values are and how those will translate to your business. with clients through professional and therapeutic touch. Getting clear on appropriate ethical boundaries is perhaps the most important aspect of your bodywork practice. Therefore, textbooks that have been written with our unique experiences as bodyworkers in mind (such as dual relationships, scope of practice relating to hands-on skills and communication skills, intimacy versus sexuality, and overall practice management in a helping/ giving profession) are invaluable. Use them! Pick up your massage school ethics textbook or purchase a new one. Other resources include codes of ethics that are established by national professional organizations (like ABMP!), articles written by experienced massage and bodywork professionals (always read the Heart of Bodywork column in each issue of Massage & Bodywork), and the support system you cultivate for yourself. Having trusted and experienced colleagues, and a mentor, coach, or supervisor is vital to the health of your professional life, for many reasons even beyond working with boundaries. There are established ways to conduct oneself professionally and, fortunately, several external resources to light the way. PRACTICAL APPLICATION Since there are daily opportunities to set and maintain boundaries both personally and professionally, it should be easy to practice using these three resources. Instead of waiting for a big dilemma, pick a minor obstacle or situation you recently encountered or are in the midst of and apply these approaches. Offering yourself experience on a smaller scale will prepare you for the greater challenges that will inevitably land in your path. And feel free to reach out and use me as a source of support. We're all in this together. Since 2000, Cindy Williams, LMT, has been actively involved in the massage profession as a practitioner, school administrator, instructor, curriculum developer, and mentor. In addition to maintaining a part- time massage and bodywork practice and teaching yoga, she is a freelance content writer and educational consultant. Contact her at massagetherapyfortwayne@gmail.com. Searching for a code of ethics to emulate and aspire to? Look no further than ABMP's Code of Ethics at abmp.com/ abmp-code-ethics. Further Reading Allen, Laura. Nina McIntosh's The Educated Heart, 5th ed. Independently published, 2019. Sohnen-Moe, Cherie and Ben Benjamin. The Ethics of Touch. Sohnen-Moe Associates, 2020.