The RHI Code of Ethics 2024
December 18th, 2024
A Responsibility of Care
Introduction
Radical Honesty Institute: Code of Ethics for Trainers and Trainer Candidates
The Radical Honesty Institute (RHI) commits to fostering ethical Radical Honesty practices. This Code of Ethics holds RHI-certified Trainers and Trainer Candidates (hereinafter “Trainers”) to high professional standards, emphasizing their responsibility for care of workshop participants. This encompasses nurturing the growth and safety of participants, upholding the values and integrity of the Radical Honesty community, maintaining the Trainer’s own well-being, and exhibiting ethical conduct. This framework ensures a balanced approach to participant care, community support, and self-care.
Catch-All Statement
These ethical standards apply to RH Workshops and the underlying values can potentially reach beyond the setting of official RH workshops and events as follows:
Trainers are encouraged to integrate these values into their personal and professional lives beyond the scope of this Code of Ethics to contribute to the integrity and trust vested in our community. If a Trainer’s conduct outside RH workshops raises significant doubts about that Trainer’s fundamental suitability for being an RH Trainer, then that conduct can be regarded as a breach of this Code of Ethics.
Acknowledging the Nature of Radical Honesty
Radical Honesty workshops offer a platform for personal empowerment through honest expression, with some similarities and some differences to group therapy. Our Trainers, though not acting in the role of a therapist, adopt a similar level of professionalism and ethical responsibility. They create a supportive space for individuals to engage in relational experimentation, transformative communication, and personal growth within a supportive community.
#1 Responsibility of Participant Care
At the Radical Honesty Institute (RHI), we are committed to the well-being and safety of our participants in our workshops and retreats. Radical Honesty Trainers keep ethical practices that include confidentiality of participant disclosures, appropriate self-disclosure, and ethical dual relationships. We champion autonomy, diversity, and a skillful balance of core values, all aimed at fostering the personal growth of participants and a supportive and enriching community experience.
Participant Autonomy and Consent
We recognize the paramount importance of participant autonomy and the right to informed, ongoing consent.
Trainers provide:
Informed Consent: Participants must be fully informed of the nature, scope, and potential impact of participating in workshops and retreats before giving their consent and before payment is accepted. This includes a clear explanation of activities, exercises, and the emotional and psychological demands they may entail, along with factors that make workshops inadvisable.
Ongoing Consent: Participants have the right to modify or withdraw their consent at any stage of the workshop or retreat. Participants are encouraged to share their boundaries with other participants.
Space for Withdrawal: We create a supportive environment where participants can express discomfort, decline participation in specific activities, or withdraw entirely if they feel it is in their best interest (including leaving a workshop, or terminating a coaching relationship).
Debriefing and Support: Opportunities for debriefing and support will be provided, allowing participants to process their experiences, especially if they choose to withdraw from an activity or the entire workshop.
Empowering Confidentiality and Privacy
Our workshops create a temporary coaching alliance between Trainers and participants. Privacy & confidentiality strengthen this alliance. Effective workshops and coaching depend upon an atmosphere of confidence and trust that allows participants to make frank and honest disclosures. Trainers keep confidentiality of any disclosures made in Radical Honesty workshops.
Trainers commit to teaching participants that confidentiality within a Radical Honesty group is based on a shared agreement between participants, which differs from strict confidentiality required in one-on-one therapy with a licensed therapist that can be enforced by an outside governing body. This distinction is crucial for setting realistic expectations and fostering a trusting environment. Specifically:
Trainers may speak about specific workshop and coaching situations in supervision, minimizing identifying information as much as possible.
The Trainer sets the group agreement to keep confidentiality and makes it known that participants are not Radical Honesty Trainers and are not bound by this Code of Conduct.
Participants often want to process their in-group experiences outside the group. Participants are asked to not attribute anything said in the workshop to a specific person.
In cases of imminent risk, Trainers prioritize safety over confidentiality, adhering to a duty to protect all involved.
Trainers may be legally required to disclose information for safety or legal reasons.
The two vital aspects of privacy are (1) our personal realm (our body, thoughts, feelings, and identity) and (2) our authority over who enters our realm and in what manner. Within this understanding, Trainers commit to:
Uphold the dignity, rights, privacy, and confidentiality of all participants.
Seek only private information when truly necessary for the person's growth or safety.
Treat shared confidential information with the utmost respect, except when aware of conduct in violation of this Code of Conduct or imminent risk.
Romantic, Sexual, and Life Partner Dual Relationships
The safety of participants in the training environment and the focus on their growth and learning hinge on maintaining clear and professional boundaries.
Prohibition of Romantic and/or Sexual Activity for 1 year: Trainer/participant (as well as Trainer/TC) sexual and romantic activity are strictly prohibited for a “cool-down” period.
The “cool-down” period is either:
a) one (1) year after last contact following any workshop or training. or
b) a maximum of 3 years even with sporadic contact.
No Past or Current Relationships: Trainers do not allow recent (less than 1 year) or current romantic partners, sexual partners, or life partners to participate in workshops they lead. In instances where such pre-existing relationships exist, Trainers redirect those individuals to alternative learning opportunities or sessions led by other Trainers.
No Adult Grooming: Trainers cannot use multiple workshops over a period of time to attract partners/wear down resistance for later romantic or sexual activity.
Navigating Other Dual Relationships
When Trainers are in overlapping roles or dual relationships – such as supervisory roles, friendships, platonic, family connections, or business associates – they reflect carefully on the nature of these relationships and the benefits and downsides of maintaining the dual relationship and whether they reinforce and promote the growth and well-being of the participant and the workshop environment.
Awareness and Evaluation: It starts with acknowledging these connections, critically assessing how they might influence the Trainer’s facilitation and the participant's experience. This awareness fosters an environment where personal growth and group integrity are prioritized.
Establishing Clear Boundaries: Clarity in roles ensures that all interactions within the workshop serve the collective aim of honest exploration and personal development, safeguarding against conflicts of interest.
Transparent Communication: Openly discussing the nature of dual relationships with the group or individuals involved promotes understanding and trust, reinforcing the workshop’s foundation of Radical Honesty.
Guidance and Documentation: Seeking external guidance and supervision and documenting any dual relationships and the strategies employed to manage them are vital steps in upholding the ethical standards of Radical Honesty practice.
Participant Welfare at the Forefront: The ultimate guide in navigating dual relationships is the unwavering commitment to the welfare and growth of participants, ensuring that every decision and action reinforces the safe, respectful, and enriching environment that Radical Honesty workshops aspire to create.
Trainer Emotional Reactivity
During a workshop or coaching session, it is common for Trainers to have a variety of personal reactions to what is occurring with a participant or client. Recognizing and managing one's reactions to participants' disclosures is part of the training of the Trainer ensuring that the focus remains on the participant's experience and the sharing of participants’ experiences with each other.
Countertransference
Countertransference is the biases, emotional reactions (attraction, appreciation, resentment, etc.), and thoughts a Trainer develops toward a participant, influenced by past experiences, which can interfere with their Trainer’s ability to be objective, present, and supportive of the participant.
If a Trainer decides to share their personal emotional reactions with a participant, they do so skillfully, with the intention to support the participants’ growth and well-being and the work of the group. To do so skillfully:
Trainers take into account as much of the group field as possible including the present-tense situation in which their reaction is shared;
The impact of their share based on their role as Trainer and the power differential that the role contains;
The known personal history of the participant(s);
The participant’s level of experience in Radical Honesty or personal growth groups;
The nature of the workshop (intro, weekend, multi-day, weekly, in-person, online); and
The amount of time remaining in the group session, and the stage of the group.
During workshops, Trainers use the support of their co-facilitators to manage and process emotional reactivity outside the group (e.g. by taking a break or excusing themselves) and sometimes within the group (see above). Trainers commit to continue working on their own emotional reactivity with particular group events in supervision, in personal therapy or coaching, and within the community of Trainers, in order to be able to place the focus of group work and coaching primarily on the experience of the participants.
Trainer Self-Disclosure
From time to time, Trainers may share their own personal experiences, thoughts, and feelings. When doing so, Trainers navigate the nuanced realms of self-disclosure, countertransference, and conflicts with participants. They share intending to enrich the group's trust and empathy, while carefully balancing this openness to keep the focus on participants’ experiences. Trainers use supervision and their support network to deal with sexual or romantic attraction toward participants, rather than expressing it directly to the participant.
In addition, Trainers may disclose any struggles, diagnoses, neurodiversity, etc. that might affect their facilitation in order to manage participant expectations of the Trainer’s strengths and weaknesses.
Trainer Apology and Accountability for Mistakes
Radical Honesty Trainers practice personal responsibility, owning their emotional state, owning their mistakes, owning their impact on others, and acknowledging the mistakes of the Radical Honesty Institute. Trainers learn and practice the art of sincerely and effectively apologizing for their mistakes and taking actions towards repair.
Prescription - Dogmatism
Recognizing the diversity of experiences and beliefs that participants bring to our workshops and retreats, Trainers commit to fostering an environment that is open, inclusive, and consciously avoids imposing rigid frameworks or dogmatic beliefs on participants. Trainers do this in the following ways:
Encouraging Exploration: Trainers encourage exploration of personal truths, understanding that growth occurs in an atmosphere of curiosity and openness rather than strict adherence to prescribed beliefs or practices. Every participant's journey is valued as a unique path toward self-discovery.
Avoiding Dogmatism: Trainers recognize the impact of their perspective on participants and consciously avoid imposing rigid frameworks or dogmatic beliefs on participants. Recognizing that such practices can hinder personal growth, Trainers strive to create spaces that encourage questioning, dialogue, and the exploration of a range of perspectives.
Supporting Autonomy in Belief and Practice: Participants are encouraged to learn through their own experiences in the workshop.Trainers support this exploration, offering tools and perspectives without dictating a singular 'correct' way of thinking or being.
Cultivating Dialogue: Trainers foster an environment where differing viewpoints can be expressed and explored with curiosity.
Flexibility in Approach: Recognizing the fluidity of personal growth, Trainers maintain flexibility in their methodologies, adapting to the needs and feedback of participants to support their individual and collective journeys.
Diversity
The need for truth and honesty transcends backgrounds, experiences, identities, race, and social status, anchoring the Radical Honesty community's commitment to fostering an inclusive environment. Through recognizing and valuing this diversity, Trainers cultivate a space that is enriched by a multitude of perspectives and ways of being.
Inclusivity and Acceptance: Trainers strive to create an inclusive environment where all participants feel seen, heard, and valued. Recognizing the strength that lies in diversity, Trainers welcome individuals of all ethnicities, races, religions, genders, gender expressions, sexual orientations, ages, abilities, and backgrounds.
Cultural Sensitivity: The Trainer’s approach is mindful of cultural differences and seeks to respect and learn from the diverse cultural backgrounds of our participants. Trainers are committed to cultural humility and continuous learning to better support every participant's journey.
Equity in Participation: Trainers are dedicated to ensuring equitable access and participation for all, actively working to remove barriers that may prevent individuals from fully engaging in our workshops and retreats. This includes considering economic, physical, and social factors that may impede full participation.
Brave Space for Participants: Instead of a “safe space”, and in recognition that it’s nearly impossible to create an actually safe space, especially for those with oppressed identities, Trainers strive to create a “brave space”. A Brave Space is an inclusive environment in which Participants can feel brave enough to share vulnerably, even when they are uncomfortable or challenged. The term "Brave Space" is used to acknowledge that safety is relative, as not everyone feels safe in the same conditions.
Ongoing Education and Awareness: Recognizing that the journey toward greater diversity and inclusivity is ongoing, RHI and Trainers commit to the continuous education of our Trainers and participants. This includes exploring topics of privilege, bias, and systemic inequalities to better understand how we can contribute to a more just and equitable world.
Integrating Core Values
In the pursuit of personal and communal growth within the Radical Honesty community, Trainers recognize the importance of integrating multiple core values. This commitment ensures that our practice of personal responsibility is balanced with principles of reflection, honesty, non-harming, respect, compassion, inclusivity, and equity. Understanding and embodying these values allows us to navigate the complexities of human interaction and community building with integrity and empathy. Trainers do their best to work with:
Honesty with Compassion: Our dedication to truth-telling is tempered with compassion, ensuring that our authenticity supports the well-being and dignity of others. Trainers communicate their truths in ways that are constructive and mindful of the impact they may have on others.
Non-harming: Trainers intend to avoid causing harm to participants. Trainers do their best to speak and intervene in ways that seek the most beneficial outcomes for all involved.
Respect for Diversity: Embracing the diverse experiences, identities, and backgrounds of our community members enriches our collective journey. Trainers commit to respecting these differences, recognizing that they contribute to the strength and vibrancy of our community.
Inclusivity and Equity: Trainers aim to design their practices and spaces to be inclusive and equitable, aiming that everyone for whom the work is suited has the opportunity to participate fully and benefit from the Radical Honesty experience. Trainers actively work to dismantle as many barriers as possible that may prevent this.
Empathy and Understanding: Engaging with one another from a place of empathy and striving to understand various perspectives fosters deeper connections and mutual respect. This value is crucial in developing and maintaining a supportive environment where participants feel valued.
Reflective Practice: Trainers ongoingly reflect on these values and adherence to them. This reflective practice helps Trainers remain aware of their growth areas and the dynamic balance between honesty and other ethical principles.
#2 Responsibility of Community Care
The Radical Honesty community thrives on principles of transparency, growth, and integrity. As guardians of RHI Core Values, Trainers carry a significant responsibility to the community, both within the confines of workshops and in the broader public sphere. This section outlines the key areas of responsibility that ensure the Radical Honesty practice remains a respected and valuable tool for personal and communal development.
Integrity of the Radical Honesty Name
Radical Honesty is more than a name; it represents a commitment to living and communicating with authenticity. Trainers are tasked with upholding this ethos, ensuring that any application of the Radical Honesty name aligns with its foundational principles. Misuse or misrepresentation not only dilutes the practice but can cause confusion in the market, counteracting the philosophy’s core objectives.
RH Trademark Protection
The Radical Honesty trademark is a symbol of the practice's authenticity and quality. Protecting this trademark is essential to prevent unauthorized or misleading use, which could harm the community's integrity and trust. Trainers and practitioners are encouraged to be vigilant and report any suspected infringements to maintain the trademark's credibility.
Setting Expectations: RH is not Psychotherapy
While Radical Honesty promotes emotional well-being and personal growth, it is not a substitute for professional psychotherapy. It is crucial that this distinction is clearly communicated to participants, ensuring they have realistic expectations and seek professional help when needed.
Staying within the scope of Expertise
Trainers are expected to facilitate workshops and sessions within the bounds of their training and capabilities. Ongoing education and adherence to the community's standards are essential for Trainers to remain competent and effective facilitators.
Upholding Community Trust
The most important asset for a Radical Honesty Trainer is the trust of the community. A Trainer must always work to improve the trust of the community in their ability, their skills, and emotional intelligence. Loss of community trust in a Trainer affects both the Trainer and the Institute, and may lead to de-certification.
Community Trusteeship and Reporting of Concerns
As trustees of the Radical Honesty community, Trainers shall have an interest in upholding the community's ethical standards. This includes giving honest feedback to peers with respect to perceived serious quality deficiencies or breaches of the Code of Ethics and may also include reporting to the Ethics Circle if this is not promptly remedied by the peer. By swiftly and justly addressing concerns, including about their own performance, Trainers help preserve the community's integrity and safety, fostering a culture of growth, accountability, and trust. As trustees of the Radical Honesty community, Trainers shall not disparage participants, other Trainers, or RHI in public, and commit to supporting any investigation proceedings while taking into account their personal relationship with those affected.
Non-exploitation in Business Practices
This subsection emphasizes the commitment to non-exploitation, ensuring that all business dealings related to workshops, training, and other services are conducted with integrity, transparency, and respect for every individual's rights and dignity.
Transparent Pricing: All fees and costs associated with workshops and training sessions are communicated clearly and upfront. Participants should never encounter hidden charges, surprise fees, or feel coerced into paying more than what was initially agreed upon.
Transparent Marketing: All promotional materials accurately reflect the services offered. Avoid making unrealistic promises about program outcomes; instead, foster transparency to maintain participant trust and the credibility of our practice.
Fair Access: Efforts are made to ensure that workshops and training are accessible to a diverse population. This includes considering sliding scale fees, scholarships, or other means to accommodate participants who might otherwise be excluded due to financial constraints.
Respect for Intellectual Property: Trainers are expected to honor the intellectual property rights of others. This includes the appropriate use of copyrighted materials, respecting the contributions of authors, creators, and thinkers by obtaining necessary permissions and acknowledging their work.
Avoidance of Conflicts of Interest: Trainers and organizers are vigilant in identifying and mitigating potential conflicts of interest. Business decisions are made in the best interest of the participants and the integrity of the Radical Honesty practice, rather than personal gain.
Commitment to Fair Labor Practices: All individuals involved in the organization and delivery of workshops and training are treated with fairness and respect. This includes fair compensation, reasonable working conditions, and a commitment to open and honest communication.
Sustainable Practices: Recognizing the interconnectedness of our actions, there is a commitment to sustainable business practices that minimize environmental impact and support the well-being of communities.
This approach to non-exploitation in business practices underlines the Radical Honesty community's dedication to fostering an environment of mutual respect, where ethical considerations guide all aspects of operation. Through these principles, Trainers aim to model the honesty, integrity, and respect for others that lie at the heart of RHI’s teachings, ensuring that their impact extends positively beyond the workshop space.
#3 Responsibility of Self-Care
The dedication to Radical Honesty principles enriches the lives of both Trainers and participants. Yet, the role of a Trainer comes with its unique set of pressures, from the responsibility of caring for participants to the personal vulnerability involved in sharing and guiding truthfully. It's essential for Trainers to develop and utilize strategies for managing these pressures in ways that are healthy and responsible.
Ensuring Personal Healing
Trainers recognize and actively engage in healing their own wounds before transitioning into a Trainer role. Continuous personal development and therapeutic work are essential for maintaining the ability to effectively support others.
Maintaining Personal Boundaries
Trainers set and respect their own limits to safeguard their well-being, ensuring they can serve others without depleting their own resources.
Commitment to Personal Development
Trainers prioritize ongoing self-reflection and growth, utilizing Radical Honesty principles in their personal life to enhance authenticity and effectiveness as a Trainer. Trainers demonstrate willingness to hear and incorporate feedback.
Ongoing Professional Development
Trainers commit to continuous professional development in areas like: trauma-awareness, power-awareness, work on personal biases, group-dynamics, group-facilitation, workshop best practices, etc.
Physical Health and Wellness
Trainers engage in practices that support their physical well-being, recognizing the connection between a healthy body and a resilient mind in the context of facilitating growth for others.
Emotional Resilience
Trainers cultivate strategies for managing emotional stress and maintaining balance, including mindfulness, meditation, and/or other activities that replenish energy and joy.
Building a Support Network
Trainers develop a robust support system of peers, mentors, and professionals to provide perspective, encouragement, and guidance through the challenges of the Trainer role.
Work-Life Balance
Trainers strive for a healthy balance between the responsibilities of a Trainer and personal life in order to prevent burnout and ensure they remain refreshed and engaged in both arenas.
Responsibility for Seeking Supervision
Trainers actively pursue supervision and guidance to ensure their practice remains aligned with Radical Honesty principles and ethics. Regular supervision provides an invaluable space for reflection, learning, and support, helping to navigate the complexities of the Trainer role with wisdom and integrity.
Responsibly Managing the Pressure of Training
In the rewarding yet demanding role of a Radical Honesty Trainer, it's crucial to acknowledge and manage the pressures that come with guiding others through their journeys of personal growth. This responsibility requires not only a commitment to the well-being of participants but also to the Trainer’s own mental and emotional health.
Living Document
The Radical Honesty Institute periodically reviews and updates this Code of Ethics to ensure the highest possible standards of Training, keeping the well-being of our participants at the forefront.