career choice

[angell1]

hi everyone,

i’m thinking of going in to physiotherapy later on. i’m just wondering this though:

would it be a sin to treat patients of the opposite sex if it involves manipulating muscles in certain area that we normally shouldn’t touch, for example, gluteal muscles or the adductors in the groin. it would be purely rehabilitative purposes. what do you think?

 

[1ke]

I think you need to get guidance from your pastor. Several of your posts are starting to sound very scrupulous.

 

[SecretGarden]

As a physiotherapy, you will be helping patients of both sexes. You will learn how to help people in those areas - that said depending on the place you are hired, they may also have specific guidelines which require only individuals from the same sex have access to. I wouldn’t worry too much about it. Wait until you encounter such a situation and then if you are uncomfortable seek help from your supervisor and pastor.

 

[LightBound]

hi everyone,

i’m thinking of going in to physiotherapy later on. i’m just wondering this though:

would it be a sin to treat patients of the opposite sex if it involves manipulating muscles in certain area that we normally shouldn’t touch, for example, gluteal muscles or the adductors in the groin. it would be purely rehabilitative purposes. what do you think?

You need to seek spiritual direction and possibly some counseling for your scrupulosity. Think about what you just asked. If you were considering becoming a doctor, even if you were to become a gynecologist, you’d still have to treat a male patient and examine him in places that you might not feel is appropriate while you are training in medical school. Do you think men are sinning if they become doctors that provide care for women? Please talk over your concerns with either your priest or a counselor.

 

[angell1]

I think you need to get guidance from your pastor. Several of your posts are starting to sound very scrupulous.

i would kind of feel bad about bothering a pastor about things like this. and you should see some of the private messages i’m getting from people for whatever reason, don’t want to post to the thread

 

[Auntie_A]

I’m not sure if you are a boy or girl but the issue you are discussing is much like those that nurses, doctors, occupational and physical therapists have to deal with. Don’t go into a profession if you are squeamish about touching the opposite sex. Imagine how a male gynecologist or a female proctologist must feel!

Many female healthcare workers have had to give males a shower in a hospital and males have had to shower females. Some patients request a person of their own gender. There are many techniques for maintaining modesty. My massage therapist friends learned a technique called “draping” where you help someone maintain their modesty by covering them with a sheet during the massage. Many of these issues are resolved in school, some are discussed at a job interview, some placeswill try to accommodate patients and therapists accordingly by matching up the appropriate staff member with a patient…

It is very important to learn professional boundaries and to know how to behave maturely in a clinical setting. It is also important to learn how to deal with inappropriate people. Many healthcare people have had to deal with an offensive patient, just as patients have had to deal with an offensive healthcare person…hopefully this is a rare occurrence.

Good luck if you take this career choice. Helping people with mobility and injury/illness recovery is a very satisfying career.

 

[thistle]

i would kind of feel bad about bothering a pastor about things like this. and you should see some of the private messages i’m getting from people for whatever reason, don’t want to post to the thread

I agree with 1ke. You really do appear to be scrupulous and getting worse based on your posts in several threads.
It is important you speak to your priest and you certainly would NOT be bothering him. He is there to help you.
Scrupulosity will simply make your life miserable because you will constantly agonise over whether anything you do or don’t do, say or don’t say, think or don’t think is sinful. You can’t live your life that way.
Talk to your priest or it will get worse.