This page covers a variety of topics including client screening, breaches of the Client Integrity Agreements, the Boundaries Sensitivity Training Program
We do not have a pre-booking phone call with every single new client who books an advance notice appointment on your website profile. Our website offers the opportunity to for clients to book anytime without calling us first. However, the majority of clients do call or text before they book. In that phone call or lengthy text exchanges, we make it absolutely clear that nurture therapy is not code for sex work. We always say that our work is clothes-on and non-sexual. Further, if a prospective client gives us ANY reason to suspect that he or she is actually looking for sex — we make it utterly clear to them — that this work is not even remotely sexual. There have been many times that we have told a prospective client that seeing a sex worker would be more appropriate for them — and that our services would be inappropriate. We have no hesitation to redirect prospective clients elsewhere who we think are looking for services we do not offer.
Same-Day Appointments with new clients can be challenging because the client may be looking for a quick fix for their feelings. Prospective clients may book an appointment making hopeful assumptions without reading the information on the website ( note: to book an appointment a client must confirm in the booking form that they have read, understood and can happily agree with our Client Integrity Agreement ) or NOT believing us when we say that our work is clothes-on and non-sexual.
On the phone or in text exchanges with prospective clients, all we can do is give them the information they need to understand our services and help them make a good decision for themselves. We can’t mind-read a client’s intention in booking an appointment. We cannot protect you from clients who book an appointment either confused about our services or with the intention of testing your boundaries. HOWEVER, we do our very best to educate clients about the nature of our work and redirect those who we think want services we do not offer.
Additionally and importantly, we insist that you have a pre-appointment phone call ( aka the initial or “get to know you” phone call ) with all new clients to further educate the client and vet them for yourself. If, in this pre-appointment phone call or text exchanges, you discover that a client with an existing appointment has misunderstood our services and wants to breach the Client Integrity Agreement — all you need to do is let me know. We will cancel the appointment and refund the deposit.
We do not perform background checks on new clients. Neither do massage therapists or psychotherapists or Reiki practitioners, physical therapists or other health practitioners. We do not plan on running background checks on clients.
If a client asks for sex, that is a violation of our Client Integrity Agreement. If you report that a client asked you for sex — and that you would not see them again — we immediately ban that client from booking another appointment with anyone on the website.
Over the last 8 years, we have banned only 5% of clients who have booked an appointment. Most of those banned clients were not banned for a physical boundary violation.
Finally, as we coach you in the NTP Training, we want you to end a session with a client if you feel uncomfortable for any reason. We trust that you are doing this work because you are naturally aligned with our mission and it makes you feel good about yourself to give in this sweet, nurturing way. If you end a session with a client, you can be assured we will support your decision.
If a client breaches the Client Integrity Agreement we refer them to our Boundaries Sensitivity Training Program. Rather than simply banning a client ( which will also happen ), we can also offer them an opportunity to learn and grow.
Here is the link to learn about it: https://snugglesalon.com/boundaries-sensitivity-training-program/
The protocol would be:
1. A client crosses your personal boundaries and/or Snuggle Salon business boundaries
2. You give them 2 warnings ( or it could be 3 — use your own judgment ) letting them know that you will end the session if they do XXX again. Be specific as to what boundary they have crossed.
3. End the session by disengaging from the snuggle, stand up and say in a gentle, friendly but firm way “This appointment is now over. I am going to have Yvonne contact you about our Boundaries Sensitivity Training Program. I think this training could be beneficial for you. It has assisted our clients in improving and enhancing their relationship and intimacy skills.”
4. Hand them a Boundaries Sensitivity Training Program business card from the desk drawer.
There is a document and /or business cards describing the Boundaries Sensitivity Training Program in the desk drawer at the Campbell office. The document / business
card will have the link to the web page where they can register for the class.
It is not a breach of the Client Integrity Agreement for a client to ask for kissing. As Item #4 of the Snuggle Partner Integrity Agreement states: “KISSING: You are a trained professional. Kissing is up to you. Kissing on the forehead or facial cheek might be OK. Kissing on the lips is not advised, but is not prohibited. However, kissing with the intent to sexually arouse ( by either you or your client) is prohibited. If arousal occurs you must stop kissing at that point.”
