Breath-Body-Mind™ Code of Ethics and Professional Practice Guide

SECTION 1: Statement of Purpose

Breath-Body-Mind Foundation recognizes the sensitive nature of the student-teacher relationship, especially the hierarchal structure, which is advantageous to the teacher. Consequently, BBM instructors and teachers are responsible for ensuring a safe, protective environment where each student can grow physically, mentally, and spiritually.

SECTION 2: Foundational Principles

To uphold the highest professional standards for BBM teachers and instructors, we agree to accept the following foundation principles:

  1. To maintain a regular, daily personal BBM practice.

  2. To stay updated with changes in BBM practices, protocols, and manuals through mentorship and by accessing practice sessions, clinical discussions, courses, and online teaching resources offered through BBM and BBMF.

  3. To avoid discriminating against or refusing professional help to anyone based on race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, ethnicity, or national origin.

  4. To accurately represent our qualifications, experience, and professional skills with all students, clients, teachers, and organizations to the best of our knowledge.

  5. To provide instruction only for those problems or issues within the reasonable boundaries of our training, experience, BBM certifications, and competencies.

  6. To act professionally and to support the physical and emotional comfort and safety of all students, fellow instructors, and teachers.

  7. To establish and maintain appropriate professional relationship boundaries.

SECTION 3: Professional Practices

In all professional matters, we maintain practices and teaching procedures that protect the public and advance the profession:

  1. We view our knowledge, services, and professional associations as beneficial to the people we serve and vow not to use them to gain unfair personal advantage.

  2. Fees and financial arrangements, like all contractual matters, are always discussed upfront in a straightforward, professional manner.

  3. We conduct our fiscal affairs with due regard to recognized business and accounting procedures.

  4. We will act within all applicable federal, state, and country laws.

  5. We will truthfully present facts about our credentials and services rendered to students and referral sources and correct any misrepresentation of our professional qualifications.

  6. We do not malign colleagues or other professionals.

  7. We do not attempt to take students away from other teachers.

SECTION 4: Relationships with Students

It is the teacher’s responsibility to maintain appropriate and professional relationships with students:

  1. We make only realistic statements regarding the benefits of Breath-Body-Mind practices.

  2. We show sensitive regard for students’ and groups’ moral, social, and religious standards. We avoid imposing our beliefs on others.

  3. We recognize the unique nature of the teacher-student relationship and hold its purpose to support and facilitate the student’s healing and personal development.

  4. We recognize the trust placed by the student in the teacher and the power that gives the teacher. We do not exploit the trust and dependency of students. We avoid dual relationships with students (e.g., business, close personal, or sexual relationships) as we acknowledge that they can impair our professional judgment, compromise the integrity of our instructions, and/or become a means for our gain. We do not engage in harassment, abusive words, actions, or exploitative coercion of students or former students.

  5. All forms of sexual behavior with students are unethical, even when a student invites or consents to involvement in such behavior. Sexual behavior is defined as but not limited to all forms of overt and covert seductive speech, gestures, and behaviors, as well as any physical contact of a sexual nature. All forms of sexual harassment are unethical. Harassment is defined as, but not limited to, repeated comments, gestures, or physical contact of a sexual nature.

  6. We recognize that the teacher-student relationship involves a power imbalance, the residual effects of which remain even after the student no longer studies with the teacher. Therefore, we discourage entering a personal relationship with a former student.

  7. We do not abandon or neglect students. If, for appropriate reasons, we are unable or unwilling to provide professional help or continue a professional relationship, every reasonable effort is made to arrange to continue instruction with another teacher.

SECTION 5: Confidentiality

We protect the welfare of all persons with whom we work and recognize our obligation to safeguard any information about them obtained during instruction:

  1. All records kept on a student are stored or disposed of in a manner that assures security and confidentiality.

  2. We treat all communications from students with professional confidence.

  3. We do not disclose student confidences with anyone, except as mandated by law, to prevent a clear and immediate danger to someone during a civil, criminal, or disciplinary action arising from the instruction where the teacher is a defendant for supervision or consultation or by previously obtained written permission.

  4. We obtain verbal consent from students before audio and/or video tape recording BBM classes or teaching sessions. We get written permission from students and teachers before posting any quotes, photographs, audio, or video recordings of them online or in newsletters.

  5. When current or former students are referred to in a publication, while teaching, or in a public presentation, their identity is thoroughly disguised.

SECTION 6: Assistant, Student, and Employee Relationships

As BBM teachers, we are ethically concerned about the integrity and welfare of our assistants, students, and employees. We maintain professional and confidential relationships with these people and avoid exploiting their trust and dependency. We also try to avoid dual relationships with people who could impair our judgment or increase the risk of personal and/or financial exploitation.

  1. We do not engage in harassment of any kind with assistants, students, employees, or colleagues. Harassment is defined as, but not limited to, repeated comments, gestures, and/or physical contact, as well as the use of private information to attempt to influence or pressure the person in any way.

  2. All forms of sexual behavior, as defined in Section 4.5 with our assistants, students, and employees, are unethical.

  3. We advise our assistants, students, and employees against offering or representing themselves as competent to engage in professional services beyond their BBM certification, training, experience, and competence.

  4. We do not harass or dismiss an assistant or employee who has acted reasonably, responsibly, and ethically to protect or intervene on behalf of a student, member of the public, or other employee.

SECTION 7: Advertising

All advertisements, including any announcement, public statement, or promotional material made by us, or for us, for informing the public about our activities, service, and/or events, should be carried out to help the public make accurate, informed choices.

  1. We do not misrepresent our professional qualifications, affiliations, and functions or falsely imply sponsorship or certification by any organization.

  2. Advertisements, announcements, and other promotional materials for BBM services accurately describe them. Promotional materials are devoid of exaggerated claims about the effects of BBM.

Complaints and Disciplinary Procedure

BBMF and BBM LLC will deal with any infringements of the Code of Ethics through its Complaints and Disciplinary Procedure. Individuals who believe they were treated in ways that do not conform to this Code of Ethics can submit a written complaint to breathbodymindfoundationinfor@gmail.com. The President of the Board of Directors will review every complaint and contact the individual directly.

Disclaimer: The Code does not assume or guarantee that individual BBM teachers possess skill levels in any specific area; it is essential, therefore, that users of BBM teachers' services satisfy themselves that the person they are working with is appropriately skilled.

Ethical Guidelines for Students who Attend BBM Courses and Practice Sessions

Breath-body-mind practices are shared respectfully for the overall well-being of the students, instructors, and teachers. We ask all BBM Fundamental, Level One Instructor, Level Two, Three, and Four Teacher Training Courses participants to adhere to the following guidelines:

  1. Maintain respect for self, other students, instructors, and teachers during the BBM course.

  2. Maintain courtesy to others.

  3. Refrain from engaging in any form of harassment of other students or BBM teachers.

  4. Cooperate with BBM teachers and other students mindfully.

  5. Prepare to attend every BBM course with a limited number of distractions.

  6. Maintain the confidentiality of all students and teachers participating in BBM courses and practice sessions.

Sign Name ___________________________________ Date ____________

Print Name ___________________________________