ISEN Ethical Standards

GENERAL STATEMENT OF COMMITMENT

Our Ethical Standards are in line with Our Values.

All Members and supporters of ISEN are committed to conducting our business with the highest standards of integrity and personal conduct.

This is a living document, evolving as we and ISEN grows. It should form the basis of website content and activity for each SEN member.

OUR ASPIRATION

ISEN aims to act as a beacon of light, as a leader of the global spiritual emergence movement, alleviating the suffering of those in spiritual emergence through providing support, education, research, public awareness, empowering collective wisdom and collaboration, whilst supporting the development of new member networks and encouraging interdisciplinary and intercultural dialogue. By contributing to the evolution of the cartography of the human psyche, we envision a world where everyone embraces spiritual emergence, manifesting and living from a higher level of consciousness for future generations.

Principles

1. Personal and Professional Integrity

• • We commit to a congruence between our personal and collaborative values.

• • We are committed to acting with full awareness and good intention.

• • We treat each other with respect and provide a compassionate safe space to interact.

• • These ethics come not only from a personal place but from alignment with the transpersonal.

• • We adopt a non-judgemental and open, empowering approach.

• • We perceive those we work with not from a diagnosis or symptomatology, but with openness to enable their processes to evolve, acknowledging mutual learning and growth.

• • We embrace our vulnerability, allowing us to take responsibility for our actions.

• We honour our wholeness (mind, body and spirit) as humans and the process we are in.

2. Conflict of Interest

A conflict of interest is any situation in which an ISEN member’s personal interests or loyalties could, or could be seen to, prevent them from making a decision only in the best interests of ISEN.

It is in the interests of the SENs and the public, that clear methods of demonstrating that any potential conflict has been declared. Each SEN must comply with their local charitable law guidelines.

• • Our forum is built on trust, and we work to uphold our standards.

• Conflicts of interest may occur if there is a for-profit personal gain activity or non- transparent process of referrals to supporters.

To avoid conflict of interest:

• • We advise that SEN Board members do not also act as paid therapists unless it’s in the best interest of the client, the referral process is transparent and the joining criteria policy has been adhered to. (see separate policy)

• • We encourage full transparency of the referral and self-referral process.

• • Agency resources are not to be used for personal gain.

• By ‘agency resources’ we mean: people, equipment, office supplies, money, connections, and physical or intellectual properties.

3. Confidentiality and Privacy

• All local SENs need to comply with their own country’s regulations regarding confidentiality and privacy.

4. Openness and Disclosure

ISEN and the member SENs aim to be open and transparent in all our dealings, both internally and externally.

Everyone is encouraged to be congruent, bring our whole selves to work (not wearing a ‘professional mask’), being authentic and conscious to our own reactions and triggers.

ISEN aims to be an exemplar for this way of working in order to build bridges

5. Equal Opportunity and Diversity

• • We aim to encourage each SEN to provide information for each country in their own language.

• • We aim to make the information on our website available in as many languages as possible.

• • In line with our values and standards, we aim to honour different cultural perspectives and hold a sensitivity to all.

• • As a non- denominational forum, our members serve all persons without discrimination regardless of religion or spirituality group.

• • As an inclusive forum, our members serve and are representative of all races, ethnicities, sexual orientations, genders, ages, disabilities or economic situations without discrimination.

• • We make space to hear all voices within our forum and value each individual member equally.

• We honour the collective wisdom of the group and acknowledge that everyone has their unique part to play in the emerging bigger picture.

6. Sexual Harassment

It is the policy of this forum that no member may sexually harass another. Sexual advances, requests for sexual favours, and other conduct of a sexual nature constitute sexual harassment when:

• • such advances or requests are made under unethical circumstances

• • such speech or conduct is directed against another and is either abusive or severely humiliating, or persists despite the objection of the person targeted by the speech or conduct

• such speech or conduct is reasonably regarded as offensive and impairs the work or emotional stability of the person targeted.

7. Fundraising and Donor Relationships:

• • Each local SEN must consult their own relevant legal regulations according to how to solicit funds and deal with donors

• • Each SEN must allocate any donated funds according to the purpose for which it was donated (and report this back to the donor if this is a legal requirement or requested) bearing in mind the administration percentage deducted for organisational overhead.

• • SENs to make publicly available (on their website) information about their activities, specifically including how donations were spent.

• • A database of donors will be maintained so they can be sent a yearly report on donation activities if this is a legal requirement or requested.

• • When soliciting donations, all requests for donations must relate to the charitable purposes of the SEN

• • If it is a legal requirement or requested by a donor, a SEN should be able to produce documents that indicate they have a project plan and expenses forecast for donations.

• • Donors permission must be solicited before reporting. Ask whether they want to be anonymous (name / amount)

• • Appeals for donations must not create unrealistic expectations of what donations will actually accomplish.

• When dealing with persons regarding commitments on donations, one individual must not be solely responsible for a donation’s destination.

Supporter Ethical Standards

By ‘supporter’, we mean people helping those in spiritual crisis. Not exclusively psycho-spiritual professionals, but also including volunteers such as mental health professionals and guides, holistic health care professionals, and peer support volunteers.

Psychotherapists, counsellors and other therapists who are accredited by a professional organisation are required by that body to be familiar with and abide by the ethical standards of that organisation. ISEN ethical standards are intended to complement rather than replace these and to provide standards to those who are not covered by such requirements. All recommended therapists are required to meet the ISEN joining criteria policy.

SENs are required to supply the following standards to supporters operating under their organisation and those promoted through their organisation.

The provision of supporter or organisation details by ISEN or a SEN to a member of the public does not necessarily constitute an endorsement or recommendation.

• • Personal information can only be shared with third parties with permission. The only exception would be when it is legally required.

• • As a  forum aiming to make resources accessible to all, there is an expectation that the option of a sliding scale/pro bono session is available.

• • Supporters work from a holistic (integrated Mind, Body + Spirit) perspective and strive to be aware of how their own belief systems, values, needs, and limitations affect their work.

• • We trust the inner healer of the client, and the intelligence of the emergence process; supporters facilitate but do not dictate its direction.

• Supporters do not work in the paradigm of diagnosing, labelling or in any way pathologizing their client.

Supporters will work to professional standards by:

• • Working within their competence and refer on to therapists if and when necessary

• • Where necessary keeping their skills and knowledge up to date

• • Collaborating with colleagues to improve the quality of what is being offered to clients

• • Ensuring that their well being is sufficient to sustain the quality of the work

• • Where appropriate keeping accurate records

• Where necessary, they will be covered by adequate insurance when providing services directly or indirectly to the public.

Values are a useful way of expressing general ethical commitments that underpin the purpose and goals of our actions.

Our fundamental values include a commitment to:

• • Respecting human rights and dignity

• • Enhancing people’s well being and capabilities

• • Improving the quality of relationships between people

• • Increasing personal resilience and effectiveness

• • Facilitating a sense of self that is meaningful to the person(s)concerned within their personal and cultural context

• • Appreciating the variety of human experience and cultures

• • Protecting the safety of clients

• • Ensuring the integrity of practitioner-client relationships

• • Enhancing the quality of professional knowledge and its application

• Striving for the fair and adequate provision of services