Privacy and Confidentiality

Privacy and confidentiality are fundamental principles in therapeutic contexts because they create a safe and trusting environment where clients feel secure enough to open up about deeply personal, sensitive, and sometimes traumatic experiences. When clients know that their thoughts, feelings, and experiences will not be shared without their consent, they are more likely to engage in the therapeutic process and explore difficult subjects.

Confidentiality is essential for maintaining respect for the client’s autonomy and dignity, ensuring that they have control over their personal information and how it is used. Without a clear understanding of privacy, clients may feel exposed or vulnerable, which can undermine the therapeutic relationship and hinder progress. 

DISCLOSURE

This presentation explores the role of referrals and bridging tools for trauma-informed practitioners. We will examine the concept of referrals, including their purpose and the circumstances under which and when a referral is appropriate. The discussion will cover referral protocols for multidisciplinary practitioners, grounded in both psychotherapeutic and clinical perspectives, as well as general ethical standards, while at the same time addressing some of the current challenges within the healing community.

safeguarding

Safeguarding is an essential component in all therapeutic settings, ensuring the physical, emotional, and psychological safety of both clients and practitioners. In therapeutic work, individuals often share deeply personal, vulnerable aspects of their lives, and without robust safeguarding protocols in place, there is a risk of exploitation, harm or abuse. Practitioners must be proactive in establishing clear boundaries, informed consent, and confidentiality agreements, while also being aware of any potential signs of distress or danger within the therapeutic relationship. 

Practitioner Level of disclosure

In this presentation Padma Khandro Victoria and Maaike de Haan discuss practitioner ethics within the context of the field of Divination. For example, avoiding sensationalising – or proving that you see it all.

Topics that are discussed include: Privacy and Confidentiality, Disclosure, Safeguarding, Practitioner level of Disclosure, Transference / Counter Transference, Setting up your Practice, Aftercare Protocols / Referrals

Transference / Counter transference

Transference and countertransference are important concepts in therapeutic settings, as they play a significant role in the dynamics between practitioner and client. Transference occurs when a client unconsciously projects feelings, experiences, or expectations from past relationships onto the therapist or practitioner. For example, a client might view the practitioner as a parental figure, transferring unresolved feelings from their relationship with a parent onto the therapeutic relationship. This can affect how the client behaves, reacts, and processes information in therapy, and if not addressed, can create distortions in the therapeutic work.

Sympathy or empathy and the sacred neutral

Empathy is a critical quality in therapeutic settings because it allows the practitioner to deeply understand and resonate with the client’s emotions and experiences without losing the ability to remain objective or neutral. Unlike sympathy, which can involve feeling pity or sorrow for someone, empathy creates a space where the client feels truly heard and supported, but not patronized or diminished.  Sympathy can unintentionally place the practitioner in a superior position, reinforcing power imbalances and potentially disempowering the client. In contrast, empathy fosters a collaborative and equal relationship where the practitioner validates the client’s experience, while still holding the necessary boundaries to guide and support them.

divination and ethics

In this presentation Padma Khandro Victoria and Maaike de Haan discuss practitioner ethics within the context of the field of Divination. 

Topics that are discussed include: Privacy and Confidentiality, Disclosure, Safeguarding, Practitioner Level of Disclosure, Transference / Counter Transference, Setting up Your Practice, Aftercare Protocols / Referrals

Privilege, Decolonisation and Spiritual Bypassing

In this presentation Padma Khandro Victoria and Maaike de Haan discuss practitioner ethics within the context of the field of Divination. 

Topics that are discussed include: Privacy and Confidentiality, Disclosure, Safeguarding, Practitioner Level of Disclosure, Transference / Counter Transference, Setting up Your Practice, Aftercare Protocols / Referrals

Refugee Awareness

Refugee awareness is crucial in working inclusively because it helps practitioners understand the unique challenges and experiences faced by individuals who have been displaced due to war, persecution, or violence. Refugees often carry trauma that affects their emotional, psychological, and physical well-being in complex ways, which requires sensitivity, empathy, and cultural competence from the practitioner. 

boundaries

Developing healthy boundaries is vitally important for practitioners in the healing arts, especially because they are often highly empathetic and deeply attuned to the emotional and energetic needs of their clients. Without clear boundaries, empathetic practitioners can easily become overwhelmed or over-extended, absorbing their clients’ emotions or energies, which can lead to burnout, compassion fatigue, or emotional entanglement.

Healthy boundaries allow practitioners to protect their own well-being while still providing compassionate, effective support to clients. They create a necessary separation between the practitioner’s personal experience and the client’s process, ensuring that the work remains focused, professional, and grounded.

Mapping Yourself, Others and Space-holding

Know thyself and what sort of character type you are so you can evaluate the ideal clients and settings. Padma Khandro discusses the developmental stages that we may go through when experiencing awakening / a consciousness shift.

Navigating awakening has its own pitfalls and delusions. Many practitioners are becoming more intuitive and connected to their multidimensional self in these times. This is perfectly normal and available for everyone. How do you deal with your own Chosen One narrative and that of others around you?

Knowing Self – Knowing Parts

Understanding Parts, as outlined in Internal Family Systems (IFS), and Self-Energy is critically important for being a robust, ethical practitioner because it enables one to recognize and navigate their own internal dynamics, such as sub-personalities, wounds, and triggers, ensuring they approach clients with neutrality, empathy, and clarity while avoiding projections or over-identification with the client’s experiences.

Power Dynamics in the Workplace

Padma Khandro Victoria and Maaike de Haan explore the contemporary application of Ethics, Natural and Tribal Law in a modern day neo-Tribal context; the world of Tattooing. This being an intersection of many worlds, an ancient tradition in many cultures and tribes around the globe, which, in our communities today, brings in people from all walks of life. 

They discuss how Maaike’s apprenticeship in tattooing really landed her with fundamental and universal ethical principles. And how the world of Tattooing, as well as the different other ‘underworlds’, subcultures and scenarios they’ve both worked in, once deconstructed, are in fact all the same as many indigenous tribal contexts.

Space-holding, Intention Setting and Space Opening

Opening space is a foundational practice in multidimensional work, and while it may not be as emphasized in conventional psychotherapeutic settings, it is of crucial importance for those training in the healing arts and metaphysics. In these fields, practitioners engage with the subtle realms of energy, emotion, and spirit, where clients’ experiences often extend beyond the physical body and conventional therapeutic structures. Opening space involves intentionally creating a safe, sacred, and energetically clear environment, where the practitioner consciously aligns with the client’s process and sets the tone for healing. This ritualistic act of spaceholding helps to establish boundaries, facilitate a deeper connection, and invite the appropriate energies or insights to flow, allowing the healing work to unfold naturally.

Ethics and Social Media

In this section, we delve into the ethical implications of using social media as a tool for promoting therapeutic and healing work. Focusing on the delicate balance between personal branding and maintaining professional boundaries, this lesson delves into how overexposing your personal image can impact trust, confidentiality, and the therapeutic relationship. We also explore the concept of “energy harvesting,” where practitioners may unknowingly or knowingly exploit their audience’s emotional or energetic investments for personal gain.  You’ll gain insights into how to maintain a grounded, authentic online presence that stays true to your ethical responsibilities, avoiding the temptation to create a persona that deviates from your true values, all while navigating the complexities of marketing in a digital age.

Ethics and Protocols for Multidimensional Practitioners

Basic Ethics for Practitioners explores the evolving ethical landscape of modern healing and therapeutic practices in today’s changing times, particularly within the context of the Kali Yuga—a time of deep transformation and upheaval. We then delve into the role of the ego in practice and emphasise the importance of keeping it in check to ensure a grounded, ethical approach when working with clients. We then examine the concept of non-duality, unpacking why it is a critical lens through which practitioners must approach their work—both for personal integrity and the well-being of clients. Practitioners will also be introduced to the concept of multidimensionality, exploring their responsibilities when working across different planes of existence, including interactions with clients and entities. This session provides essential guidance for navigating these complexities with awareness, responsibility, and ethical clarity.