Issue link: https://www.massageandbodyworkdigital.com/i/68178
HEART OF BODYWORK It's not appropriate for us to make judgment calls about what we can share of a client's information and what we can't. For example, a client tells you she's taking a vacation to Hawaii and you mention it to a mutual friend, not knowing the client owes the friend a good deal of money which she hasn't paid back. Uh oh! Even if the mutual friend didn't have an interest in how the client is spending her money, disclosing anything about a client, no matter how innocuous it seems, is a problem. Not only does it violate confi dentiality, but your disclosure could make your friends or clients wonder what else you might be sharing about them and could cast doubt on your trustworthiness. Even if what you disclose is fairly harmless, it's still not ethical. And it's a dangerous habit to get into. These stories also illustrate how much more challenging it can be to maintain professional boundaries and ethical standards when working with friends. Aside from the challenges, when we make a mistake with a friend, we've damaged both a client relationship and a friendship. THE INNOCENT QUESTION You've been going to a couple's home for a few months, giving a massage to the wife and then the husband. Last week, the husband made a pass at you. You told him you were no longer comfortable working with him, but you would continue to work with his wife. When you return the next week, the husband isn't around. However, the wife is curious why her husband stopped wanting a massage suddenly. "I don't understand why he quit," she comments to you. "He seemed to be enjoying it so much." What do you say? You're going to need both composure and diplomacy here. Maybe the wife is well aware of her husband's tendencies and will be carefully attending not just to your words, but to your facial expression as well. Despite the husband's bad behavior, the rules of confi dentiality apply here: you cannot reveal to the wife what happened during the session with the husband. Also, you don't want to put yourself in the middle of their domestic problems. Even if you say, "That's a confi dential matter," that might imply there's a secret she shouldn't know. If I were in this situation, I'd Even if what you disclose is fairly harmless, it's still not ethical. And it's a dangerous habit to get into. want to anticipate that she might ask such a question. I'd want to plan or even rehearse how I might answer beforehand so I don't freeze in the moment. There's no set way to respond (and by the way, the massage therapist here could be either male or female), but my reaction would be to shrug and say with a puzzled look, "I couldn't say" (which is true). And then change the subject as quickly as possible: "Let's talk about how I can help you this week." Although the wife's question in this case may not be so innocent, another common way we can violate confi dentiality is by answering a truly innocent question. Say a client recommends her friend Susan to you and asks at the next session, "How did Susan like her massage?" It's not a major breach of ethics, but it would still be a breach to say, "Oh, she really liked it." You've just given that person a peek into Susan's private session. Better to say something like, "I understand why you ask and I know it doesn't seem like a big deal, but I don't talk about my clients in any way." Not only does such a response protect Susan's privacy, it lets your client know that you honor confi dentiality. connect with your colleagues on massageprofessionals.com 117