mlm and acupuncture

by Anonymous

Promoting MLM products to your acupuncture clients is a blatant act of taking advantage of them and the therapeutic relationship. It is what is considered a dual relationship which in most cases creates more problems than it helps.

Because of the nature of the relationship that occurs the minute someone finds your website or makes the call for the appointment - your clients are seeking your help. Seeking help conjures up many old behaviors rooted in childhood that cause the patient to project (transfer) feelings and needs that were never met onto you. In other words they think you are their parent or significant caretaker. They want you to take care of them so they don't have to take responsibility for themselves. They will most likely do anything you tell them to do when they are in such a state of transference. It is your obligation as a health care practitioner to protect their best interests and health. Anytime you get a client involved in a downline situation, you set yourself up mixing business (being friends) and being a health care provider.

It is unethical to use the client-practitioner relationship to profit financially beyond your fee for your service charge.

It isn't about whether it is a good product or not, it iw whether you are unfairly using the power of the therapeutic relationship. Would they become a branch of the downline just to please you? What happens when the client doesn't make any money from the product and feels screwed by you? What happens when the client wants to get out of the mlm business and can't unless they stop seeing you as a patient?

There are many more questions...Please be careful with your clients who put their trust in you.