PROFESSIONAL AND ETHICAL PRINCIPLES

PROFESSIONAL AND ETHICAL PRINCIPLES OF THE BULGARIAN ASSOCIATION OF HYPNOSIS AND HYPNOTHERAPY

(Approved as internal rules at the General Assembly of the Bulgarian Association of Hypnosis and Hypnotherapy on 7 July 1999.)

I. Basic principles

The members of the Bulgarian Association of Hypnosis and Hypnotherapy, in their research and applied work, place the interests and welfare of the respondents, clients and patients before everything.

During conducting scientific researches and applied work, the members of the Bulgarian Association of Hypnosis and Hypnotherapy endeavour this to happen at a high professional level.

Hypnosis is considered as a means of research and applied work that requires an overall preparation in the relevant field. The acquisition of skills for usage of hypnosis is not a sufficient condition for carrying out research and applied work.

II. Responsibility

The members of the Bulgarian Association of Hypnosis and Hypnotherapy (BAHH):

  1. Are responsible for the consequences of their work.
  2. During training of other persons, are responsible for explaining the possible problems and risks when certain methods are used.
  3. Do not train and do not assist the work of amateurs and people who can use hypnosis for unethical or unknown purposes.
  4. In case of personal problems at a degree that impede their work, inform the Management Board of the Association. The Management Board takes a stand and, if possible, assists in solving these problems.

 
III. Competence

The members of BAHH:

  1. Work within the limits of their competences in the relevant professional field.
  2. In case of work, exceeding the limits of their competences, work under supervision or after a discussion of the relevant problems at BAHH.
  3. Try to improve their competences in the relevant professional field constantly.

IV. Obligations in relation to the respondents, clients and patients

The members of BAHH:

  1. Respect the human rights.
  2. Inform in advance and in a comprehensive way the client (his/her parents, guardians) for the anticipated effects and expected results.
  3. When working with minors and persons who cannot take care of themselves, take into consideration their opinions and willingness to participate.
  4. During work, take all necessary precautions.
  5. In case that the research suggests stress or risk for the respondents, inform them about that in advance. The respondents or their guardians must give written consent for participation.
  6. Inform in advance the respondents, clients and patients that they can refuse further participation in the research, consulting or therapy at any stage.
  7. Agree with the respondents, clients and patients, as far as possible, on the duration of the work or the redirection to another competent person.
  8. Make statements and conclusions and conclusions concerning norms and pathology with great care.
  9. Are responsible for the respondents, clients and patients until the completion of work or their redirection to another competent person.
  10. Take into account the possible long-term effects after the completion of the work.
  11. Do not enter into unprofessional relationships with the respondents, clients and patients and do not derive benefit from the relationships with these persons. This refers to the period of work and a sufficiently long period after its completion.
  12. Do not accept from the clients gifts of material value, which can be regarded as a payment or an addition to the payment.
  13. Do not make unnecessary tests, consultations and psychotherapy.
  14. In conducting researches on animals, do not cause them unnecessary suffering.

V.Confidentiality

The members of BAHH:

  1. Protect the confidentiality of the persons with whom they work.
  2. Keep confidentiality regarding the information about the personal and professional life, which is announced to them in the process of work.
  3. Do not make references about the client without his/her consent.
  4. May communicate, with the client’s consent and in his/her interests, information about him/her to other professionals and persons.
  5. When, in training or in publications, use information about a client, request his/her consent in advance or it becomes in a way, which does not allow identification.
  6. Request in advance the consent of the client, his/her parents or guardians for photographing, recording, filming, etc. by specifying also the conditions of their usage.
  7. Keep documents about the clients – research results, disease history, photos, audio and video records, diskettes and others so that the access to them to be impossible in the present and in the future by persons, who do not have such a right.

An exception for the confidentiality can be made only in the cases when:

  1. The clients themselves require the information to be communicated to specific persons or institutions.
  2. There is an apparent danger to the client or other people. In these cases, the information shall be communicated only to persons who can take appropriate actions in the relevant situation.

VI. Methods of work, researches and conclusions

The members of BAHH:

  1. Communicate and publish only actual data and results.
  2. Are obliged to convince themselves in advance in the reliability and validity of the relevant methods, computer programs and procedures for data processing.
  3. In interpretations and conclusions use language and formulations minimizing the possibility of their wrongful understanding or use.
  4. Allow the respondents, clients and patients to get acquainted with the results of researches, consultations and psychotherapy in a simple form.
  5. Publish on their behalf only work that is carried out by them or have a significant contribution for it.
  6. Do not forget and do not prohibit publications or broadcasts containing criticism about their work.
  7. In the mass media, present the working methods of hypnosis to an extent that does not diminish the usefulness and effectiveness of these methods and that does not make it possible they to be used by amateurs.

 

VII. Professional relationships

The members of BAHH:

  1. Make available to their colleagues the information in the field of hypnosis that they have at their disposal.
  2. In case of violation of the professional and ethical principles, first an attempt is made things to be corrected among colleagues. If this does not work and in case of gross violation of these principles, the Management Board of BAHH is informed about that and they take a stand and measures.
  3. BAHH can also give an opinion and apply sanctions for actions, which are not directly specified in these Professional and Ethical Principles.

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