Ensuring Safety and Integrity
Therapeutic BDSM Collaborative Network Vetting Board
Welcome to the cornerstone of excellence in therapeutic BDSM. Our vetting board ensures that every practitioner meets the highest standards of ethics, safety, and expertise.
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We connect clients with trusted clinician and professional teams in their area while also supporting clinicians within our network by identifying vetted professionals in the states where they’re licensed.
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Our Mission
Fostering Inclusivity, Safety, and Healing
We are a collective of clinicians, educators, and professional practitioners committed to upholding the highest standards of safety, consent, and inclusivity within therapeutic BDSM. Our goal is to vet and empower practitioners and professionals who contribute to healing and transformative experiences within kink, ensuring each person’s journey is met with care, compassion, and integrity.
Our mission is to create a safe, inclusive, and ethical community of professionals who practice with integrity and respect. We prioritize the invaluable contributions of People of Color (POC)—with a specific focus on Black individuals—who have long been pillars of wisdom, knowledge, and leadership within the BDSM community.
About Us
The Therapeutic BDSM Collaborative Network Vetting Board serves as a dedicated body responsible for curating a diverse network of vetted professionals. Our purpose is to ensure every practitioner, educator, and clinician we partner with embodies the highest levels of ethics, knowledge, and expertise. By creating a rigorous vetting process, we aim to safeguard the integrity of therapeutic BDSM, where trauma healing, consent, and self-reclamation are central.
Our Vision for Healing Through BDSM
We envision a world where BDSM is recognized and embraced as a profound tool for healing and self-discovery. Our goal is to create a safe, inclusive, and supportive community where practitioners and clients can engage in therapeutic practices that honor consent, safety, and trauma-informed care. By fostering collaborative efforts, we aim to rescript relationships with the self and others, promoting healing through the unique modalities offered by BDSM.
Our Vetting Process
Step 1: Background Check
We conduct thorough background checks to ensure that all applicants meet our ethical and professional standards. This includes verifying their credentials and experience within the BDSM community.
Step 2: Interview
Applicants undergo a detailed interview process where we assess their knowledge of trauma, consent, and BDSM practices. This helps us ensure they are well-equipped to provide safe and informed care.
Step 3: Peer Review
Our ongoing peer review and supervision process ensures that all practitioners remain aligned with the values and standards of the Therapeutic BDSM Collaborative Network. This continuous evaluation helps maintain the integrity and quality of care provided.
Our Code of ETHICS
Clients
- Informed Participation:
- Actively engage in the negotiation process, ensuring you fully understand and consent to the boundaries, goals, and potential outcomes of the therapeutic BDSM scene.
- Autonomy & Boundaries:
- Communicate your boundaries, limits, and needs clearly during both the negotiation and the scene, understanding that you have the right to stop or alter the scene at any time.
- Collaboration:
- Collaborate with the clinician and practitioner in the planning and execution of the scene, ensuring that your therapeutic goals are centered and supported throughout the process.
- Aftercare Engagement:
- Participate in the aftercare process with the clinician and practitioner to ensure emotional and physical recovery, grounding, and integration following the scene.
- Honesty & Transparency:
- Be honest about your trauma history, triggers, and needs to ensure that the therapeutic process is tailored to your unique experiences and goals.
- Self-Responsibility:
- Acknowledge your responsibility in your healing journey, working collaboratively but also taking ownership of the outcomes and processes as part of your therapeutic growth.
- Respect for All Roles:
- Understand and respect the distinct roles of the clinician, practitioner, and educator, and engage with each in a way that fosters trust, safety, and mutual respect.
Clinicians
- Informed Consent & Transparency:
- Ensure that all clients fully understand the therapeutic BDSM process, including potential risks and benefits, and give explicit, informed consent prior to the initiation of any session or scene.
- Confidentiality & Privacy:
- Protect the confidentiality and privacy of clients in all interactions, adhering to legal and ethical standards of mental health practices, while respecting the sensitive nature of kink and BDSM practices.
- Client-Centered Approach:
- Prioritize the client’s mental, emotional, and physical well-being, ensuring that all interventions align with their therapeutic goals and are trauma-informed.
- Non-Judgmental Support:
- Create a non-judgmental environment that fosters openness and trust, recognizing that kink and BDSM practices are valid expressions of sexuality, identity, and healing.
- Boundary Clarity:
- Maintain clear professional boundaries, differentiating between the roles of the clinician and the BDSM practitioner, while ensuring that therapeutic integrity is upheld at all times.
- Collaboration & Communication:
- Work collaboratively with vetted pro practitioners and educators to ensure the therapeutic process is cohesive, with open channels of communication to support the client’s needs and safety.
- Ongoing Education:
- Commit to continuous learning about BDSM practices, trauma, and therapeutic interventions to ensure that the clinician’s knowledge and skills remain relevant and up to date.
Pro-Practitioners
- Professionalism & Safety:
- Uphold the highest standards of professionalism, ensuring that all scenes are negotiated transparently, with the client’s emotional and physical safety prioritized at all times.
- Consent & Empowerment:
- Facilitate a collaborative negotiation process, ensuring the client has full autonomy and understands their role and agency within the scene. All activities must be based on mutual, informed consent.
- Boundary Respect:
- Respect both the client’s and clinician’s boundaries, understanding that your role is to support the therapeutic goals under the clinician’s guidance without overstepping professional or personal limits.
- Ethical Scene Management:
- Ensure that all tools, techniques, and practices used in the scene are safe, appropriate, and within the client’s consent parameters. Be vigilant about managing risk and avoiding harm.
- Aftercare Responsibility:
- Collaborate with the clinician to provide thorough aftercare to support the client’s emotional and physical recovery after the scene, assisting in grounding and integration.
- Cultural & Individual Sensitivity:
- Remain sensitive to the client’s unique background, identity, and experiences, ensuring that the scene reflects their needs in a culturally responsive manner.
- Ethical Collaboration:
- Work in alignment with the therapeutic goals set by the clinician and client, committing to ethical collaboration that honors the therapeutic nature of the work.
Educators
- Accuracy & Integrity:
- Provide accurate, evidence-based, and trauma-informed education about BDSM and therapeutic BDSM practices, ensuring that all information is free from bias or judgment.
- Destigmatization & Inclusion:
- Actively work to destigmatize kink, BDSM, and therapeutic BDSM, promoting an inclusive and diverse understanding of these practices while respecting the lived experiences of marginalized communities.
- Cultural Competency:
- Educate in a manner that is respectful of cultural, racial, gender, and sexual identities, recognizing the intersectionality of oppression and trauma.
- Safe Learning Environments:
- Foster a safe, respectful, and open learning environment where participants feel empowered to explore and ask questions without fear of shame or judgment.
- Continuous Learning:
- Commit to ongoing education and staying updated on the latest research, trends, and best practices in BDSM, trauma, and alternative therapeutic practices.
- Ethical Collaboration:
- Maintain open communication and collaboration with both clinicians and pro practitioners to ensure that educational content aligns with therapeutic standards and client needs.
