Articles about

Sketchy

More about Sketchy Guys (and Related Topics)

March 17th, 2021 — Many clinic safety incidents, before they actually happen, include some kind of quiet internal warning for the practitioner -- a sense that something about the situation is “off” or some misgiving or hesitation about a choice that in hindsight, turns out to be a mistake.

Boundaries in Community Acupuncture, Part 2

March 29th, 2021 — The Chinese proverb “the superior doctor prevents sickness; the mediocre doctor attends to impending sickness; the inferior doctor treats actual sickness” is often interpreted by acupuncturists to mean that any illness can be prevented by maintaining mental, emotional, and spiritual harmony, and so a “sage healer” or “scholar-physician” is primarily a teacher or a guide for ordinary people in how to live so that they don't get sick. There are some boundary issues with that.

Altered States (or, the Sketchy Guy)

March 12th, 2021 — Patients and potential patients in altered states represent an interesting category of interactions for community acupuncturists. Altered states are sometimes, but not always, a reason why it might not be safe to offer a treatment to that person at that time.

Kind of Like a Pit Bull

January 18th, 2021 — A common argument among acupuncturists is that nobody can safely practice acupuncture without at least three years of post graduate training at an accredited acupuncture school. Also, dogs.

The Man Who Stared at Women

May 5th, 2021 — Some behavior in the clinic is inappropriate, and some inappropriate behavior is also gendered and/or sexual. Not all inappropriate behavior makes the clinic environment less socially safe (sometimes it’s just annoying and/or disruptive, like patients answering their cell phones in the treatment room) but all inappropriate behavior that’s gendered and/or sexual presents a social safety problem.

Leadership and Safety Part 1: Consent

May 7th, 2021 — Inspirational leaders make other people want to do things that those people were otherwise not motivated enough or not confident enough to do on their own. They get people to transcend their own self-interest to serve a bigger vision. That’s wonderful, right? Yeah, no, not really.

Billy, Don't Be A Guru

May 14th, 2021 — Safety requires transparency, and transparency requires that we actively and intentionally disengage from the role of Guru in our patient relationships.

>