Purpose
Resource Therapy International Inc. is committed to promoting ethical, respectful, competent, and professional practice in the teaching, supervision, promotion, and clinical application of Resource Therapy.
This Code of Conduct sets out the standards expected of all RTI members, trainers, supervisors, committee members, representatives, and others acting in association with RTI.
Its purpose is to protect the public, support practitioners, uphold the reputation of Resource Therapy, and foster an international community grounded in professionalism, integrity, inclusion, and care.
Scope
This Code applies to all persons who are members of, affiliated with, or representing Resource Therapy International, including:
- Associate or supporter members
- Clinical members
- Trainer members
- Organisational members
- RTI committee and board members
- RTI-approved trainers, supervisors, presenters, and representatives
- Members listed in any RTI directory or public register
Members are also expected to comply with the professional, legal, regulatory, and ethical requirements of their own country, profession, registration body, association, or licensing authority.
Where a member belongs to another professional body, this Code is intended to sit alongside – not replace – that body’s ethical standards.
1. Professional Integrity
RTI members must conduct themselves with honesty, respect, fairness, and professional integrity.
Members must not act in a way that brings Resource Therapy, RTI, fellow members, clients, students, supervisees, or the wider therapeutic profession into disrepute.
Members are expected to communicate respectfully, behave professionally, and uphold the dignity of the Resource Therapy community in clinical, educational, online, public, and organisational settings.
2. Competence And Scope Of Practice
RTI members must work within their level of training, qualification, professional registration, clinical experience, and competence.
Members must not misrepresent their qualifications, membership level, training status, trainer status, supervision status, or experience in Resource Therapy.
Members must not offer clinical, supervisory, training, or advisory services beyond their competence or legal scope of practice.
Where a client, student, or supervisee requires support outside the member’s competence, the member must refer appropriately or encourage the person to seek suitable medical, psychological, psychiatric, legal, or other professional assistance.
3. Responsible Use Of Resource Therapy
Members must use Resource Therapy in a manner that is ethical, trauma-informed, client-centred, and respectful of the client’s autonomy, dignity, culture, and therapeutic needs.
Members must not present Resource Therapy as a guaranteed cure, miracle treatment, or replacement for appropriate medical, psychiatric, psychological, or emergency care.
Members must take reasonable care when working with trauma, dissociation, suicidality, complex mental health presentations, family violence, substance misuse, high-risk situations, or vulnerable clients.
Members must maintain appropriate informed consent, record keeping, risk management, referral processes, and professional boundaries according to the standards required in their jurisdiction and profession.
4. Client Welfare And Safety
The welfare of clients must remain a primary concern.
Members must not exploit, abuse, coerce, shame, manipulate, or take advantage of clients, students, supervisees, or colleagues.
Members must maintain appropriate professional boundaries and must not engage in sexual, romantic, financial, or otherwise exploitative relationships with clients or others where a professional power imbalance exists.
Members must treat all people with respect regardless of age, race, ethnicity, nationality, culture, language, religion, gender, sexuality, disability, neurotype, health status, political belief, or social background.
5. Informed Consent
Members must ensure that clients, students, and supervisees understand the nature of the service being provided.
This may include, where relevant:
- The nature and limits of Resource Therapy
- Fees and cancellation policies
- Confidentiality and its limits
- Record-keeping practices
- The practitioner’s qualifications and membership status
- Risks, benefits, and alternatives
- Referral options
- Any legal or mandatory reporting obligations
Where a client is unable to provide informed consent, members must follow the legal and ethical requirements relevant to guardianship, parental consent, substitute decision-making, or professional regulation in their jurisdiction.
6. Confidentiality And Privacy
Members must respect confidentiality and privacy in accordance with applicable laws, professional standards, and ethical obligations.
Client, student, supervisee, and member information must not be disclosed without consent unless required by law, professional obligation, risk of harm, or another recognised ethical exception.
Members must take reasonable steps to protect confidential information in clinical records, supervision notes, training materials, online communication, case discussion, marketing, and digital storage.
Any case examples used in teaching, supervision, writing, or public presentation must be de-identified unless specific written consent has been obtained.
7. Training, Supervision, And Representation
RTI trainers and supervisors must teach and represent Resource Therapy accurately, respectfully, and in alignment with recognised Resource Therapy principles, language, methods, and standards.
Trainers must not mislead students regarding certification, accreditation, membership status, professional recognition, scope of practice, or eligibility for insurance or clinical use.
Trainers and supervisors must model ethical conduct, cultural sensitivity, appropriate boundaries, and respect for students’ existing professional backgrounds.
Members must not claim to teach, certify, supervise, or represent Resource Therapy International unless authorised to do so.
8. Advertising And Public Communication
Members may refer to their RTI membership, training, or approved status only while that membership, training status, or approval remains current.
Advertising must be honest, accurate, ethical, and not misleading.
Members must not make exaggerated claims about Resource Therapy, clinical outcomes, professional recognition, insurance eligibility, or RTI endorsement.
Members must not imply that RTI has approved, sponsored, verified, or endorsed a service, event, course, product, or claim unless RTI has given clear permission.
Members must ensure that websites, social media, directories, brochures, course pages, and promotional material accurately reflect their membership category, qualifications, scope, and training status.
9. Professional Development
Members are encouraged to maintain and develop their professional knowledge, clinical skill, ethical awareness, and understanding of Resource Therapy.
Clinical members, trainers, and supervisors are expected to engage in appropriate continuing professional development, supervision, peer consultation, or reflective practice according to their professional background and level of responsibility.
RTI may set additional professional development or supervision expectations for particular membership categories, trainer approval, directory listing, certification, or renewal processes.
10. Collegial Conduct
Members must treat fellow practitioners, trainers, students, supervisees, committee members, and allied professionals with courtesy and respect.
Members must not harass, bully, intimidate, defame, publicly disparage, or act maliciously towards another member or professional colleague.
Disagreements should be handled respectfully, directly where appropriate, and through proper RTI processes where necessary.
Members are encouraged to support a culture of goodwill, learning, collaboration, and professional generosity within the international Resource Therapy community.
11. Conflicts Of Interest
Members must identify and appropriately manage actual, potential, or perceived conflicts of interest.
This includes conflicts involving training, supervision, certification, financial gain, committee decision-making, professional referral, directory listing, complaints, intellectual property, or organisational roles.
Members in governance or decision-making roles must act in the best interests of RTI and the Resource Therapy community, not for personal advantage.
12. Intellectual Property And Respect For Resource Therapy Materials
Members must respect the intellectual property, teaching materials, publications, diagrams, manuals, branding, and original contributions of Resource Therapy founders, trainers, authors, and organisations.
Members must not copy, reproduce, distribute, sell, alter, or present another person’s work as their own without permission or appropriate acknowledgement.
Members must use RTI logos, certificates, branding, seals, stamps, and official wording only in accordance with RTI guidelines.
13. Complaints, Concerns, And Disciplinary Matters
Where possible and appropriate, concerns should first be addressed respectfully and directly between the people involved.
Where this is not appropriate, safe, or successful, concerns may be raised with RTI in writing through the relevant complaints or grievance process.
RTI may review concerns involving alleged breaches of this Code, including conduct that may affect public safety, professional trust, organisational reputation, membership status, trainer status, or directory listing.
Possible responses may include informal resolution, mediation, education, warning, conditions on membership, suspension, removal from directory listing, revocation of trainer or member status, or referral to an external professional, legal, or regulatory body where required.
14. Duty Of Disclosure
Members must disclose to RTI any matter that may reasonably affect their membership, trainer status, directory listing, certification, or ability to represent Resource Therapy International.
This may include serious professional misconduct findings, loss of professional registration, relevant criminal convictions, significant complaints, restrictions on practice, or other matters that may affect public trust or safety.
RTI reserves the right to review membership, listing, or approval status where a member’s conduct may bring RTI, Resource Therapy, or the wider profession into disrepute.
15. International And Cultural Respect
As an international organisation, RTI recognises that Resource Therapy is practised across different cultures, countries, professions, and legal systems.
Members must practise with cultural humility and respect for local laws, customs, professional standards, and client diversity.
Members must not use Resource Therapy in ways that are discriminatory, coercive, culturally disrespectful, politically exploitative, or inconsistent with human dignity.
16. Commitment To The Resource Therapy Community
Members of RTI are part of a professional international community committed to the ethical growth, teaching, research, and practice of Resource Therapy.
Members are expected to contribute to this community with integrity, generosity, professionalism, and care.
RTI’s role is to steward the development of Resource Therapy internationally, support ethical standards, promote quality training, encourage research, and provide a trusted platform for members, trainers, and the public.
By applying for, renewing, or maintaining membership with Resource Therapy International, members agree to uphold this Code of Conduct and any additional RTI policies, procedures, membership requirements, or ethical guidelines that apply to their role or membership category.
Resource Therapy International may review and update this Code from time to time to reflect evolving professional, ethical, legal, and organisational standards.