What are the Sound Healing Academy's Standards of Practice?

The Sound Healing Academy (SHA) recognizes the need for simple yet comprehensive standards for all SHA students and certified practitioners.

These standards clarify the minimum level of practice expected of our certified practitioners so that they can work with clients professionally, safely, and effectively.

These Standards of Practice are based on the Therapeutic Sound Association standards, which conform to best practice standards for voluntary self-regulation in many fields of Complementary and Alternative Medicine.

If SHA has reason to believe that a student or SHA certified practitioner is not adhering to these Standards of Practice, we reserve the right to revoke a course or a certification.

The aims of these Standards of Practice are to:

1. Provide a generic framework of Standards for all SHA students and certified sound healing practitioners, irrespective of the level or type of sound healing training they have completed.
2. Encourage adherence to legal, ethical, and moral codes of practice and health and safety requirements.
3. Encourage SHA students and certified practitioners to practice in a manner that ensures their well-being and that of others.
4. Provide a generic structure to facilitate the monitoring and assessment of initial and
   continuing professional development (CPD).

The Standards of Practice have been grouped into the following three sections:

Section A - covers the ethical and legal framework for the rights of SHA students, certified
sound healing practitioners, and their clients.

Section B – covers the relationship with the client, the healing process, and the monitoring
and evaluation of the treatment provided.

Section C - covers the generic skills and abilities applicable to and necessary for any SHA
member to offer competent, safe, and effective care.

The Standards are intended to complement and be used in conjunction with the SHA Code of Ethics and the professional standards of any other membership body to which SHA students or certified sound healing practitioners belong.

SHA students and certified practitioners should ensure they are familiar with the legislation in their country/state underpinning the standards below.

Section A: WHAT’S EXPECTED OF YOU AS A SOUND HEALING PRACTITIONER

This first section provides a framework of ethical and legal considerations within the capacity of your work.

STANDARDS OF PRACTICE - SECTION A

You agree to be aware of your professional, legal, and ethical responsibilities in offering a
duty of care to your clients, other members of the healthcare team, and the public.
Your responsibilities include the following:

• Abiding by the SHA Code of Ethics.
• Maintaining your clients' rights to privacy, dignity, and respect.
• Providing the same degree of skill and integrity towards your clients, irrespective of age, gender, culture, ethnicity, sexual orientation, religious and spiritual beliefs.
• Awareness of the rights of clients and colleagues to respectful verbal, physical, and emotional behavior.
• To set reasonable and realistic fees commensurate with your services, skills, and experience and to make your fees transparent to clients.
• As a sound healing practitioner, you are entitled to be treated with respect by clients and others involved in your practice.
• You must provide appropriate information to your clientsabout your sound healing practice, professional affiliations, and complaints procedures.
• You are obligated to respect the confidentiality of your clients and practice this when communicating with other professionals or healthcare practitioners.
• It is essential to give your clients informed choices concerning their treatment options.
• Following appropriate procedures to obtain and maintain informed consent before treatment.
• Following appropriate procedures to obtain and maintain informed consent with clients with limited capacity to consent. (e.g., children and vulnerable adults)
• The need to maintain appropriate documentation and records in all aspects of your practice.
• The requirement for appropriate levels of insurance and professional indemnity in connection with all aspects of your sound healing practice.

Section B: THE SOUND HEALING PROCESS

This section relates to your professional relationship with your clients and the sound healing process you engage in with them. For more information, refer to the document “Working with Clients - Fostering Safety”.

STANDARDS OF PRACTICE - SECTION B

As a SHA student and certified practitioner, you agree to consult with your client to assess, plan, and evaluate an agreed-upon treatment session or program.

The following statements detail the minimum requirements relating to the sound healing process.

• Practice appropriate levels of verbal and non-verbal communication between you and your clients.
• Show your clients courtesy, empathy, respect, and timeliness throughout all sessions as appropriate to the sound healing practice and per the LOVED model.
• Prepare yourself and the environment as appropriate to your services before each session with the client, considering factors such as personal hygiene, cleanliness, sobriety, and general health.
• Provide your client with appropriate information, and ascertain that your client understands, as far as possible, the service you are providing.
• Use appropriate assessment procedures relative to your clients’ needs. Take a case history relevant to the sound healing that you provide.
• Where appropriate, formulate a treatment plan, strategy, and method that meets each client's specific needs, with agreed-upon aims for each sound healing session.
• Reflect and review the results and outcomes with the client at the end of each session.
• As an individual practitioner or member of a team, work in harmony and with respect for caregivers, family members, and any other health care providers.

Observe the following in your documentation and record keeping:

• Comply with procedures for documentation under the Data Protection Act and the Freedom of Information legislation, including storage and access procedures.
• Maintain legible, understandable, relevant up-to-date and accurate client information.
• Evaluate and process any complaints by your clients to the point of resolution.

Section C: SKILLS & COMPETENCIES OF A PRACTISING SOUND HEALING PRACTITIONER

This section relates to the overall knowledge and abilities that you develop to improve the quality of your practice, benefiting yourself, your clients, and the sound healing profession.

Your abilities and skills are learned and developed through training, personal and professional development, and lifelong learning and improvement.

STANDARDS OF PRACTICE - SECTION C

You will develop your practice through various activities as a SHA student and certified practitioner. You will:

• Be certified and competent to practice integral sound healing to the standards required by SHA. NB: If you do not complete the assessment process, you acknowledge that SHA does not endorse you to practice as a Sound Healing Practitioner, and this may affect your insurance.
• Adapt and change your practice in response to new research, knowledge, information, evidence guidelines, and policies regarding sound healing.
• To the best of your ability, maintain your physical and psychological well-being.
• Formulate and implement your own professional and personal development plans.
• Find and use appropriate resources to improve your skills.
  Monitor and evaluate your performance and skills through client feedback, supervision,
  mentoring, and coaching.
• Show efficient self-management in your sound healing practice, including financial probity (integrity).

You will support the profile and integrity of sound healing by:

• Supporting the development of other sound healing practitioners through sharing sound healing knowledge and experience;
• Engaging with SHA, complying with regulatory requirements, and maintaining up-todate registration with appropriate organizations;Encouraging new members to join the profession and helping them progress through mentoring, coaching, supervision, teaching, sharing information, or other means.

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