"I'm afraid I'll lose my clients if I raise my rates... One of my clients was told by a fellow professional that she should not receive work from anyone else but him... I feel guilty when clients don't feel better at the end of the session... Most of my clients still want me to do deep tissue and my body is hurting more and more...Whenever I work with her I start to feel helpless because she seems so miserable." These difficult issues from professional bodyworkers are typical of the many that are brought up in continuing education. Clearly, bodyworkers, like other professional caregivers, have a strong need for on-going support and advice in dealing with these kinds of concerns.

This is the first in a series of articles dealing with the range of actual ethical situations that occur in our work, situations that can perplex bodyworkers due in part to an overzealous application of psychological principles. This is an actual case from my practice. In another article we will deal with the ethical implications of this client relationship and others and hopefully expand our understanding of these issues.