Code of Conduct and Professional Boundaries Statement
Jeremy Shub
The primary goal of this Code is to ensure the welfare and protection of anyone who works with me. Everything I do is aimed to provide positive and beneficial support for participants.
This Code is written to make the environment as safe as possible for all participants and practitioners. It is possible that unintentional consent violations can occur. In these situations the participant is invited to use the Accountability Pod process.
Sessions are participant-centred and the participants' boundaries are of primary importance.
Definitions:
Participant - a person who pays a fee for service. Including therapy, retreats, bodywork and classes.
Practitioner - Jeremy Shub.
The Code - The Code of Conduct.
Informed Consent - An agreement between people, including all the relevant information that they need to make an informed decision.
Pod - My Accountability Pod. A small group of people that receive reports regarding my behaviour that may have caused harm to individuals. The Pod is compressed of professionals, who hold me to account for allegations of harm. The Pod is responsible for activating the Accountability Process.
Beliefs and Values that inform my Professional Boundaries
These are my beliefs and things I value. These form the foundation of my practice and conduct to support people in their lives.
Honesty, that we co-create a container where people can share their truth.
Courage
Openness
Emotional expression
Growth
Learning
Relationships
Spirituality
Accountability
Inclusion of all people, including and not limited to; race, colour, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, bodies, sexuality, and pregnancy status, national origin, age and disability.
Intersectional Feminism
Anti-Oppressive practice
Trauma-informed
Anti-patriarchal
Anti-colonist
Anti-white supremacy
Vulnerability
Responsibilities of the practitioner
I will respect and protect human rights. I will also consider individual, gender-specific, cultural, religious and social differences, promote sexual rights and do not knowingly participate in or condone unfair discriminatory practices.
I will be professional in attitude and conduct.
I have a ‘duty to inform’ participants. At the outset of working together, I will openly inform participants about the general conditions, goals and methods, and likely duration of the work. I commit to making clear fee agreements before taking on an assignment. I will be transparent in relation to my qualifications and work methods.
I recognize that, when using physical touch, I need to obtain the consent of participants and to act with concern for their safety, growth and awareness of their boundaries.
I understand the inherent power I hold in my role as teacher/counsellor/supporter/sexological bodyworker and will not use this power for the sexual exploitation of participants.
I strive to obtain extensive professional competencies through ongoing training, supervision and self-exploration.
I may unilaterally terminate services, on just and reasonable grounds after careful consideration of all situational factors and any possible adverse effects. I am responsible for making appropriate referrals and providing support to participants during this transition.
I acknowledge the importance of maintaining and respecting agreed boundaries. Boundaries are to be discussed, agreed and set at the beginning of each session; including the stipulation that boundaries may not be renegotiated or changed during that session. Maintaining the agreed boundaries also includes stopping touch when participants request it.
I use correct pronouns for each person. I ask people what pronouns they use when I am not sure.
I respectfully and proactively seek feedback from the people I work with.
I post this Code of Conduct wherever I have an online presence and explicitly state that I have voluntarily committed to following it.
I will not practice under the influence of alcohol, drugs, or any illegal substances
Accountability Pod Process - Code violations
If you feel that I have violated any part of this Code please see the section on my website for the Accountability Process. If, in any of your interactions with me, you feel unheard, unseen, hurt, violated, or in any other way negatively impacted, you may contact my Pod with your feedback.
Public Play
If you become a client, we will agree to share with each other any plans to attend specific community events. If we have previously encountered/witnessed each other at such events, previous to deciding to work together, we would discuss the implications of it and what it might mean for our working relationship.
Consent
The foundation of this Code, for all people is consent. This comes in many forms. As much as possible, Informed Consent will be applied to all sessions and teaching. I will at all times adhere to the agreements with participants. I recognize the importance of consent and choice. At no time shall a participant be coerced to participate in any activity, event or exercise. They retain the right to say no at any time.
I consistently practice excellent consent in private and in public. Excellent consent is:
Done with an understanding of both my capacity and the capacity of the other individuals involved.
Fully informed, where all parties understand what is agreed to.
Expressed with explicit or enthusiastic agreement.
Consistent and continuous, where any doubt or confusion means stopping.
Not coerced, not forced, and free of manipulation.
Confidentiality
All information and content of the work is private and confidential to the participant.
I will respect and preserve the privacy of all information gained during sessions.
I will release professional obligations for confidentiality only by written authorization from the participants, statutory requirements or court order. Or in the case of perceived harm to the participant from a risk assessment.
I will preserve the anonymity of participants when using information for purposes of teaching, research, and supervision.
Anything that is shared within a session or within a workshop setting will not be shared with anyone else, unless there is an explicit agreement from a client.
If we meet outside of a session or a workshop, I will honour any agreement we have made in relation to this.
Sex and relationships
I will not have sexual relationships with students in classes, retreats or workshops. It is possible to have these relationships in a reasonable timeframe after commercial transactions have ended. This is always in conjunction with an awareness of power and authority. I agree that I will not seek to meet my erotic needs through the participants. I am conscious that, and make participants conscious that, sessions will neither fulfil my, nor their participants’ desire for romantic sexual connection. I will not to have my physical or emotional needs met in any way by the participant or student.
Where there are dual relationships (the participant and myself knowing each other outside the professional container) clear boundaries will be negotiated before commencing any work together. It may be possible to work together with the informed consent of both parties. The Code applies to all dual relationships.
I am aware of the balance of power between that exists between a professional practitioner/instructor and a participant or student. I will not have intimate relationships with a client within 12 months of ending our professional agreement.
More….
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 to get in touch with me to discuss these and any particular scenarios or concerns further.