General Hypnotherapy Register Code of Ethics
All practitioners shall undertake to:
1. Provide service to clients solely in those areas in which they are competent to do so and for which they carry relevant professional indemnity insurance.
2. Act in a non-biased, non-prejudicial manner towards all clients, providing those clients with an identical quality of service and treatment irrespective of the many differences which are to be found between clients, including but not restricted to: race, gender, sexual orientation, disability etc.
3. Disclose full details of all relevant memberships, training, experience, qualifications and appropriate avenues of complaint to clients upon request and only use those qualifications and memberships to which they have proof of entitlement.
4. Explain fully to clients in advance of any treatment: the fee levels, precise terms of payment and any charges which might be imposed for non-attendance or cancelled appointments, and wherever relevant, confidentiality issues.
5. Present all services and products in an unambiguous manner (to include any limitations and realistic outcomes of treatment) and ensure that the client retains complete control over the decision to purchase such services or products. N.B. Guarantees of either a cure or a successful resolution of the problem/s presented shall not be offered.
6. Work in ways that will promote client autonomy and well-being and that maintain respect and dignity for the client.
7. Remain aware of their own limitations and wherever appropriate, be prepared to refer a client to another practitioner (regardless of discipline) who might be expected to offer suitable treatment.
8. Ensure that wherever a client is seeking assistance for the relief of physical symptoms, that unless already having done so, the client be advised to contact a registered medical practitioner.
9. Confirm that they will never knowingly offer advice to a client which either conflicts with or is contrary to that given by the client’s registered medical advisor/s.
10. Use due care and diligence to avoid the implantation of false memories in the client and, ensure that the client is aware that experiences while in a suggestible state are not necessarily correlated with, or to be taken as, real and valid memories of the client’s past.
11. Ensure that their workplace and all facilities offered to both clients and their companions will be in every respect suitable and appropriate for the service provided. These shall include any consulting room used for the purpose of consultation and/or conducting therapy with any client, along with any reception or waiting areas associated with such rooms.
12. Take all reasonable care to ensure the safety of the client and any person who may be accompanying them
13. Refrain from using their position of trust or confidence to:
a) cross the commonly understood professional boundaries appropriate to the therapist/client relationship or exploit the client emotionally, sexually, financially, or in any other way whatsoever. Should either a sexual relationship, or a financial relationship other than for the payment of relevant products or services, or other inappropriate relationship develop between either therapist and client or members of their respective immediate families, the therapist must immediately cease to accept fees, terminate treatment consistent with Clause 15 below and refer the client to another suitable therapist at the very earliest opportunity.
b) touch the client in any way that may be open to misinterpretation.
N.B. Before employing tactile induction or deepening techniques, both an explanation should be given and permission received.
14. Not accept any inappropriate gifts, gratuities or favours from a client.
15. Never protract treatment unnecessarily and to terminate treatment at the earliest moment consistent with the good care of the client.
16. Maintain strict confidentiality within the client/therapist relationship, always provided that such confidentiality is neither inconsistent with the therapist’s own safety or that of the client, the client’s family members or other members of the public nor in contravention of any legal action (i.e. criminal, coroner or civil court cases where a court order is made demanding disclosure) or legal requirement (e.g. Children’s Acts).
17. Ensure that client notes and records be kept secure and confidential and that the use of both manual and computer records remains within the terms of the Data Protection Act.
18. Recognise that the maintenance of case note should include personal details, history, diagnosis and/or identification of problem areas; programme of sessions as agreed between therapist and client (if any), session progress notes and a copy of any contract.
19. Obtain written permission from the client (or if appropriate the client’s parent/s or legal guardian/s) before either recording client sessions, discussing undisguised cases with any person whatsoever, or publishing cases (whether disguised or not) via any medium.
20. Advise the client that disguised case studies may sometimes be utilised for the purposes of either their own supervision or the supervision and/or training of other therapists and refrain from using such material should the respective client indicate that it should not be used for these purposes.
21. Conduct themselves at all times in accord with their professional status and in such a way as neither undermines public confidence in the process or profession of hypnotherapy nor brings their professional body into disrepute.
22. Practitioners have the duty to protect the public and the profession from unethical, unsafe or bad practice or behaviour. When offering criticisms or complaints about colleagues, practitioners should utilise appropriate channels such as the complaints procedures of professional bodies, or, where appropriate, Trading Standards or other relevant bodies. Practitioners offering criticisms outside of these channels have the duty to demonstrate that it is reasonable to do so. Practitioners must use due care and diligence when offering criticisms and complaints to ensure that they are justified and can be substantiated.
23. Respect the status of all other medical/healthcare professionals and the boundaries of their professional remit
24. Notify their professional body, in writing, of any change in practice name, contact address, telephone number or email address, at the earliest convenient moment.
25. Inform their professional body, in writing, of any alteration in circumstance which would affect either their position or ability as practitioners.
26. Inform their professional body, in writing, of:
a) any complaint (of which they are aware) made against them
b) any disciplinary action taken against them by any professional body
c) any criminal offence of which they have been convicted
27. Make available all relevant information requested as a result of investigation by any appointed Complaints and Disciplinary Officer, without hindrance (whether implied or actual) or unreasonable delay, and comply fully with all requirements inherent within any Complaints and Disciplinary Procedure to which they subscribe.