Values & Ethics

Values

• Spirituality: a belief in Spirit and a sense of an inclusive spiritual community and support; individuals of all backgrounds and belief systems into the fold and that we all can coexist.

• Altruistic: a belief to be in serve to those in need without expecting personal gain.

• Generosity: a belief in being open, patient, accepting, respectful, and giving without expectation.

• Compassion: a belief in approaching those in need with kindness and without judgement, being respectful, compassionate, and well-boundaried

• Dignity: a belief that all souls have inherent worth and should be treated with respect and ethically.

Ethics

Psychopomp practitioners are not regulated or licensed like other professions including medical doctors, psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, nurses, and various specialists. Because of the nature of psychopomp practice there is no governing body, no centers of higher education and training, and no regulatory bodies. Psychopomp practitioners develop their expertise in many ways including apprenticing with a teacher, studying with master shamans and the like. While many practitioners are very knowledgeable, they may never have had a class in counseling skills or bedside manner. In addition, there are no classes or oaths regarding ethics for psychopomp practitioners and regrettably like in all professions there have been some abuses.

Agency: 

• I will respect the agency and sovereignty of all sentient beings, seen and unseen. This means that I will hold myself in the right relation and proportion to all those we serve and encourage inclusivity and relational ethics in accordance with the wisdom of each being’s culture of the heart and community. 

• I will work in a sacred alliance with Spirit, and to be informed and guided by that Source, and not my own ego, in offering service to others.

• I will recognize the wholeness inherent in every person or group or circumstance that comes for healing and to honor whatever form in which its pain is presented to me.

• I will maintain clients’ privacy.

• I will seek clients' consent prior to any healing or service.

• I will ensure the safety of myself and others with performing my work in a strong discipline and established practice.

• I will be honest with clients and other practitioners and will be truthful in the manner in which I present myself in public.

• In service to others, I will keep my own life and person-hood in balance to the best of my ability.

Equity:

• I will not discriminate with regard to ethnicity, race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, mental or physical ability, political views, nationality, immigration status, or socio-economic backgrounds.

• I will be mindful of speech, thought, and action and their impact on building relationships both in the present and through time into the future and past.

• I will be respectful of others, even in their differences.

• I will work with compassion and non-judgment.

Personal & Collective Healing:

• I will support personal and collective well-being in ways that enable all of us to effectively be of service to the wider web of relations.  

• I will recognize the vital role that active and generative relationships with our ancestral lineages of blood, person-hood, and spiritual lineages hold in our ability to provide safe and effective services. 

• I will commit to seeking support for myself as well as knowing my limitations in the services I offer. 

• I will work to dismantle individualism at the expense of the collective through working in collaboration with others and in community to be in service.

Integrity:

• I will maintain and affirm healthy boundaries and practice active consent in sessions and teachings and in discerning when, how, and with whom to offer services. 

• I will commit to a path of life-long learning and professional growth which includes participating in continuing education, inviting feedback, and welcoming support.

• I will know my limits in my practice and will not hesitate to reach out for professional help from others even if I have many years of experience doing this work. This also means that I will not go beyond my level of work/experience/expertise and only do the work that I am skilled in performing and the tools I have learned to use to do my work.

• I will adhere to the Psychopomp Connection code of ethics and related agreements as well as ethical codes and agreements relevant to our credentials, professional associations, and other forms of service in the world.