Professional Boundaries Statement
The purpose of this statement is to provide clarity around the way in which I interact with clients across the different modalities in which I work, both “in session” and outside of sessions.
My professional work includes:
Embodied facilitation and coaching
Sexological Bodywork sessions
Providing conscious kink experiences
I am a Professional Member of the Association of Certified Sexological Bodyworkers (ACSB) and The Association of Somatic and Integrative Sexologists (ASIS), and follow their ethical codes where applicable to the session/s I am offering.
Different intake processes, frameworks, boundaries, and codes of ethics will apply depending on the type of work we do together. Whilst the same topics can often be addressed using different modalities, we will always agree upfront which framework we are following and will not deviate from this within a session e.g. we will not start incorporating hands-on bodywork into a talk-based coaching session. If there is a desire to move from one modality to another, this will be discussed in advance to re-establish the rules of engagement and professional boundaries. It is recommended that we do not switch back-and-forth between modalities.
In all cases, I respect and honour the trust that is bestowed on me and the often vulnerable or sensitive nature of the topics and experiences that may come up in this work. I work confidentially and will not make it known to anyone else that we are working together, nor will I share anything that comes up in our sessions. The only exceptions to this will be:
If I believe there is a significant risk of you harming yourself or others (outside of a consensual and ethical BDSM context), in which case I may reach out for professional support.
If you would like me to work alongside another professional, such as a therapist, in which case I would ask for your explicit permission and guidance in terms of what you would like me to share about our work.
In my ongoing mentoring and supervision sessions - an important part of my professional development - I may discuss elements of our work through the lens of my own experience and learning edges. You will not be referenced personally nor will your details be disclosed to my supervisor(s) or mentor(s).
Given my involvement in different communities around embodied practices, conscious sexuality, BDSM, kink, LGBTQ+, and alternative relating, it is possible that we will have shared friends, connections, or interests, or that we might meet each other outside of sessions at events, workshops, and gatherings. If this does happen, I will honour any agreement we have made in relation to this. If such an agreement has not yet been made, I will take your lead on how we interact (or not). You may choose to disclose our professional relationship to others but the nature of the work will remain confidential on my side. I am not here to “out” anyone.
Every form of work I do is based on consent and boundaries and specifically around empowering others to notice, trust, value, and communicate their wants and needs (the foundations of Betty Martin’s Wheel of Consent work). It is important to acknowledge not only the explicit but also the implicit power dynamics that exist, particularly in a practitioner/client relationship, and the impact these can have on our ability to be fully in choice.
Dual relationships can bring about additional ethic dilemmas and I therefore have the following boundaries in place for the safety of all parties:
Potential Clients:
Family members and existing romantic or sexual partners (or their partners) are excluded from being potential clients. This also includes anyone with whom I have been in a sexual or romantic relationship in the last 12 months.
People with whom I have an existing deep friendship or a business relationship will be considered based on the type of work and only after discussing the impact on our existing relationship and how we would navigate the different power dynamics.
Casual friends and acquaintances are welcome to approach me about working together professionally, again on the basis that we will discuss the implications and how we will interact outside of work.
Clients:
I will not engage in any romantic activity with a client.
I will not engage in any activity of a sexual nature with a client outside of our session.
We will discuss and agree on rules of interaction if we are aware that we plan to attend the same event, workshop, or gathering.
Former Clients:
Any interactions of a sexual or romantic nature would only be considered after at least 12 months had passed since the date of our last session.
I would also raise this in my supervision/mentoring sessions to gain advice and feedback.
In cases where there is an existing personal relationship and we choose to work together professionally, I ask that we keep a separate container for the work by not engaging in social interaction during session time, including immediately before and after. Anything session-related should be kept strictly for discussion during a session.
I use the following definitions for this purpose:
Potential client: someone who may have contacted me to discuss possibly working together, but as yet has not committed financially to a session.
Client: someone who has committed financially to a session or series of sessions, and has indicated that they would like to continue working together in the future.
Former client: someone who was working with me, has confirmed that our session work is now complete, and at least 12 months have passed since the date of our last session.
Whilst this statement aims to provide clarity, I cannot capture every possibility or nuance here and understandably you may have more questions about these topics. I welcome you getting in touch with me to discuss these and any particular scenarios or concerns further.