Code of Ethics
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PURPOSE

1. To establish and maintain standards of ethics and practice relating to the conduct of members of the Plant Spirit Medicine Association (PA) and their relationship with the public at large.
2. To inform and protect members of the public seeking Plant Spirit Medicine and members of the PA.
3. To assist Plant Spirit Medicine Healers to hold the highest standards of integrity, respect and compassion for those with whom they work.
4. Professional and Associate members of the PA will be required to sign this agreement to uphold the Code and agree to abide by the Disciplinary Procedures as a condition of membership.
5. This code is periodically reviewed and revised as necessary to maintain its effectiveness and currency. By signing the Code, you will be agreeing to future revisions and therefore will not need to re-sign it. All revisions will be sent out to membership.

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ETHICAL PRINCIPLES

1. Plant Spirit Medicine is a spiritual healing modality that recognizes the healing power of Plant Spirits.
2. Members of the PA hold the following fundamental ethical principles, which all members shall endeavor to uphold. Reverence for all life. Confidentiality in all professional relationships. Clarity of communication. Compassionate conduct towards clients, colleagues, and the public.

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Obligations to Clients

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Ethical Boundaries with Clients/Right relationship

1. Undue influence occurs when one uses healer status or a position of trust to influence a more vulnerable person to do something outside of the healer relationship for the healer’s personal benefit and at the expense of the client. The Plant Spirit Medicine Association considers this type of conduct to be an exploitation of the healer relationship.
2. A Plant Spirit Medicine Healer shall not exploit their position to his or herown advantage. Examples include but are not limited to: Pressuring a client to continue to have sessions they don’t need. Soliciting a client to give, lend or bequeath money to you. Charging unreasonable fees or withholding information about fees and associated costs until they have been incurred.
3. A Plant Spirit Medicine Healer shall not exploit his or her clients financially, sexually, emotionally or in any other way.
4. A Plant Spirit Medicine Healer will not undertake any form of sexual activity with a client in their care or with a student or supervisee in their tutelage or supervision.
5. A Plant Spirit Medicine Healer shall remember his or her responsibility to consider proper boundaries and ensure that proper boundaries are observed.
6. A Plant Spirit Medicine Healer, who experiences difficulty maintaining professional boundaries, shall uphold theCode of Ethics and Practice by taking his or her concerns to colleagues and/orby seeking consultation. If a satisfactory informal resolution is not possible, the matter shall be taken to a member of the Ethics committee who is authorized by the PA Board of Trustees to provide ethical guidance or clarify ethical standards of behavior.
7. If after informal consultation andEthics Committee guidance, a Plant Spirit Medicine Healer is unable to resolve the situation in an acceptable manner, then the healing relationship needs to be ended. If a relationship is terminated, the needs of the client shall be a primary consideration and a referral to another Plant Spirit Medicine Healer, teacher or consultant needs to be provided.
8. Where a healing relationship has come to its natural end and both parties at some later time (minimum of 24months) consider entering into an intimate relationship with each other, the burden is on the Plant Spirit Medicine Healer to demonstrate that the relationship does not violate this Ethics Code. In this circumstance, the PA recommends that the Healer seek out a suitably qualified professional to help them clarify and bring awareness to the power dynamics in that particular relationship in order to minimize the risk of power abuse.
9. A Plant Spirit Medicine Healer does not pressure clients to give, lend or bequeath money or gifts that would benefit the healer nor should they put pressure on clients or their families to make donations to other people or organizations.
10. A Plant Spirit Medicine Healer shall not be influenced or prejudiced by considerations concerning race, color, creed, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, ancestry, age, physical characteristics, disability or veteran status.

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Healing Session Obligations
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Informed Consent

1. At the first session, a PlantSpirit Medicine Healer shall, in plain language, explain the nature of the healing and healing session being offered and do so in a manner that can be clearly understood by the client.
2. Prior to beginning the first healing session, a Plant Spirit Medicine Healer is recommended to obtain a written consent from the client.

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Confidentiality

1. At all times, a Plant Spirit Medicine Healer shall safeguard a client’s right to privacy.
2. Information disclosed as part of the healing relationship shall be confidential information and shall only be disclosed when either authorized by the client in writing or when mandated by law.
3. A Plant Spirit Medicine Healer shall ensure that assistants, receptionists and staff are properly trained and actually keep all information relating to clients, including, but not limited to, identity, attendance, records and views formed about clients, entirely confidential.
4. Without the client’s written consent or as required by law, confidential treatment information may not be disclosed to any member of the client’s own family.
5. A Plant Spirit Medicine Healer shall preserve the anonymity of clients when using healing relationship information for the purposes of teaching or consultation.
6. A Plant Spirit Medicine Healer who transfers his or her spiritual healing practice will inform clients of the change and give the name of the Plant Spirit Medicine Healer who will take over. No client information shall be provided to the incoming Plant Spirit Medicine Healer without the written permission of the client.

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Disclosure without Consent

In certain instances, the guidelines for confidentiality are superseded. Disclosure without consent is mandated in instances of:

1. Clear evidence of a child being at risk for sexual abuse or other harm, whether that evidence is obtained from the child, the perpetrator, or other adult or child.
2. If the Plant Spirit Medicine Healer believes that there is a risk of self-harm by a client or harm to another individual; and
3. In instances where the law mandates that the information or records must be released. In the instances listed above, the Plant Spirit Medicine Healer shall report to authorities as required by law or make information available as required by law.

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Consent of Minors

1. A Plant Spirit Medicine Healer shall receive the consent of the parent or guardian prior to conducting a Plant Spirit Medicine healing session with a minor.
2. Plant Spirit Medicine Healers recognize that even in the instance of the consent of guardian or parent, the minor may refuse healing which may be legally recognized.
3. After consultation with and among the minor, the parent or guardian and the Healer, if a minor refuses healing and no satisfactory arrangement or accommodation can be reached, the minor shall be respected and the healing shall not be provided.

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Advertising/Public Statements

1. Advertising shall be confined to informing the public about Plant Spirit Medicine, the qualifications of the Healer and offering general information about Plant Spirit Medicine.
2. All advertising in any medium shall be legal, decent, honest and truthful.
3. Any promotion or promotional material may indicate a special interest, but shall not make claims of superiority or disparage other healing or any health care modality.
4. All advertising in any medium shall not mislead, deceive or make unrealistic claims.
5. A Plant Spirit Medicine Healer shall make a clear distinction between his or her spiritual healing endeavors and any commercial or other interests he or she is engaged in or is a part of.
6. The PA’s logo shall only be used to advertise events that are being officially organized on behalf of the organization and approved by Board of Trustees.

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Membership in Other Organizations

If a Plant Spirit Medicine Healer belongs to an association or organization with standards that differ from those set out in this code, the Plant Spirit Medicine Healer must adhere to this Code of Ethics and follow Plant Spirit Medicine Standard of Practice.

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Additional Healing Methods

If a Plant Spirit Medicine Healer engages in other spiritual healing or engages in a practice that offers a different type of healing work or assistance, the Healer shall inform the client and receive their consent.

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Relationships with Colleagues

1. If information or an occurrence comes to the attention of a Plant Spirit Medicine Healer that would give the Healer reason to believe that the Code of Ethics has been violated or is being violated or that conduct has been or is detrimental to a client putting the client at risk of injury or undue influence, a Plant Spirit Medicine Healer shall report said information or occurrence to a member of the Standards of Practice and Ethics Committee.
2. Any report made under this section shall be initially presented in writing.
3. A Plant Spirit Medicine Healer shall be courteous and shall respond to reasonable requests of other Plant Spirit Medicine Healers.
4. With the written consent of the client, in order to serve the best interests of a client, Plant Spirit Medicine Healers shall provide and or share healing session information, charts or reports and if requested, such items shall not be unreasonably withheld.

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Obligations to Self

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1. A Plant Spirit Medicine Healer shall have a responsibility to maintain effectiveness.
2. A Plant Spirit Medicine Healer shall seek consultation and/or withdraw from giving healing sessions under the following circumstances:
3. If their spiritual, emotional or mental resources or faculties are sufficiently depleted due to personal or emotional difficulties,
4. If they are unable to function due to illness, disability, alcohol, any mind altering substances or for any other reason.
5. A Plant Spirit Medicine Healer shall be aware of his or her own limitations and refer a client elsewhere when the need demands.
6. In their personal and spiritual healing conduct a Plant Spirit Medicine Healer shall strive to be worthy of the trust and respect of his or her community.

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Code of Ethics Adherence

A Plant Spirit Medicine Healer shall follow and abide by decisions

made under the disciplinary procedures of the PA. In the case of a

substantial violation of the Code of Ethics, the PA may at its discretion

report the violation to the TSFH.
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Obligations to Clients

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Standards of Practice

1. Plant Spirit Medicine Healers recognize, respect and promote the healing power of nature.
2. The Plant Spirit Medicine Healer will respect the client and their choices. It is the client’s prerogative to make their own choices with regard to their health, lifestyle and finances, including the right to refuse healing or disregard advice from the healer.
3. During a healing session, the Plant Spirit Medicine Healer will call upon the spirit of appropriate plants to create optimum balance. During the first session, the Plant Spirit Medicine Healer will discuss appropriate follow-up.
4. If another therapy is used in conjunction with Plant Spirit Medicine, this will be made clear to the client from the outset.
5. Plant Spirit Medicine Healers will never give a medical diagnosis to a client in any circumstances, nor shall they advise a particular course of medical treatment, this being the responsibility of a registered medical practitioner. Nor shall Plant Spirit Medicine Healers countermand instructions or prescriptions given by a registered medical practitioner.
6. All clients must be asked what medical advice they have received. If appropriate, they should be advised to consult their registered medical practitioner if they have not already done so.
7. Plant Spirit Medicine does not take the place of conventional medical treatment.
8. Plant Spirit Medicine Healers will never claim to treat or cure any disease.
9. Plant Spirit Medicine Healers will not use titles or descriptions to give the impression of medical or other qualifications unless they possess them.
10. Plant Spirit Medicine Healers retain the right to refuse or postpone a healing session should the healer believe the session to be inappropriate. The Plant Spirit Medicine Healer will make it clear to the client why they are refusing or postponing the session, e.g. if the client is under the influence of alcohol or mind-altering substances, if the client is intimidating or offensive, in a physical or sexual manner, or otherwise physically unsafe.
11. A copy of the Codes of Ethics & Standards of Practice shall be available to the client on request.
12. Certificates and other qualifications shall be displayed or be made available by the Plant Spirit Medicine Healer.

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Fees

A Plant Spirit Medicine Healer has the same obligation to the client whether being paid or working in a voluntary capacity.

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Record Keeping

1. n all instances, the Plant Spirit Medicine Healer shall ensure the safe storage and protection of client records.
2. Plant Spirit Medicine Healers shall ensure they keep clear and comprehensive records of their sessions including dates and advice given.
3. Plant Spirit Medicine Healers shall arrange for the correct disposal of case records in the event of their death.

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Delegation of Duties

1. In the event that a Plant Spirit Medicine Healer delegates their practice to another healer, they will exercise due diligence to ensure that the other healer is adequately qualified and that the client consents to healing sessions with the delegated healer.
2. Clear arrangements are made for client care when the Plant Spirit Medicine Healer is on holiday or ill for a long time. Healers either provide locum cover and give clients clear guidelines about this cover, or they will explain that there is no cover during their absence and advise them if possible of the date of their return.
3. The Plant Spirit Medicine Healer is responsible for ensuring that any locum is suitably qualified and experienced.

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Retiring from Practice

Upon deciding to move or retire from practice the Plant Spirit Medicine Healer will inform all current clients of this intention together with any arrangements being made for the transfer of the practice. The Plant Spirit Medicine Healer will not pass on any notes to another Healer without the written consent of their client.

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Continuing Education

The Plant Spirit Medicine Healer shall maintain competence in Plant Spirit Medicine and strive for professional excellence through assessment of personal strengths, limitations and effectiveness and by advancement of the knowledge. Growth may include in-service training, counseling, and other consultative support.

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Premises

1. Plant Spirit Medicine Healer shall ensure that they comply with the relevant laws of where they practice regarding the storage and protection of client records.
2. The Plant Spirit Medicine Healer shall ensure that their working conditions and facilities, to which members of the public have access, are suitable and comply with all relevant legislation.

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Professional Relationships

1. Plant Spirit Medicine Healers value integrity and respect in their relationships, both with Plant Spirit Medicine Healers and others. Plant Spirit Medicine Healers will not undermine a client’s faith in any healing modality and shall respect and support the client.
2. Plant Spirit Medicine Healers should not solicit clients of other healers. Should the client choose to transfer to another healer, it is professionally courteous and in the interest of the client to request the consent of the original healer. Plant Spirit Medicine Healers shall respect the judgment of their colleagues regarding whether it is in the interests of their client to seek care from another Plant Spirit Medicine Healer.
3. Plant Spirit Medicine Healers shall not undertake Plant Spirit Medicine sessions of a client they know to be under the care of a fellow Plant Spirit Medicine Healer without the consent of the original Healer, except in an emergency.