Now that you are a certified Advanced SOMA Instructor, please thoroughly read and understand the SOMA Code of Ethics below.

Becoming an Advanced SOMA Instructor requires you to:

• Develop and use your professional knowledge and skills for the benefit of those who seek your professional services.
• Maintain good professional relationships with others.
• Act in a way that promotes confidence and trust in the breathwork profession.

The SOMA Code of Ethics outlines the principles that you should follow as a SOMA Instructor. This Code is the core guidance on the conduct, practice, and professional performance required to be a successful SOMA Instructor. It is designed to guide and support the work you do and the professional decisions you make.

The SOMA Code of Ethics is based on seven principles which express the central values of SOMA Breath. The principles will explain what it means to be a SOMA Instructor. Making these part of your professional services will keep your clients safe, trusting, and confident in your abilities.

The SOMA Code of Ethics outlines your professional requirements. As a SOMA Instructor, you should always act in line with these principles. Inappropriate behaviour could put your membership at risk – even if it is not directly connected to your SOMA practice.

Applying The Code

It is your responsibility as an Advanced SOMA Instructor to apply the Code of Ethics to your daily work. You are entirely accountable for your practice, which means that you are responsible for your decisions and behaviour, regardless of advice or direction received from others. Your choice is your choice, so be wise and have confidence in your decisions. You should be prepared to appropriately justify your decisions if anyone questions you.

The seven principles covered in the SOMA Code of Ethics come with an explanation of what it means to apply them in practice. The explanations are not comprehensive, and they do not include every single action and behaviour expected of you. You can use your best judgement to apply these points in your professional life.

The seven principles of the SOMA Code of Ethics are:

• Make the care of your clients your first concern.
• Use professional judgment in the best interests of your clients.
• Show respect for others.
• Encourage clients to make their own decisions.
• Develop your professional knowledge and competence.
• Be honest and trustworthy.
• Take responsibility for your working practices.

Make the Care of Your Clients Your First Concern

The care, well-being, and safety of your clients are at the core of your practice. This must be your primary concern. You must:

• Provide a good standard of practice and care to anyone you provide professional services to.
• Promote good health and well-being to anyone you provide professional services to.
• Safeguard the well-being of your clients; particularly children and vulnerable people.
• Gather as much information as necessary to assess an individual’s needs before providing any advice or information. Where necessary, you should refer clients to other relevant health or social care professionals, or other relevant organisations.
• Ensure you have access to the facilities, equipment, and materials necessary to provide your services to a good standard.
• Continuously aim to improve the quality of services you provide to minimise the risk to client safety, and maximise their satisfaction and sense of well-being.

Use Professional Judgment in the Best Interests of Your Clients

You must always be able to make informed professional judgements on what is appropriate for clients. You must:

• Consider and act in the best interests of your clients.
• Make best use of all the resources available to you.
• Be prepared to challenge the judgement of colleagues if you have reason to believe that their decisions could compromise the safety or care of others.
• Be prepared to reasonably explain your decisions if your own judgement is challenged by your colleagues.
• Make sure that your judgement is not affected by personal or commercial interests or incentives. Base your decisions or recommendations for certain products or services on your professional judgement, not on personal or commercial gain.
• In an emergency, take the appropriate action to provide care and reduce risks to any clients, taking into account your own competence and other options for assistance or care available.

Show Respect For Others

Respecting the dignity, views, and the rights of other people is fundamental in creating and maintaining professionally appropriate relationships with clients and any other individuals you may come into contact with in your professional practice. You must:

• Recognise diversity and respect the cultural differences, values, and beliefs of others.
• Treat others politely and considerately.
• Respect and protect the dignity and privacy of others. Do not disclose confidential information to anyone else, or allow inappropriate access to confidential information. Always ask for consent before sharing confidential information, except in truly exceptional cases.
• Only use the information given to you for the purposes it was given for.
• Always ensure suitable levels of privacy for your professional services.
• Do not allow your views about a person’s lifestyle, beliefs, race, gender, age, sexuality, disability, or other perceived status to prejudice your behaviour. If you have any objection to providing a professional service, ensure that the relevant people are aware of this and that clients are referred to alternative sources of the service they require.
• Maintain proper professional boundaries in the relationships you have with clients and other individuals that you come into contact with during your professional practice. Take special care when dealing with vulnerable individuals.

Encourage Clients to Make Their Own Decisions

Clients have a right to be involved in decisions about their participation in breathwork practices. Some clients may have health conditions or concerns that may be affected by breathwork practices. They should work with you to manage their needs. This requires effective communication and the ability to identify the individual needs of clients. You must:

• When possible, work together with your clients to ensure their participation is safe.
• Explain the options available and help individuals make a well-informed decision about whether they wish to use your particular service.
• Listen to clients and communicate effectively with them.
• Take all reasonable steps to share information that clients want or need in a way that they can understand. Make sure that the information you provide is relevant and up to date.
• Respect an individual’s right to refuse your professional services.

Develop your Professional Knowledge and Competence

You must ensure that your knowledge, skills, and performance are of a high quality, up to date, and relevant to your services. You must:

• Maintain and improve the quality of your work by keeping your knowledge and skills up to date, evidence-based, and relevant to your role and responsibilities as a SOMA Instructor.
• Appropriately apply your knowledge and skills to your professional responsibilities.
• Recognise the limits of your professional competence. Practise only in areas you are competent in, and refer clients to others where necessary.
• Maintain records of your continuing relevant professional development.
• Respond constructively to the outcomes of assessments and reviews of your professional performance. Take part in continuing relevant professional development.
• Practise only if you are fit and competent to do so.

Be Honest and Trustworthy

Clients and colleagues places their trust in you as a SOMA Instructor. It is important that you act in a way that cultivates trust and maintains a good reputation for yourself and for SOMA Breath as a company. You must:

• Uphold trust and confidence by acting with honesty and integrity.
• Do not abuse your professional position for personal gain, or exploit the vulnerability or lack of knowledge of others.
• Be accurate and impartial when publishing or providing information to others, or when teaching others. Ensure that you do not mislead others or make claims that cannot be justified.
• Adhere to accepted standards of personal and professional conduct.
• Comply with legal requirements, professional standards, and accepted best practice guidance.
• Honour commitments, agreements, and arrangements for the provision of your professional services.
• Respond honestly, openly, and courteously to feedback, complaints, and/or criticisms.

Take Responsibility for Your Working Practices

Teamwork is a key feature of the SOMA Breath Instructor community. It requires respect, cooperation, and communication with colleagues and others. When working as part of a team you are still accountable for your own decisions, behaviours, and any work done under your supervision. You must:

• Communicate and work effectively with colleagues to serve the clients’ best interests. Ensure that both you and those you work with have sufficient language competence to do this.
• Share relevant knowledge, skills and expertise with others and support colleagues in developing their professional competence.
• Take responsibility for all of your work. Ensure that anyone you delegate tasks to are competent and that they have had sufficient training to do the work to a good standard.
• Ensure that you are able to meet your professional obligations and that your workload and/or working conditions ensure client safety and satisfaction.
• Make sure that your actions do not prevent others from meeting their professional obligations, or put client safety and satisfaction at risk.
• Ensure that all professional activities undertaken by you, or under your control, are covered by the appropriate insurance or other relevant and appropriate arrangements.
• Raise concerns if systems, working conditions, or the actions, professional performance, or the health of others could compromise client safety and satisfaction. Take appropriate action if something goes wrong or if others report concerns to you.

When you become an Advanced SOMA Instructor, you acknowledge the SOMA Code of Ethics and agree to apply it to your professional services.