As growing numbers of patients turn to complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), the focus of attention has largely been on whether these therapies work and whether they are safe. These questions are central to further integration of CAM with orthodox medicine. But in the absence of formal regulation, it is equally critical to consider the ethical dimensions of the CAM therapeutic encounter. In this book, Julie Stone demonstrates that ethical issues are no less relevant to CAM therapists than they are to doctors or any other group of health professionals. She provides CAM therapists with a detailed framework of the specific ethical issues which affect CAM practice to help practitioners think constructively about how ethics underpin their therapeutic work. An Ethical Framework for Complementary and Alternative Therapists encourages critical and reflective practice, suggests practical problems to common problems, includes illustrative scenarios of ethical dilemmas faced by therapists and summarises key points. This timely book offers a comprehensive guide to this important area.
Its challenging conclusions are as relevant to experienced practitioners as to students and newly qualified therapists. This book will also interest policy makers and professional bodies interested in strengthening and enhancing CAM's potential.