OVER HALF of survey respondents answered YES when asked if they've ever been touched by a bodywork provider in a way they didn't want to be touched. They described this undesired contact as touch that was too light or painful, on a part of their body that they'd asked the practitioner to avoid, touch that was triggering or that was possibly or blatantly sexual. At a similar rate, respondents also identified that they've been spoken to in ways that were critical, shaming, dismissive of their physical pain, potentially suggestive or overtly sexual.
Response outcomes like these are upsetting for those of us in bodywork who care about the integrity and safety of the work we do. In all likelihood, the majority of unwanted touch comes not from any malicious intent on the part of the provider but from simple miscommunication with our clients. May of us have little or no training in consent protocols beyond our initial student hours. It's also true that many of our clients lack the confidence and self-awareness to give us their enthusiastic and authentic consent.
The good news is that we can change this! With a few concrete tools and techniques for helping our clients communicate their touch needs more accurately to us, we can become safer bodywork providers. Become trained in consent protocols specific to your industry, attain a Touch Me There!™ endorsement and change how we discuss and utilize client consent in the wellness industry.
Touch Me There!™ training helps you prioritize consent so you can:
Touch Me There!™ (TMT) designation identifies you as a safer practitioner - especially for clients who have experienced body-centered trauma and abuse or who need to be touched for healing purposes but have an aversion to on-body contact. Becoming a TMT endorsed provider allows medical and mental healthcare professionals to more confidently refer clients to you, knowing that you hold a deeper level of training and have pledged to be a consent-based treatment provider.
Response outcomes like these are upsetting for those of us in bodywork who care about the integrity and safety of the work we do. In all likelihood, the majority of unwanted touch comes not from any malicious intent on the part of the provider but from simple miscommunication with our clients. May of us have little or no training in consent protocols beyond our initial student hours. It's also true that many of our clients lack the confidence and self-awareness to give us their enthusiastic and authentic consent.
The good news is that we can change this! With a few concrete tools and techniques for helping our clients communicate their touch needs more accurately to us, we can become safer bodywork providers. Become trained in consent protocols specific to your industry, attain a Touch Me There!™ endorsement and change how we discuss and utilize client consent in the wellness industry.
Touch Me There!™ training helps you prioritize consent so you can:
- Improve client agency ("buy-in") in the healing process
- Increase liabilty protection for your practice
- Spend more time healing and less time triggering your client
Touch Me There!™ (TMT) designation identifies you as a safer practitioner - especially for clients who have experienced body-centered trauma and abuse or who need to be touched for healing purposes but have an aversion to on-body contact. Becoming a TMT endorsed provider allows medical and mental healthcare professionals to more confidently refer clients to you, knowing that you hold a deeper level of training and have pledged to be a consent-based treatment provider.
PRACTITIONERS
Does client safety matter to you? Do you work with trauma survivors or want to? Do you believe in the power of client "buy-in"? TMT is for anyone who works on the body including: Massage Therapists, Physical Therapists, Naturopaths, Osteopaths, Chiropractors, Rolfers, Healing Touch Practitioners and more. |
CLIENTS
Have you experienced traumatic touch? Do you suffer from touch deprivation? Have you experienced body-based trauma? TMT endorsed bodywork is for anyone who needs body-based healing especially: touch deprived adults, trauma survivors, and those who want to feel more connected and present in their bodies. |