Massage Courses in Gauteng and Western Cape
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The Balancingtouch Code of Conduct
Professionalism & Ethics for Balancingtouch Practitioners
Before commencing any course of study in the wonderful world of Holistic, Natural and Touch Therapies, it is important to consider the codes of professionalism and ethics.
Please scroll to the footer for online qualifications under What the Experts Say.
Professionalism is acquired during professional training and develops when graduates are responsible for their clients. There is no shortcut to learning professionalism.
Here are some guidelines to help:
Professionalism
- When with a client, always give them your undivided attention.
- Cultivate the art of putting out of your mind your interests or problems during the treatment session and focus entirely on your client's needs.
- Forget about the previous client. Concentrate on the present one, stay in the present moment and connect with the client. When we change an "I" to "We", even Illness become Wellness.
- Always wear appropriate clothing and a professional-looking uniform or clothing that looks the part. The uniform does more than protect your clothes; it projects a professional image. One should also don a name badge with your name and title.
- Whether doing mobile therapy or working from your practice, always wash your hands before commencing treatment. Ensure that your client is aware that you have done so.
- Never let a client direct the treatment or the form it should take because you have the training from a professional institute and have the knowledge to decide what is best for your client. However, wherever possible, try to consider the client’s preferences and concerns and educate your client on why you will be performing the techniques they need.
- Talk calmly and respectfully to the client, but do not gossip.
- You must guard against any emotional involvement. Never slack on procedures or become too familiar; this may complicate the client/therapist relationship. Give good, sound advice, and help with the problem in any way you can, but do not become emotionally involved.
- Keep a complete record card for each client. Complete the record card before you begin the first therapy session and update it each time you treat the client.
Ethical Behavior
Balancingtouch Practitioners shall, at all times, conduct their professional lives with the decency and dignity of becoming a public servant and pledge that they will try to place service before self-gain.
Our practitioners will, under no circumstances, infringe the code of morality, commit to their profession, and commit no breach of conduct that will bring grief or embarrassment upon themselves, society, or their fellow practitioners.
Practitioners shall confine their services to within recognised spheres of their profession and shall not offer nor promise cures for specific conditions.
No practitioner whom a company has employed shall, on leaving their employment, attempt to persuade his former employer's clients to become his client unless requested by the client by free will.
All practitioners must uphold the profession's dignity and always act honourably towards their clients and fellow practitioners.
They shall at all times maintain professional confidentiality and shall refrain from criticising the work of fellow practitioners. However, they should inform the client with respect and a plausible explanation if the fellow practitioner is working against ethical and professional standards.
When a client is referred by a medical doctor or other professional, the instructions given at the time of referral must be carefully carried out. Adjustments to the treatment must first be discussed with the referrer for the client's best interests.
Clients should not be accepted for treatment if treated by anyone else who gives the same treatment for the same or an associated condition without mutual agreement and respect.
When you accept a client, you must give the best treatment you can, irrespective of race, religion or any other consideration.
Client Care
You should support your clients through:
- Communication
- A listening ear and empathy
- Patience and compassion
- Basic language and correct body language
Firstly, listen to your client. Hear what they have to say and value it. Ask how they have been since their last treatment, and confirm the reason they came to you in the first place.
Be patient with your client, and never hurry a treatment. Ensure that you have allocated the client's correct time slot and informed them of the time you booked for them.
Do not use a lot of medical or technical terms at first. Explain everything in simple language according to your client’s level of understanding and refer to their terminology and phrasing. You may introduce technical terms when you wish to educate and inform them after the treatment.
Finally, once treatment has finished, advise on home care, stretches, and nutrition or refer the client to a professional you trust who works ethically. Do not underestimate your clients. If you need to book another treatment to help them achieve their goals, do so professionally with confidence and conviction and allow them to say yes. You will earn much more respect, and the client will thank you.
Responsibilities of The Practitioner
The most important asset of a proficient practitioner is a genuine compassion for the suffering of humanity and a desire to assist in relieving this suffering. A thorough knowledge of your chosen therapy/therapies, the relevant anatomy and physiology, and an understanding of emotional attachments to illness will increase your competence.
The practitioner must ensure that the skills acquired are from a trustworthy institute and that they have had hands-on training.
A clean, hygienic workspace that feels inviting and tranquil is necessary to create the correct impression.
Everything about a therapist should give the impression of professionalism.
Explaining Techniques
Your clients should fully understand the treatments they are to receive so they are more comfortable with the procedures.
A little therapy knowledge will give the client confidence in your ability to help them. The receiver must be made to feel comfortable and 'safe.' Healing is also an art that requires intuitive skills.
The art of recognising the roots of a client's problem and working with them to overcome this can be learned only through experience, practice, self-knowledge, and constant attentiveness.
The Balancingtouch Commitment to Our Students
As leaders and specialists in massage training, we pledge to give our students the correct guidance and insightful support whenever they require it. We commit to honouring and respecting each person who comes to us to engage in authentic, ethical, and legitimate learning for self-improvement and empowerment and to touch others positively. We will guide, mentor and coach each person to reach their fullest potential and offer our assistance whenever needed to achieve success and their goals. This commitment has applied, does apply and will apply to all who have qualified with us, those who are currently with us and all future students. We commit to this to uplift standards in our industry, the growth of the natural and holistic health industry, and the success of all individuals who are a part of this beautiful and rewarding industry.
What the Industry Experts Say
Industry experts, regulatory bodies, and therapy business owners have concluded with overwhelming evidence that 100% of online massage students do not meet the requirements even to call themselves Massage therapists, let alone be marginally competent to perform massage on a paying client.
Despite its theoretical coverage, online massage training falls short of providing practical skills. Video submissions, which cannot validate skill, and tutorials, which can only cover a fraction of the required knowledge, cannot replace the immediate professional feedback, corrective guidance, ergonomic training, and first-hand experience in the recommended setting and atmosphere that in-person training provides.
Accreditation and industry regulators on a global scale (people who ensure the success and well-being of this industry for your benefit and the market you fill) have forbidden offering legitimate massage training through online-only formats. Even online components that include in-class training under a therapist are below standard and do not certify you as a professional, as many shortcuts, incorrect procedures and bad habits and practices are passed down by "trainers" who do not meet the criteria of accredited therapy education.
Online accreditation only accredits the platform you learn in or the course structure, not the course qualification. All legitimate online learning platforms specify that online massage therapy training courses do not meet the qualifications required and require class training through an accredited training provider.
There is a significant risk that online students are learning incorrect, unidentifiable techniques via video footage. Learning wrong techniques via online videos is a certainty, and learning techniques from a therapist or a 'trainer' who is not qualified to teach you according to education best practices can lead to extreme difficulties, potential legal issues, unhappy or injured clients, and tarnished reputation of the therapy industry.
Unfortunately, due to lockdowns, many institutions falsely claimed that online training was enough and continue to push this lucrative and unjustifiable bad practice; when questioned, they may offer personal training but are not accredited or equipped to physically train you to authentic industry requirements. This is to the detriment of the interested persons, the detriment of massage clients, and the demise of massage therapy.
Online students are not given the experience or the correct industry reflection, which is crucial for understanding and adapting to industry standards.