Core Values and Principles
Compassionate Care & Respect
I care for my clients and students; I want them to feel respected and safe. I value the dignity and worth of all persons and seek to offer compassionate care.
I speak and act in ways that honour the dignity, value, and uniqueness of every individual.
I respect the cultural, ethnic, gender identity and expression, racial, sexual orientation, marital status, political belief, mental or physical disability, and any other form of diversity of my clients, affirming the dignity and value of everyone.
I demonstrate respect for the values, conscience, theology, and spirituality of others, even when these are different from my own, and refrain from imposing my own values and beliefs on those I serve.
I work in an open-minded way that understands and respects the client’s and student’s right to self-determination and autonomy.
I avoid judgmental and defensive stances in the clear awareness of my own beliefs and convictions, and the capacity these have, to create bias and prejudice.
I avoid any form of spiritual abuse that may be caused by using my own spiritual insights, experience, and beliefs to manipulate or control the client or student.
I recognise the imbalance of power in the spiritual direction relationship and take care not to exploit this through behaviours such as sexual harassment, financial exploitation, bullying and spiritual abuse.
I am also sensitive to the dynamics of power and idealisation that may occur between the client and myself, and to the implicit power difference. I do not exploit this situation for personal or professional gain and am aware of the potential impact of my words and actions on the client or student.
I establish and maintain appropriate physical and psychological boundaries with my clients and students.
I act with compassionate loving action, including empathy, generosity, openness, fairness, humility, sincerity, distress tolerance, commitment, and courage.
Competence
I am providing my services to a proficient standard. I value continuing development and the maintenance of competence, recognising the limits of my knowledge, skill, training, education, and experience. I know the limits of my competence and when to suggest the need of additional or refer to alternative support from others e.g., shamanic colleagues, counsellors, or doctors…
I take responsibility for and am committed to the on-going personal and professional development of my skills through attending workshops, training days and courses.
I am committed to on-going growth of my knowledge and awareness through studying sacred texts, theology, spirituality, psychology, and other disciplines related to spiritual direction.
I continually monitor my own practice and take action to serve the best interests of my clients and students.
I am committed to developing and maintaining my knowledge, skills, and capabilities to practice safely, ethically, and legally.
I agree with clients how we will work together: stating clearly terms and conditions, fees (if any) and methods of practice.
I keep up to date with the law, regulations, and any other requirements to my work.
I keep accurate and appropriate records.
Integrity
As a Shamanic Practitioner, I seek to be honest, open, and truthful, behaving in a trustworthy manner where my practice is transparent. I am committed to and maintain my personal and communal spiritual practices, seeing my commitment to my own spiritual development as a life-long process.
I am open, honest, and accurate in representing affiliations and methods of working, and do not make unjustifiable claims about competence.
I work ethically and with careful consideration of how I fulfil my legal obligations.
I maintain professional and personal boundaries between my work with clients and what lies outside that work.
I avoid any conflict of interests.
I address differences with my client such as issues of complaint and take appropriate action where we cannot resolve them.
I nurture self-knowledge.
I strive to be trustworthy, honouring the trust placed in the practitioner.
I am also open and honest with all relevant organisations.
I distinguish between spiritual direction and other forms of 1:1 helping relationships such as counselling, and ensure clients understand the type of support I am offering.
Responsibility
As a Shamanic practitioner I have professional accountability and responsibility in the use of my skills, respecting the welfare of others. I commit to follow a framework of ethical behaviour.
I have insurance to protect my clients and students.
My Courses and workshops are all accredited with the IPHM.
I protect client and student confidentiality and privacy.
I keep confidential all oral, electronic, and written matters arising from sessions.
I do not record unwarranted personal information and ensure all such (personal) information is held in strict confidentiality.
I allow clients access to all personal data kept in electronic and written form in compliance with GDPR.
I ensure my own well-being sufficient to sustain my quality of work. This includes exercising self-care to maintain physical, psychological, and spiritual health and keeping a healthy balance between my work and other aspects of life.
I seek consultation with other appropriately qualified professionals where necessary.
I respect the opinions, beliefs and professional endeavours of colleagues and other professionals.
I try to be open to opportunities to offer my work to those on low incomes who cannot afford remuneration.
Commitment to these personal qualities in my continuing development.
Sincerity: Consistency between what is professed and what is done.
Discernment: The ability to practice good discernment in my own spiritual life.
Empathy: To communicate understanding of another person’s experience from that person’s perspective.
Humility: The ability to recognise my own strengths, limitations, and self-worth.
Care: Benevolence, responsibility and competent attentiveness to the client’s needs, well-being, and personal agency.
Courage: The capacity to act despite known fears, risks, and uncertainty.
Respect: Showing appropriate esteem for all people and their understanding of themselves and their spiritual path.
Diligence: The conscientious and consistent deployment of skills and time to those I seek to serve.
Resilience: The capacity to accompany others through difficult times in their life and spiritual journey.
Integrity: Commitment to being ethical in dealings with others, including transparency, honesty, and consistency.
Wisdom: In possession of sound judgment, insight and discernment that informs my practice in spiritual direction and life.
Learner: I am open to new perspectives and on-going growth and development.
Openness: I am open to the surprise of the Divine and the freedom of Spirit.
Accountability: My work is accountable to professional standards.
Self-respect: I care for my own self well-being and health, valuing what I offer.
Name: Thomas Marty
Status: Self-employed Shamanic Practitioner and Teacher
Company: Cambridge Core Shamanism – The Way of the Wolf
Insurance: Balens
Courses and Workshops Accredited and Certified by IPHM
Date: 30/3/2023
