Code of Ethics

The code of ethics outlined below was developed in collaboration by a group of dreamwork practitioners for the purpose of setting forth the ethical obligations of practitioners and providing guidance for practitioners in their interactions with clients.*****

The Association of Dreamwork Practitioners Code of Ethics

The ADP Code of Ethics sets the basic ground rules for all dreamwork done by members of the Association. The code seeks to develop practitioner and client relationships that have integrity, sensitivity and mutual respect. It places the dreamwork within the frame of basic ethical principles of honesty and fair dealing so that clients can know that practitioners are worthy of their trust, in seeking to be accountable to ordinary common sense standards of right and wrong.

Dreamwork Practitioners make a commitment to:

Overview

-collaborate with the utmost respect for the clients to find the truth of their dream.

-their own personal growth in relationship to learning from the dream.

-focus on being clear messengers, within their capabilities as students of the dream.

Boundaries

-ensure that sessions are strictly confidential. Only with prior, written permission of the client will session contents be anonymously shared for teaching or professional purposes.

-clearly define the boundaries of the practitioner/client relationship.

-make clear what is appropriate contact in between sessions.

-provide clients with tools and perspectives that encourage taking personal responsibility for their own work.

-not have sexual relationships with clients.

-not borrow money from clients, nor lend money to them.

-avoid imposing their own values, attitudes, beliefs and behaviors on clients.

-avoid relationships with clients outside the dream session that would make them dependent on the practitioner.

Financial

-inform the client of session fees including, payment schedules, cancellation policy.

Documentation

-make available to clients the Dreamwork Practitioner Code of Ethics.

-inform clients of the practitioner’s qualifications.

-inform clients that since dreamwork asks that they delve deeply into their own psyches, latent or present negative emotions and/or mental disorders may intensify, and in that event, they may need to seek outside support from a physician or a professional.

-acquire written permission of the client to allow anonymous discussion of their work for peer support, supervision and teaching purposes.

Professionalism

-adhere to the intelligence of the dream as the guide.

-seek support from other practitioners when the well being of the client is uncertain or unclear.

-appropriately advise clients to other professionals when their predicament seems beyond the practitioner’s skill, experience or training.

-refer the client to another dreamwork practitioner when we believe that accepting a client will result in a conflict of interests.

-engage in ongoing professional development as dreamwork practitioners on an individual basis.