The intimate nature of massage therapy necessitates massage therapists to implement ethical standards. In my years in the massage therapy field, I have noticed that massage therapists who have a strong commitment to ethical behavior and standards tend to have not only busier and profitable practices, but longer careers. Massage clients want someone they can trust when in such a vulnerable position, but practitioners also need to know how to protect their private life and businesses from clients. Ethical practices and boundaries help protect the client as well as the massage therapist.

Simply, ethics is the determination between right and wrong, but ethics encompasses a wide variety of topics. It includes everything from draping, keeping a sanitary office space, determining whether to be friends with clients on Facebook, working within your scope of practice, learning to say “no” to scheduling too many people, and whether to include expiration dates on massage gift certificates.

Many states, and the NCBTMB, require massage therapists to regularly submit proof of ethics continuing education courses. The NCBTMB and almost every state allow practitioners to take a certain amount of continuing education hours through home study courses. Ethics courses are an ideal choice for home study courses because they are not hands-on or kinesthetic in nature. You can take these courses conveniently at home working at your own pace, instead of spending a weekend in a lecture class.

Every practitioner needs to make adjustments from time to time in their business. Even if you are not required to take ethics courses, I recommend every practitioner regularly take an ethics course to reevaluate their boundaries and business practices, learn about laws and regulations within the massage therapy field, and renew their commitment to running an ethical massage practice.

“Live one day at a time emphasizing ethics rather than rules.” ~ Wayne Dyer

To learn more about how 10% of your continuing education purchase is donated to charity, click here.