Working as a Professional in TantraTantra is delicate work, dealing with love, sexuality, relating and spirituality. Thus the responsibility for professionals is greater than in other similar fields. Whether working as a group facilitator or giving one-on-one sessions, it is important to take care to know how to keep yourself safe and all those whom you work with. |
Not all training programs include guidance around professional conduct. Some programs teach the practices and methods, with little guidance on working as a professional in the field, If you have the training in practices, but lack training in professional conduct, it would be wise to seek this training before offering your services. This is to protect you as well as your clients.
Tantra professionals deserve to feel safe too.
As a facilitator or bodyworker you are taking a risk. You are offering to guide people through their healing process, and there is a risk of triggering old trauma patterns in your participant. In one moment, you might appear to them as a threat and they may not be able to tell the difference between you and the person that assaulted them decades ago. For this reason, it is almost essential that every Tantra professional also seeks to training themselves in trauma awareness, understanding more about triggers, the nervous system, trauma responses and methods of regulation.
Tantra professionals can also protect themselves with clear agreements with participants or clients prior to the event. This is best in a written format so that everyone is clear on boundaries, and the document can be referred to later on. Many Tantra professionals shy away from contracts and prefer to be more casual. However, when working with such delicate areas of life we need to be even more clear, not less.
Tantra professionals can also protect themselves with clear agreements with participants or clients prior to the event. This is best in a written format so that everyone is clear on boundaries, and the document can be referred to later on. Many Tantra professionals shy away from contracts and prefer to be more casual. However, when working with such delicate areas of life we need to be even more clear, not less.
You cannot deny your responsibility.
An area of great importance is professional responsibility. When you facilitate or give a session, you are stepping into a position of power. The receiver is usually in a position of vulnerability.
This power dynamic needs to be acknowledged and responded to. In any professional power dynamic of this sort, the one who is in the position of power is always holding the greater responsibility. Some facilitators dismiss this responsibility, saying " we are all adults", but this attitude is blind to the power dynamics, the money exchange and the responsibility.
When you look across society, you can see that those holding positions of power hold certain constraints to protect the vulnerable. This includes avoiding sexual and romantic interactions with the participants/clients. As the world of Tantra is unregulated, this safety mechanism is often not put in place. in contrast, often the opposite is promoted: the idea that sleeping with the teacher is of some benefit to the participant. It is in such cases that most of the issues arise in the world of Tantra, and later need to be resolved.
The Tantra Alliance is not here to control individual Tantra schools and teachers, but to bring better information and education to all involved and support the evolution of the Tantra field to become a safer space for everyone involved.
This power dynamic needs to be acknowledged and responded to. In any professional power dynamic of this sort, the one who is in the position of power is always holding the greater responsibility. Some facilitators dismiss this responsibility, saying " we are all adults", but this attitude is blind to the power dynamics, the money exchange and the responsibility.
When you look across society, you can see that those holding positions of power hold certain constraints to protect the vulnerable. This includes avoiding sexual and romantic interactions with the participants/clients. As the world of Tantra is unregulated, this safety mechanism is often not put in place. in contrast, often the opposite is promoted: the idea that sleeping with the teacher is of some benefit to the participant. It is in such cases that most of the issues arise in the world of Tantra, and later need to be resolved.
The Tantra Alliance is not here to control individual Tantra schools and teachers, but to bring better information and education to all involved and support the evolution of the Tantra field to become a safer space for everyone involved.