For the purpose of protecting the safety and welfare of participants we outline here ethical principles governing our retreats. 

As facilitators, it is our individual and collective responsibility to adhere to the highest standards of integrity and ethical conduct. We agree to practice empathy-assisted meditation retreats within our scope of competence and in accordance with this Code. We directly address concerns regarding ethical issues and use common sense judgment, supervision, and consultation when ethical dilemmas arise.

The practice of empathy-assisted meditation aims to provide an environment of safety and support for a person to engage with their own inner healing intelligence, one’s innate wisdom and ability to move towards wholeness and wellbeing.

We act in the spirit of service to support each participant’s connection to their own inner healing intelligence. We devote ourselves to establishing relationships based on trust, care, and attunement, and to support the participant’s own unfolding experience.

This modality involves deep inner work, as well as non-ordinary states of consciousness; therefore, empathy-assisted meditation carries unique ethical considerations. These considerations include the potential for greater participant suggestibility, the particular need for sensitivity regarding consent, and the likelihood of stronger and more complex transference and countertransference.

Given the special considerations of this modality, we take seriously our obligation to participant safety. This work requires an elevated quality of presence, tending to the process consistently throughout empathy-assisted meditation sessions, as well as during the phases of preparation and integration.

In order to provide impeccable care and to evolve ethically, we engage in practices of self-care, self-growth, and self-examination, aligning with our own inner healing intelligence. We give and receive feedback from mentors and colleagues and participate in continuing education.

This modality is founded on the practices of healers, explorers, researchers, and indigenous traditions which stretch back centuries. We honor these contributions and recognize the privilege of working with non-ordinary states of consciousness.

The ability to participate in these healing practices, as ancient as they are innovative, is both a gift and a responsibility. Ultimately, we envision a world where all people can access healing. We view participants’ challenges, as well as their growth, within a greater web of relationships, acknowledging that trauma, as well as healing, is passed between people, across cultures, and through generations. We aim to validate and support the intrinsic wisdom and healing intelligence in others as well as in ourselves, in service to collective healing, liberation, and greater engagement in the fullness of life.

1. Safety

• We commit to the safety of participants. 

• We ensure that candidates are medically and psychologically eligible before enrolling them in our meditations. An eligible candidate is one that has the resources necessary to engage in meditations, ideally including supportive people in their life and a stable and safe living environment. 

• We conduct thorough and comprehensive screening and preparation with every participant. 

• Prior to initiating a retreat, we provide participants with clear information about our availability, backup support, and emergency contacts. 

• We take an active role in preventing physical and psychological harm. We monitor vital signs and hydration, prevent physical injury or falls, and assess for suicidality and self harm. We provide clear direction if needed to prevent imminent harm. 

• We inform participants of the actions we will take to ensure their safety. We ask participants not to leave during meditations sessions and to follow instructions given to them. 

• We are responsive in cases of participant crisis for the duration of time that the participant is in our professional care. We have a crisis response plan prepared. 

• If a medical emergency occurs during sessions or at the retreat facility, we immediately respond by contacting local emergency services. 

• We inform participants about the extent of our availability between sessions. We provide participants with appropriate local resources to contact in the event of an emergency or during times that we are unavailable. 

• We provide consistent care to participants. We never abandon a participant. We conduct appropriate termination, with preparation when possible, and provide referrals to other providers as needed. 

• We provide thorough post-session integration.
  
  

2. Confidentiality and Privacy 

• We respect the privacy of participants and uphold professional standards of confidentiality. 

• We do not reveal information about participants without their express permission, except when mandated. 

• We stay informed about confidentiality practices and adhere to all applicable privacy laws and regulations. 

• We obtain permission from participants before sharing their identifying information in consultation or supervision. 

• We discuss the limitations of confidentiality with participants during informed consent and disclose any obligations we have to release information as a mandated reporter or to address issues of safety. \

• We make agreements with participants about acceptable and preferred means of communication, such as leaving voicemails, sending text messages, hours of contact, and response time. 

• We promptly respond to breaches in confidentiality. 

• We seek legal counsel as needed to maintain participant confidentiality.

3. Transparency

• We respect each participant’s right to make informed choices. 

• We include participants in decisions about their meditations. 

• We obtain informed consent before initiating a new meditation or technique. 

• We honor each participant’s option to withhold or withdraw consent at any time. 

• We inform participants of all meditation procedures, including an accurate description of tools used, potential risks and benefits, and alternative meditation options. We accurately represent our background and training using appropriate terms. 

• We inform participants of fees and the process for collecting payment before delivering a billable service. 

• We obtain informed consent for any kind of physical touch that might be included in meditation sessions. We inform participants that there may be times we need to make physical contact in order to ensure their safety, such as when taking their vitals, walking them to the restroom, or preventing a fall. Aside from preventing immediate danger, all physical touch is for support purposes and is optional; the participant can revoke their consent for touch at any time. (Refer to Code 5. Use of Touch) 

• We discuss the process of termination with participants at intake. 

• We identify when we are unable to provide clinically appropriate care and inform participants that we must discontinue meditations and refer them to other providers. 

4. Alliance and Trust 

• We act in accordance with the trust placed in us by participants. 

• We aspire to create and maintain support alliance built on trust, safety, and clear agreements, so that participants can engage in inner exploration and relational healing. 

• We respect the inner healing intelligence of participants to guide their experience.

•  We respect the autonomy of each participant to make decisions in their life and make meaning of their experiences. 

• We acknowledge that the healing process is deeply personal, and each participant has unique needs and support. 

• We prioritize the participants’ needs and goals. 

• We treat people receiving services or reaching out for services with respect, compassion and humility. 

• We firmly maintain the responsibility of upholding clear professional boundaries. 

• We acknowledge the inherent power differential between providers and participants and act conscientiously in the service of participants’ self- empowerment. 

• We examine our own countertransference and unconscious biases. 

• We avoid entering into dual relationships that are likely to lead to impaired judgment or exploitation.

• In cases where there is a dual relationship, we give special attention to issues of confidentiality, trust, communication, and boundaries, and seek supervision as needed. 

• We use careful judgment about continuing interaction with existing or previous participants outside of retreats. 

5. Touch 

• When using touch in our practice, we always obtain consent and offer touch only for support purposes. 

• We only offer techniques, such as touch (i.e. holding hands), if they are within our scope of practice and competence.

• When touch is part of our practice, we discuss consent for touch during intake, detailing the purpose of supportive touch, how and when touch might be used and where on the body, the potential risks and benefits of supportive touch, and that there will be no sexual touch. 

• We obtain consent for touch prior to the participant meditation, as well as in the moment. Aside from protecting a person’s body from imminent harm, such as catching them from falling, the use of touch is always optional, according to the consent of the participant. 

• We discuss in advance simple and specific words and gestures the participant is willing to use to communicate about touch during therapy sessions. For example, participants may use the word “stop” or a hand gesture indicating stop, and touch will stop. 

• We practice discernment with touch, using clinical judgment and assessing our own motivation when considering if touching a participant is appropriate.

6. Sexual Boundaries 

• We do not engage in sexual touch with participants. 

• We take responsibility for upholding clear professional boundaries. 

• We do not engage in sexual intercourse, sexual touch, or sexual intimacy with a participant, former participant, their spouse or partner, or their immediate family member, at any point during meditation or following termination. 

• We commit to examining our own sexual countertransference, to not act in ways that create ambiguity or confusion about sexual boundaries, and to seek supervision as needed. 

• We respect the sexual identities and expression of participants and validate participants’ processes that might relate to sexuality and sexual healing. 

• As representatives of this work, we aim to uphold clear sexual boundaries and ethics in our daily lives.

7. Diversity 

• We respect the value of diversity, as it is expressed in the various backgrounds, identities, and experiences of participants and colleagues. 

• We do not condone or knowingly engage in discrimination. We do not refuse professional service to anyone on the basis of race, gender, gender identity, gender expression, religion, national origin, age, sexual orientation, disability or socioeconomic status. 

• We take steps to examine our unconscious biases. We commit to ongoing self-reflection and to practice awareness, acceptance, and respect. 

• We make every reasonable effort to include people living with physical, mental, and cognitive disabilities. 

• We respect the unique experiences of participants, and practice openness towards their values, belief systems, and ways of healing. 

• We are attentive to the impact of power dynamics in our relationships with participants, particularly where there are differences in privilege, gender, race, age, culture, education, and/or socioeconomic status.

•  We strive to be honest with ourselves and participants about the limits of our understanding, and to hold genuine curiosity and interest as we relate to participants’ experiences. 

• We aim to provide culturally-informed care with consideration of participants’ culture, race, identity, values, belief systems, and traditions. 

• We commit to deepening our cultural understanding. We educate ourselves on various cultures, identities, values, belief systems, and traditions. We inform ourselves on social, political, and economic issues that are likely to impact participants.

8. Special Considerations for Non-Ordinary States of Consciousness 

• We attend to special considerations when working with participants in non-ordinary states of consciousness. 

• Participants in non-ordinary states of consciousness may be especially open to suggestion, manipulation, and exploitation; therefore, we acknowledge the need for increased attention to safety, sexual boundaries, and consent.

• We do not engage in coercive practices or behaviors.

• In working with non-ordinary states that can evoke unconscious material for both the participant and provider, we acknowledge the potential for stronger and more complex transference and countertransference. Therefore, we practice self-awareness and self-examination and seek supervision and guidance as needed. 

• We approach participants’ experiences with respect, curiosity and openness. We suspend our own beliefs and opinions and cultivate an expanded perspective that embraces extraordinary states. 

9. Finances

•  We maintain clear communication with participants about fees and aspire to increase financial access to services. 

• We disclose our fees and payment procedures before enrolling participants in meditations.

• We create opportunities for participants who are unable to afford the full cost up front to engage in meditation, by considering income-based fees, sliding scale, sponsorship, and donor-supported services. 

• We do not initiate or continue meditations solely for financial gain; we only provide meditations when we believe our services have value for the participant. 

• We do not accept compensation or gifts for referrals. 

• We establish and maintain clear and honest business practices.
  
  

10. Competence 

• We practice within our scope of competence, training, and experience specific to the populations we are working with and the modalities we offer. 

• We represent our work and qualifications honestly and accurately. 

• We assess at intake whether a potential participant’s needs can be addressed within our scope of competence and, if not, make informed referrals to other providers and services.

•  We commit to ongoing professional development, seeking supervision and continuing education to further our skills and presence. 

11. Relationship to Self 

• We commit to ongoing personal and professional self- reflection regarding ethics and integrity. 

• We commit to an ongoing practice of self compassion and self-inquiry. 

• We seek professional assistance and community support for our own emotional challenges or personal conflicts, especially when, in our view or in the view of colleagues, they affect our capacity to provide ethical care to participants. 

• We subscribe to the value of humility, out of respect for the transformative power of the experiences we have the privilege to witness and support, and out of respect for human dignity