Ethics Are a Process, Not an Intention

✏️ Editor’s Note:

Is having good intentions enough to practice ethically? What could help guide healers through tricky situations?

Most ethical challenges don't happen because practitioners intentionally do the wrong thing—they happen in the gray areas where intuition, compassion, and professionalism overlap.

As both an energy healer and an attorney, Ian Foster offers perspective to these moments. In this article, he shares a practical framework to help you navigate ethical decisions with greater clarity, confidence, and consistency.

The world of energy healing sometimes feels big and sometimes feels small. On the one hand, we have many beautiful modalities and paradigms, with gifted healers joining the community every day. 

On the other hand, it sometimes feels like a “small world” when people ask whether I know so-and-so in the energy community, my answer is either “yes” or “no, but I know someone who does.”

In this big-but-small community we’ve been engaging in more discussions lately about what I call policing ourselves; in other words, we’re starting to reach some consensus on broad ethical standards that protect practitioners, clients, and the community as a whole, even while we have healthy disagreements on the specifics.

Also in this small-but-big community, we frequently talk about things like intuition, channeling, holding space, divine guidance, and energy flow. Those are beautiful and important things to talk about; they are using imperfect language to get at deeper truths of human capacity and healing ability.

At this point in our community’s evolution, those two discussions are overlapping.

Ethical “standards” can feel like externally imposed restrictions on how we serve our clients. And our channeled guidance/natural intuition can feel like internal pressure to engage with clients in a way that might create avoidable external risk.

In my opinion as both an attorney and energy worker, I think what’s missing from this conversation is the process that makes energy work safe, effective, and sustainable for practitioners and clients alike.

Properly adapted, a process gives us each a consistent framework, something we can practice when days are going smoothly, so that it’s easier to implement on the hard days when a client's interactions seem ethically tricky or unsure.

Process need not be externally imposed and need not be identical among all energy practitioners.

Rather, it can be adapted for each of us individually, combining healthy ethical standards that are broadly accepted in the industry with our own personal values and guidance, giving us a framework that flows from within. Then, in the tricky moments, we can make choices that are both aligned and well considered, without having to fall back on our intention in the heat of the moment.

So what might that kind of process look like?

I’d like to suggest a simple and gentle framework you can adapt to your own practice. This is not meant to be rigid or exhaustive, but rather a series of checkpoints you can return to so that your decisions are grounded in legal and ethical clarity along with your own values.

💡A strong ethical process gives your intuition a safe foundation, helping you navigate challenging client situations with confidence. 

First, start with clear agreements.

The ethics of client interaction begins before the healing session ever starts. True legal and ethical consent doesn’t simply live in a signed form, but in a shared understanding between practitioner and client.

Your client should know what you do and don’t do, what your work supports and doesn’t support, and what you can promise and not promise. You don’t need anything complicated or overly formal. Just some clarity, written in your own words.

Taking the time to establish this understanding up front (both in writing and in conversation) reduces confusion later. And it empowers your client to make their own informed choices, aligned with their own values, about how and when to engage with your work.

Practice this on the easy days, when things are running smoothly. That creates a habit of ethical professionalism so that, on the hard days, it becomes a foundation you can rely on.

Second, know your role.

Once the understanding is established, the next step is to stay grounded in your role. In legal terms we often call this your “scope of practice.” In more informal terms, we call it “staying in your lane.”

Energy practitioners support people’s overall wellbeing. But we are not diagnosing medical or mental health conditions and we are not prescribing treatments or advising clients to change their care plans. 

So when a client brings something that feels possibly outside your scope, your process can gently guide you to acknowledge the validity of the client’s experience, stay present with them, and then (when appropriate) guide them to seek support from a professional who is qualified to meet their needs in that respect. 

On most days, knowing your role will seem simple and straightforward. That’s exactly why it’s important to practice “staying in your lane” all the time, so that you can more easily come back to it on the days when you find yourself in that gray area where ethics and legalities get tricky.

Third, hold your boundaries in the moment.

After consent sets the agreement and scope defines your role, boundaries will uphold both of those during real-life interactions.

I realize that, for many of us, boundary setting feels like the most challenging step, and that’s okay. Boundaries tend to activate old attachment wounds and potentially unhealthy attachment mechanisms, so it’s only natural for this step to be scary.

Maybe a client wants more time than you’ve scheduled, or extra “bonus” sessions that they haven’t paid for. Or perhaps the client is excessively reaching out in between sessions, or they want to rely upon you in ways that swerve outside of your lane.

There’s nothing inherently wrong with any of that and it doesn’t make either you or the client a bad person. Those are normal aspects in working relationships, especially relationships that share some level of trust and intimacy, like between client and healer.

So make sure your process guides you to respond in a consistent and aligned manner. End the session on time even when it feels awkward. Gently remind that client about appropriate times and manners of communication. When something is beyond your scope, go ahead and name it. 

As with the other steps, on most days upholding your boundaries will not be that difficult, so make sure you practice it when things are smooth. Then, on the trickier days when boundaries really matter, you can keep that client-practitioner relationship in a health window.

Fourth, pause for clarity.

Even the best preparation and practice is going to leave moments of uncertainty, because you simply can’t anticipate everything. So, a key part of your ethical process should be pausing so you can reflect, ask questions, and reach out for guidance where needed.

It may be as simple as a client saying something (often offhand or casually) that raises concern. Or you feel pulled to act or respond in a way that doesn’t quite fit your usual role or feels slightly out of alignment. In those moments you may not be sure what the “right” answer is, or even if there is a right answer. And that’s okay, especially if your process includes pausing to sit in the uncertainty.

Instead of reacting in the moment, you can think about it and seek guidance. If you’re in active conversation with the client, you can even tell them you need to pause and look into the matter. Then reach out to a trusted colleague, mentor, or expert.

The pause allows you to come back to your agreement, your scope, and your boundaries, then to make a decision that is aligned in terms of the law, industry ethics, and your personal values.

💡 Ethics and the law often go hand in hand. Read Legal Anxiety: Why Energy Healers Don't Need to Fear the Law to learn how understanding your legal responsibilities can help you practice with comfort and peace of mind. 

Finally, trust your own process.

At the end of the day, this is a strong ethical process that is not meant to be perfect nor meant to replace your intuition. But it gives you something you can trust, something that is grounded in industry consensus and gives your intuition space to operate without the pressure of the moment.

Just as important, a strong ethical process allows you to show up consistently both when things are easy and when things are complex and emotional.

In an industry like ours which values energy flow and intuition, structure can sometimes feel out of place. But, if that structure is grounded in strong external practice and considered internal values, it creates the safe container that you and your clients are craving.

✏️ Editor’s Note:

Ethics aren’t about getting every decision perfectly; it's about having a process you can fall back on when difficult or murky situations arise.

By creating clear agreements, staying within your scope of practice, maintaining healthy boundaries, and pausing when you're unsure, you'll build a practice that's both compassionate and professional.

emember, ethical decision-making is a skill that grows with experience. If you're looking to strengthen your safe practice even further, explore EMPA's educational resources designed to help energy healers navigate ethical and professional challenges. Click here to learn more about member benefits!

This article was originally published in the July/August 2026 issue of Energy Magazine. As part of the ongoing EMPA column by Julie Bartrum and Katherine Krupka, these articles aim to support energy healers with common challenges and encourage clarity and confidence within their practice.

Disclaimer: This article is for educational purposes only and does not constitute legal, medical, or insurance advice. Laws and coverage vary by state and policy. For legal questions, consult a qualified attorney. For insurance questions, refer to your policy language or provider.