Canon of Ethics
for
Somato Respiratory Integration™ Wellness Educators

This Canon of Professional Ethics is based upon fundamental principles of moral and professional behavior and recommended for all practitioners authorized to utilize Somato Respiratory Integration™. The following basic principles shall be guiding factors in the practice of SRI Wellness Education and upheld at all times:

• The primary effort and ultimate goal are for the highest good of the practice member, within the professional description of Somato Respiratory Integration™ and SRI Wellness Education
  
• Honoring the individual, his/her ability to participate within his bodymind with greater effectiveness, safety, attentiveness, respect, self -responsibility, wellness, and emerging strategies for wholeness.
  
• Honor the practice of SRI Wellness Education and Network Spinal Analysis™, and their cooperative relationship.
  
• Respect your practice member’s rights of confidentiality in the relationship.
  
• Recognize the role of Somato Respiratory Integration™ as a non-medical approach with the following definition and objectives:
  
  
  
  An end point within a holarchy of stages of somatic/respiratory entrainment patterns, SRI is marked by cognitive attention to breath, motion, and self-awareness. 
  
  A series of exercises, bearing the same name serves to initiate, develop, and refine specific sensory-motor strategies unique to this form of somatic awareness and wellness education. Integration of somatic awareness and rhythmic entrainment with respiration is an essential unique feature of SRI. 
  
  It is proposed that the active use of these exercises will develop a physical anchor or internal reference to safety and one’s inner adaptive resources. 
  
  Growing evidence suggests that the lack of higher brain awareness of the body, a lack of internal experience of safety, and a non-flexible self-representation underlies many of today’s heath, wellness, and behavior challenges. Thus SRI is positioned as an important self-care tool and educational system.

• The Practice of SRI Wellness Education consists of the following:
  
  
  
  1. Exercises for each of the 12 Stages of Healing.
  
  2. Coaching for personal expression of each of the exercises through the component elements, with a successful completion for the session.
  
  3. Suggesting specific Exercise Specific Declarations at the correct time.
  
  4. Personal Coaching exercises for between sessions.
  
  5. Tracking of the Progression through the various exercises and Stages.
  
  6. Assisting in individual self-assessment for the Exercise and Stage.
  
  7. Assisting the individual in assessing the anatomical location on the body, which serves as an anchor or reference point to internal safety.
  
  8. Assisting the individual in discovering the anatomical location for storage of personal chi or life energy.
  
  9. Assisting in the development of strategies to provide for coupling of areas of tension/symptoms with areas of peace.
  
  10. Communication of the findings with the client and any referring practitioner in meaningful and applicable terms. 

• Let responsibility, integrity, gratitude, and your highest standards of competence and skill be your guiding tenets.
  
• May you always be in awe of the power of life and the ability of individuals to develop new strategies to experience their body, life, and wellness
  
• If the SRI Wellness Educator also holds a professional license, then he or she is to abide by Federal, State, provincial, and local statutes for the profession under which license he/she is practicing.

SECTION I A
Availability and Accessibility

The practitioner shall make himself/herself available and shall be accessible to practice members in need of his/her professional services. 

SECTION I B
Confidentiality

A SRI Wellness Educator is obliged to keep the trust and confidence of the practice member and the practice member’s family. The following guidelines shall be adhered to:

• The practitioner shall not discuss specific identifying practice member information with another practice member.
  
• The practitioner shall not discuss specific identifying practice member information with relatives or friends of the practice member without written consent of the practice member.
  
•  The practitioner shall not discuss specific identifying practice member information with any other person without consent of the practice member.
  
•  Specific identifying practice member information shall not, under any circumstances, be reviewed, discussed, or otherwise disclosed to any representative of the news media or any commercial organization without express written consent of the practice member.
  
•  All practice member records shall be confidential, secured, current, authenticated, legible, and complete. The clinical record is the property of the office and is maintained for the benefit of the practice member. If care is offered as an adjunct to NSA or care offered by a chiropractor, then the records are also part of the records of that practitioner. The practitioner is responsible for safeguarding his/her records and their content against loss, defacement, tam­pering, and use by unauthorized individuals.
  
•  Written consent of the practice member, or his legally qualified representative, is required for the release of clinical and personal information to persons not otherwise authorized to receive the information.
  

Section I C
Representation of Somato Respiratory Integration™ Wellness Education

A SRI Wellness Educator shall attend to his/her practice member as often as necessary, according to his/her professional judgment, to ensure the well being of the practice member and continued progress. 

The SRI Wellness Educator is not to offer advise on the diagnosis or treatment of any disease, malady, symptom or condition, unless properly degreed and licensed to do such. In such a case, the determination is not being made as part of the practice of SRI Wellness Education, but that based upon a separate health/disease care professional arena to which the practitioner may be responsible. The practice and any representations made are centered in the wellness paradigm and are not designed to return an individual to a previous minimal health state.



The SRI Wellness Educator shall not discourage a practice member from seeking additional professional assistance or opinions on disease, symptoms, subluxations, or psychological conditions. If, in the course of care, a practice member expresses concern about a symptom or condition, the practitioner shall contact the referring/consulting chiropractor or health care provider for any potential heath care assessment or guidance and for referral. The SRI Wellness Educator shall not enter into the realm of psychological counseling, nor offer any other professional advice on matters outside his scope of practice and the practice of SRI Wellness Education. The practitioner shall not professionally enter the realm of any profession he or she is not lettered in. 

Once committed to serving a practice member, a practitioner shall not terminate his/her professional services without appropriate notice, allowing the practice member reasonable time to obtain alternative professional services and giving the discharged practice member any relevant papers and documents.

Section I D
Practice Members’ Bill of Rights Within the Office Setting

A practice member shall expect and receive from a practitioner entrusted with the responsibility of delivering Somato Respiratory Integration™ Wellness Education, consideration of their basic rights as human beings to independence of expression, decisions, actions, expression of concern, and respect for their personal dignity at all times.

The practice member shall be asked for reasonable information to assist the practitioner to understand the needs of the practice member relative to the practice of SRI and any professional license with which he/she is practicing. 

The practice member shall be provided with, and affix a signature to, a written notice of the objective of care before beginning SRI care. The practice member shall be given a copy of this notice.

The following practice member’s rights are an integral part of the Canon of Ethics of the SRI Wellness Educator.

The practice member has the right to impartial access to professional care without regard to race, sex, cultural, national, or ethnic origins, economic, educational, religious or political affiliation, and without having to disclose the source of payment for his/her care.

• The practice member shall be advised of the right to be interviewed and examined privately, as well as in surroundings that permit community.
  
•  The practice member has the right to expect confidential treatment of all communication and records pertaining to his/her care, and to have his/her SRI care record seen only by individuals directly involved in his/her care or monitoring the quality of care. Any other release of information shall be provided only upon the practice member’s written authorization or the written authorization of his/her legally authorized representative. 
  
•  A practice member shall be advised if other practitioners, physicians, or other health care personnel propose to engage in or otherwise perform human research affecting his/her care or treatment. The practice member has the privilege and right to refuse to participate in any research project.
  
•  The practice member has the right to receive an itemized, detailed, and thorough explanation of all charges, regardless of the source of payment.
  
•  The practice member has the right to expect reasonable safety in the office environment.
  

Section I E
Consultation and Referral

A SRI Wellness Educator shall be ready to act upon a practice member’s expressed desire for a consultation with another practitioner or provider regardless of the provider’s feeling about the need for consultation. 

A SRI Wellness Educator shall, when his/her opinion has been requested by a colleague, report in detail his/her findings and recommendations to the colleague and may outline his/her opinion to the practice member. He/she shall continue with the care of the practice member only at the specific request of the attending practitioner or health care provider, and with the consent of the practice member. 

Section I F
Remuneration

The welfare of the practice member shall always be of paramount importance. Expectation of payment, or lack thereof, shall not affect the quality of service rendered the practice member.

A SRI Wellness Educator is entitled to receive proper and reasonable compensation for his/her professional services commensurate with the value of the services rendered other members of the profession based on usual and customary practices, experience, time, reputation, and the practice member’s ability to pay. 

A SRI Wellness Educator shall support activities designed to enable access to necessary SRI and NSA care on behalf of specific individuals unable to pay reason­able professional fees or are otherwise legally destitute.

Section I G
Equality

A SRI Wellness Educator shall render responsible care to individuals regardless of race, sex, cultural, national or ethnic origins, or political persuasions, provided there is agreement to the objective of and the method of care provided.

Section I H
Practice Aims

A SRI Wellness Educator shall conduct his/her practice with courtesy, honesty, gratitude and a high degree of professional competence in the care of the practice member. The SRI Wellness Educator shall use the finest application of SRI care available, in a non-medical, non-therapeutic fashion with regard and respect for the practice member’s right to personal dignity. The aim of each Exercise and Stage of Healing and shall be discussed with the practice member and outcome assessments shall be performed to assess efficacy of care, and help in planning future care.

Section I I
Guarantees

A SRI Wellness Educator shall not offer or guarantee a cure, or treat any condition or symptoms or to prevent any condition or symptom to any practice member either verbally or in writing.

A SRI Wellness Educator may give a practice member a reasonable estimate regarding the length of time and the number of visits that may be required to favorably impact upon the learning of the SRI strategies and skills for the exercises and Stages in discussion. 

Section I J
Practices Of Questionable Propriety

A SRI Wellness Educator shall avoid participating or assisting in all practices of questionable propriety with his/her practice members, colleagues, family, or other business associates.

A SRI Wellness Educator shall conduct his/her practice in surroundings that will not compromise the quality of practice member care.

A SRI Wellness Educator shall not initiate or otherwise, knowingly participate in any illegal or fraudulent action. He/she should maintain the highest standards of profes­sional conduct so the practice is above reproach.

A SRI Wellness Educator shall not take physical, emotional, sexual, or financial advantage of the public or any practice member he/she serves.

Individual boundaries are to be honored by the practitioner on all levels, especially areas concerning sexuality.

• Language or gestures that may be perceived as motivated towards a sexually intimate relationship with the practice member, or clinical applications that have such implications, is in violation of appropriate practitioner/ practice member boundaries and outside the professional relationship. Since some exercises may involve touching by the individual of various regions of the body, including the chest/breast and the lower abdomen, the practice member is to be advised in advance that he/she is expected to touch this area, and the reason for this. The individual should also be advised in advance that the practitioner’s hand may be touching the practice member’s hand in these areas during the exercises.
  
• An intimate, personal practitioner/practice member relationship is inappropriate, in the office or outside the office. If a relationship of this type begins outside the office, it is suggested the practice member be referred to the professional care of another practitioner for the same service, unless very specific boundary situations are reviewed, understood, and agreed upon in advance.
  

A SRI Wellness Educator shall only bill for the service rendered. The service rendered must be consistent with the practice objective of the SRI Wellness Educator and, if the practitioner is licensed, within the scope of practice of the license of the practitioner. For the licensed professional, the practice member’s clinical history and examination/spinal analysis findings, and Level of Care must support this position.

SECTION II
Duties Obligations and Responsibilities of the Practitioner to the Public

Section II A
Participation in Community Affairs

A SRI Wellness Educator shall participate responsibly in the public affairs of his/her state and/or local community to improve law, administrative procedures and public policies pertaining to SRI, somatic education, wellness education, personal freedom in healing for the consumer and the practitioner, and healing.

Section II B 
Advertising

Any advertising must be approved by Donald Epstein, developer and owner of the intellectual property and name of Somato Respiratory Integration™. All advertising shall be accurate, truthful, and in good taste. Advertisements shall not be misleading or deceptive, and shall accurately represent the practitioner’s professional status. 

Advertising shall not appeal primarily to an individual’s anxiety, create unjustified expectations nor claim definite results.

Section III
Release Of Confidential Practice Member Records

The practitioner shall, promptly comply with a practice member’s written authorization to provide records, or copies of records, to any individual designated by the practice member.

Section III A
Release of Records

All information contained in the clinical, health and personal record is confidential. A properly completed and signed authorization is required for the release of any practice member information. 

SECTION IV
Duties, Obligations and, Responsibilities of the Practitioner to the Profession

Section IV A
Professional Integrity

A SRI Wellness Educator shall maintain the integrity, competency and high standards of SRI by continuously striving to improve his/her skills and competency; keeping abreast of current developments contained in the health, healing and scientific literature, and participating in appropriate educational programs relevant to the Somato Respiratory Integration™ and wellness outcomes, medical sociology, education, physiology, anatomy, and other related fields. The SRI Wellness Educator must accurately represent his/her amount of SRI training and certification.

A SRI Wellness Educator shall avoid the appearance of professional impropriety and recognize that his/her behavior may have an impact on the professional’s ability to serve the public. 

He/she shall endeavor to promote the public’s confidence in SRI and NSA and his/her specific profession.

A SRI Wellness Educator shall avoid impugning the reputation of his/her colleagues, as well as other professionals.

A SRI Wellness Educator shall promote and maintain cordial relationships with other members of his/her profession (SRI Wellness Educators), and other professions for the exchange of information advantageous to the public’s health, spinal and neural integrity, advancing emerging properties for healing, and a greater understanding and experience of well–being.

Section IV B
Contractual Obligations

A SRI Wellness Educator shall, when aligning himself/herself in practice with other practitioners, insist they maintain the standards in this Code of Professional Ethics and the provisions of the respective state’s Act for the profession he/she practices. A SRI Wellness Educator shall enter into a contract with an organization only if it allows him/her to maintain his/her professional, personal, and professional integrity.

The SRI Wellness Educator shall strive to publish in scientific journals, and shall support any relevant journals or publications and research. The SRI wellness Educator should contact Donald Epstein, or his representatives, or the research director of the Association for Network Care Research in order to best prepare such papers and that SRI and or NSA are accurately and professionally described.

Section IV C
Research and Study

A SRI Wellness Educator shall communicate to Donald Epstein, and or his representatives and research representatives through recognized channels, the results of any research, so those organizations may establish an opinion of the merit of the research.

A SRI Wellness Educator shall maintain the highest standards of accuracy in the dissemination of information and ideas.

December 2002