Massage and Bodywork Licensing Examination Guidelines for Professional Practice 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which of the following best describes the ethical principle of 'beneficence' as applied to massage therapy?
- Avoiding any action that could harm the client
- Actively promoting the client's health and well-being through therapeutic action (Correct answer)
- Treating all clients equally regardless of their condition
- Charging fair and consistent fees for all services
Correct answer: Actively promoting the client's health and well-being through therapeutic action
Beneficence means proactively acting in the client's best interest, going beyond simply avoiding harm to actively promoting health.
Question 2: A client requests that the therapist not document the session because they do not want any record of the visit. What should the therapist do?
- Honor the request to respect client autonomy
- Explain that documentation is a professional and legal requirement and that records must be kept (Correct answer)
- Keep minimal notes and store them separately from other files
- Ask the client to sign a waiver exempting the therapist from record-keeping
Correct answer: Explain that documentation is a professional and legal requirement and that records must be kept
Maintaining accurate clinical records is both a professional standard and a legal requirement that the therapist cannot waive based on a client's preference.
Question 3: Which of the following is an example of practicing within professional boundaries?
- Offering emotional counseling when a client becomes distressed during a session
- Acknowledging a client's emotional response and suggesting they speak with a mental health professional (Correct answer)
- Exploring a client's psychological history to better tailor massage treatment
- Providing diagnoses for musculoskeletal pain based on assessment findings
Correct answer: Acknowledging a client's emotional response and suggesting they speak with a mental health professional
Acknowledging emotions and referring to appropriate professionals demonstrates respect for the client while staying within the massage therapist's scope.
Question 4: What is the correct course of action if a client exhibits signs of a medical emergency during a session?
- Complete the session and recommend the client visit a doctor afterward
- Stop the session, call emergency services, and provide basic first aid if trained (Correct answer)
- Ask the client if they want to continue before taking any action
- Administer any available medications to stabilize the client
Correct answer: Stop the session, call emergency services, and provide basic first aid if trained
In a medical emergency, the therapist must stop the session, activate emergency services, and provide first aid within their certified scope until help arrives.
Question 5: Which of the following situations requires the therapist to update the client's health intake form?
- The client changes their preferred appointment time
- The client reports a new diagnosis, medication, or change in health status since the last visit (Correct answer)
- The client requests a different therapist at the practice
- The client pays with a different form of payment
Correct answer: The client reports a new diagnosis, medication, or change in health status since the last visit
Changes in health status, new diagnoses, or new medications may affect treatment safety and must be recorded to ensure accurate and current documentation.
Question 6: How should a massage therapist respond if a client attempts to engage in a romantic relationship?
- Evaluate the situation privately and respond based on personal feelings
- Clearly and professionally decline, reaffirm professional boundaries, and document the incident (Correct answer)
- Immediately terminate the therapeutic relationship without explanation
- Continue the therapeutic relationship and pursue the personal relationship separately
Correct answer: Clearly and professionally decline, reaffirm professional boundaries, and document the incident
The therapist must firmly but professionally decline, reinforce the professional nature of the relationship, and document the interaction for their own protection.
Question 7: A therapist works out of a shared office space and a colleague asks about a mutual client they recognize. What is the correct response?
- Share basic information since the colleague is a licensed professional
- Decline to confirm or deny whether the individual is a client, citing confidentiality (Correct answer)
- Refer the colleague to check public records for information
- Confirm the client's name but share no session details
Correct answer: Decline to confirm or deny whether the individual is a client, citing confidentiality
Even acknowledging that someone is a client constitutes a breach of confidentiality; the therapist must decline to discuss the matter entirely.
Massage and Bodywork Licensing Examination Guidelines for Professional Practice 5
Which of the following best describes the ethical principle of 'beneficence' as applied to massage therapy?