These Ethical Guidelines are basic principles of ethical behaviour to which we, facilitators, team members and those directly involved in hosting events under the name of Sensitivita (including volunteers), hereafter called ‘service provider’, voluntarily commit ourselves to offer our work in the safest way possible during our events, play parties, dance events, workshops, retreats, individual sessions – hereafter called ‘session’.
We recognise that in any situation where there is a client and service provider, there is an inherent power dynamic where most of this power rests with the service provider. To prevent this power from being abused, consciously or unconsciously, there is this ground ethics.
Professional agreements regarding ethical behaviour and boundaries provide transparency to both service provider and client. These agreements make it possible to create a culture of mutual consent where both service provider and client can be held accountable for their behaviour and, where necessary, follow-up actions can be taken in a clear and transparent manner.
Safety to explore is central to us. We are accountable for that safety when we invite people to areas where safety is necessary (such as workshops, individual session work, etc.).
We are aware of social inequalities at the societal level. These include, but are not limited to:
In order to guarantee the security from which exploration is possible, we explicitly strive for a space that is inclusive towards minorities. For this we do the following:
Potential clients are people with whom we have not yet entered into a service provision, but with whom the potential client has indicated that they are interested in this and we as a service provider are considering the client.
When individuals with whom we have connections (family, friends, partners, partners of partners) consider entering into a professional service with us, and that seems appropriate within the context of the service (where an individual session with a partner may be inappropriate, participation in a workshop could potentially be appropriate), an open discussion is started in which the shift in power dynamics, impact on the existing connection and possibility of impact on shared connections are discussed, as well as possible agreements on both a professional and personal level.
Clients are people with whom we have entered into a service provision (paid or unpaid).
As a service provider, we do not enter into romantic or sexual connections with clients. Sexuality can be a theme within a session/workshop. In that case, sexuality in no form will take place outside this context of session/workshop.
If the client and service provider will be present at the same event, workshop, play party or otherwise, this will be discussed in advance, if possible, and agreements will be made about this.
No romantic or sexual connection is aspired within 12 months of cessation of professional activities. If a situation arises within twelve months in which it is desired to deviate from this rule, the service provider is obliged to contact other team members for reflection. We also ask the client, whether or not in the presence of the service provider, to speak with at least one team member.
Sometimes people with whom we already have a personal connection participate in a session. This connection originates in a situation without power dynamics and therefore differs from connections that arise within the power dynamics of the client/service provider dynamic and can therefore be seen as appropriate. Such a connection can give a client special status in workshops, or create a feeling of insecurity for people who are not familiar with this relationship. When appropriate and contributing to the security of the setting, these connections will be disclosed at the start of a workshop.
When there is a personal romantic or sexual connection between team members (service provider and/or assistants), this will be disclosed, if appropriate and contributing to the safety of the setting.
Because situations between client and service provider do not always fit in the context of basic ethical principles, it is possible to deviate from the above. In such a case, the service provider will always request intervention and possibly supervision.
We strive to continuously learn about trauma, have sought education about trauma, the causes of trauma, and how to deal with trauma when it comes up in our clients. All of our facilitators are trauma-informed and part of the core team has academic and professional background in mental health.
We only work with clients with traumas (as far as we can reasonably know) that we believe we can handle safely when the trauma is touched. If we estimate that we cannot handle this safely, we will refer the client to trusted colleagues.
We are able to direct our team on how to deal with surfacing trauma where needed; we are of course ultimately responsible for the well-being of our clients.
We carefully choose the people we work with, inform them of what we expect from them, offer appropriate compensation (financial or otherwise), and educate them about our ethical principles. Team members are invited to address each other and the service provider about their behaviour.
We value clarity, honesty and transparency. We refrain from spreading baseless misinformation, factual inaccuracies and lies. We do what we say, walk our talk, and if that doesn’t align (or seems not to align), we want to be held accountable.
If an incident occurs, we prefer to be addressed personally. This can be done during our work or afterwards, in person or by e-mail. If approaching the therapist personally feels impossible, you can contact our administrative team at intouch@sensitivita.com. We take both the reporter and their complaint extremely seriously. If we do not have the opportunity to respond substantively and/or constructively at that time, we will agree on a specific moment at which we will do so.
Workshops and exercises are part of the intellectual property of a business. As a team member you may become inspired by what you learn in the workshops.
It is not okay for team members or participants to copy exercises or full workshops and facilitate them as your own.
