MYND.WORKS – Ethical Practice and Codes of Conduct

  1. Always maintain standards of the highest professional conduct and do nothing that might bring the profession of Hypnotherapy and/or psychotherapy  into disrepute.
  2. Provide suitable work premises and facilities to clients and any persons accompanying them.
  3. Take reasonable measures to ensure the safety of the client and any person who may be accompanying them.
  4. Respect the rights, dignity and emotions of their patient.
  5. Inform clients of all relevant training, experience and qualifications upon request.
  6. Charge fairly for the treatment given.
  7. Explain fully to clients prior to any treatment the fees, terms of payment, session length, and any charges levied for non-attendance or cancelled appointments.
  8. Present all services and products in a clear and concise manner and to refrain from trying to pressurize the client in any way to purchase any services or products.
  9. Neither expect nor encourage gifts from clients. Small tokens of appreciation may be accepted at the end of therapy but should in no way be solicited.
  10. Not discriminate against any client, on religion, age, nationality, race, politics, beliefs or social standing.
  11. Not claim to hold specific qualifications unless such claim can be verified. (In the absence of appropriate medical qualifications, no Member may use the title “Doctor” in a manner that may be misleading.
  12. Ensure that they carry professional indemnity insurance relevant to the treatment area that they are using with their clients.
  13. Provide a service to clients only in those areas in which they have trained and demonstrated competence, and for which they carry full professional indemnity insurance.
  14. Offer treatment within their own limitations and experience and if appropriate, refer a client to another more suitable practitioner who might reasonably be expected to provide suitable treatment.
  15. Ensure that clients seeking therapy for the relief of physical symptoms are advised to contact their GP or other Medical Practitioner, unless they have already done so.
  16. Ensure as far as possible that wherever an aspect of the client’s condition is either known or suspected to be beyond their area of expertise, the client be advised to seek medical or other appropriate advice.
  17. Refrain from offering advice to a client which conflicts with or is contrary to that given by the client’s registered medical advisor/s.
  18. Where a client has been referred for hypnotherapy by an outside professional source, i.e. GP or agency, the referrer should be kept up-to-date with the client’s progress.
  19. Ensure that all client notes and records are kept secure and confidential and that computer records are used in accordance with the guidelines of the Data Protection Act
  20. Ensure that client notes and records are destroyed after a reasonable length of time.
  21. Never promise a cure for any condition or problem, nor give advice or otherwise pass comment on any medical, psychiatric, or psychological problem or condition unless they have training and qualifications in these fields.
  22. All client treatment and information shall remain confidential unless they give written permission to divulge such information, provided that such confidentiality is consistent with the safety of the client’s family members, other members of the public or in contravention of the laws of the land
  23. Obtain written permission from the client or, if appropriate, the client’s parent/s or legal guardian/s before either recording client sessions or discussing recognizable cases with any party whatsoever. (“Recording” in this context refers to any electronic method).
  24. Refrain from using their position of trust and confidence to exploit the client emotionally, sexually, financially or in any other way whatsoever.
  25. Maintain a therapeutic relationship with clients.
  26. Refrain from working with friends or family for anything other than simple relaxation work or other ‘single-session’ therapies.
  27. Use their best endeavours to bring treatment to a successful conclusion in the minimum time consistent with the good care of the client.
  28. Refrain from touching the client in any way that may be open to misinterpretation. (e.g. before employing tactile induction or deepening techniques, an explanation should be given and permission obtained)
  29. Obtain the consent of an appropriate adult (i.e. parent or legal guardian) before treating clients who are under the age of 16.
  30. Ensure that where a patient is referred by another Member, or any therapist in any other discipline, whether in the medical profession or not, the referee shall be advised, with the patients consent, at the conclusion of the treatment.
  31. Not publicly criticise other Members, Hypnotherapists or Medical Professionals, either with or without perceived justification.
  32. Not entice clients from other Members or therapists.
  33. Respect the treatment offered in other therapies, without necessarily agreeing with such treatment.
  34. Refer a patient to another Member or to another therapist if the patient may benefit further or quicker by this action. The best interests of the patient will be taken into account at all times. Care will be taken to refer only to therapists who have standards and methods of treatment proven in practice.