1. About this policy

The Metaphor Society is owned and managed by Andrew T. Austin and The Fresh Brain Company Ltd.

This policy forms part of the conditions of membership of The Metaphor Society. By joining or participating in Society activities, members agree to follow these standards.

This policy should be read alongside the Society’s Membership Policy, Privacy Policy, Recording and Online Meeting Policy and any additional guidance applying to a particular meeting, event or community space.

2. Who this policy applies to

This policy applies to:

• Members of The Metaphor Society
• Guests attending Society meetings or events
• Speakers, presenters and contributors
• Hosts, moderators and facilitators
• Participants in Society forums, groups and online communities
• Anyone using Society membership accounts, services or materials

It applies to conduct occurring during or in connection with:

• Online meetings and webinars
• Workshops and practice groups
• Member forums and discussion areas
• Society email correspondence
• Social media groups managed by the Society
• Private messages sent through Society platforms
• Use of Society recordings, resources and membership materials
• Conduct outside Society platforms that directly affects the safety or proper operation of the Society

3. Our community principles

4. Expected standards of behaviour

Members and participants are expected to:

• Treat other people with courtesy and respect
• Allow others a reasonable opportunity to contribute
• Listen without repeatedly interrupting
• Engage with ideas rather than attacking the person expressing them
• Express disagreement clearly without hostility or intimidation
• Follow reasonable instructions given by a host or moderator
• Respect personal boundaries and requests to end an interaction
• Use meeting chats, forums and messaging facilities appropriately
• Avoid dominating discussions or repeatedly diverting them off topic
• Take reasonable care not to disclose confidential information
• Represent their qualifications, experience and Society membership accurately
• Take responsibility for correcting inaccurate information they have provided

5. Disagreement, debate and intellectual freedom

The Metaphor Society exists for exploration and discussion. Members are not required to agree with the views of Andrew T. Austin, The Fresh Brain Company Ltd, guest speakers, hosts or other members.

Respectful disagreement, critical analysis, questioning of assumptions and discussion of controversial subjects are permitted.

A member will not be considered to have breached this policy merely because they:

• Disagree with another person’s interpretation
• Challenge a theory, model or claim
• Ask for evidence or clarification
• Express a minority or unpopular view
• Offer respectful criticism of the Society or a presentation
• Decline to adopt a particular therapeutic, spiritual or philosophical position

6. Equality and non-discrimination

The Society is open to people regardless of professional background, educational background or previous training.

Members must not discriminate against, harass or victimise another person because of:

• Age
• Disability
• Gender reassignment
• Marriage or civil partnership
• Pregnancy or maternity
• Race, colour, nationality, ethnic origin or national origin
• Religion or belief
• Sex
• Sexual orientation

Members must also show appropriate respect for differences in culture, language, socioeconomic background, education, profession, experience and personal circumstances.

This section does not prevent good-faith discussion of subjects relating to identity, culture, religion, politics, psychology or social issues. Such discussions must be conducted without targeting or degrading participants.

7. Harassment, bullying and intimidation

The following behaviour is not permitted:

• Threats, intimidation or aggressive personal confrontation
• Repeated insults, ridicule or deliberate humiliation
• Unwanted sexual comments, messages or advances
• Targeting someone repeatedly after they have asked for contact to stop
• Encouraging others to isolate, pursue or harass a person
• Publishing private information to embarrass, punish or endanger someone
• Using discriminatory language to attack or demean a person
• Retaliating against someone for raising a genuine concern
• Making threats against the Society, its members, speakers or staff
• Using Society platforms to pursue an unrelated personal dispute

A single serious incident may constitute a breach. Less serious conduct may also constitute a breach when it is repeated after a person has been asked to stop.

8. Confidentiality and personal information

Members may discuss personal experiences during meetings and community conversations. Such information should be treated sensitively.

Members must not:

• Share another member’s personal account outside the Society without permission
• Publish screenshots of private messages or closed discussions without proper justification
• Disclose another person’s contact information without permission
• Attempt to identify an anonymised client or third party
• Use personal information obtained through the Society for harassment or unsolicited marketing
• Copy private meeting chats into public spaces without permission

Members should understand that confidentiality cannot be absolutely guaranteed in a group setting. Participants should exercise care when deciding what personal information to disclose.

Confidentiality may be limited where information must be considered or disclosed to protect someone from serious harm, investigate misconduct, comply with the law or defend legal rights.

9. Client and third-party confidentiality

Practitioners, therapists, coaches, trainers and other professionals must not disclose identifiable information about clients, patients, students, colleagues or other third parties.

When discussing examples from professional practice, members must:

• Remove names and identifying details
• Avoid combining details that could reveal a person’s identity
• Share only the minimum information needed for the discussion
• Comply with their own professional and legal obligations
• Obtain appropriate permission where identifiable material is genuinely required

10. Online meeting conduct

During online meetings, participants should:

• Use an appropriate display name
• Mute their microphone when background noise is disruptive
• Avoid repeatedly interrupting speakers or participants
• Use the chat facility in a relevant and respectful manner
• Follow instructions concerning questions and speaking order
• Avoid sharing disturbing or inappropriate material without warning and permission
• Respect a host’s decision to mute, pause or remove a participant

Hosts and moderators may manage speaking access, disable chat functions, remove content or remove a participant where reasonably necessary to maintain the meeting.

Removal from a particular meeting does not always mean that membership has been terminated. Further action may be considered after the meeting.

11. Recording, screenshots and artificial intelligence tools

Members must not make audio recordings, video recordings, photographs, screenshots or transcripts of Society meetings without express permission.

Members must not use automated transcription, meeting assistants, artificial intelligence recording tools or similar services during a Society meeting unless permission has been obtained in advance.

Where the Society records a meeting, participants will be informed. Society recordings will be managed in accordance with the applicable recording and privacy policies.

Permission to attend a meeting does not include permission to create or distribute an independent recording.

12. Member-only materials

Membership may include access to recordings, presentations, articles, downloads, meeting links and other restricted materials.

Members must not:

• Share membership login details
• Give another person access through their account
• Publish or distribute restricted meeting links
• Upload Society recordings to another website or platform
• Sell or commercially redistribute Society materials
• Remove copyright, attribution or ownership notices
• Use Society material to create misleading or unauthorised derivative products

Brief quotations or references may be used where lawful and properly attributed, but substantial copying or redistribution requires prior permission.

13. Intellectual property and contributor material

Speakers and contributors may retain ownership of their own presentations, methods, written materials and other intellectual property.

Members must respect any restrictions placed on the copying, teaching, adaptation or distribution of contributor material.

Society membership does not transfer ownership of Society or speaker materials to the member.

Members must not present another person’s work as their own or imply that the Society has endorsed an adaptation, training programme or commercial service without written permission.

14. Professional representation

Membership of The Metaphor Society does not provide accreditation, certification, professional registration or a licence to practise.

Members must not:

• Describe themselves as accredited by the Society unless expressly authorised
• Claim that membership demonstrates professional competence
• Use the Society’s name or logo in a way that implies endorsement
• Misrepresent their qualifications, registration or experience
• Suggest that they speak on behalf of the Society without permission

Members remain responsible for working within their own training, competence, professional obligations and scope of practice.

15. Educational and therapeutic boundaries

The Metaphor Society is an educational and discussion community. It is not a therapy service, medical service, crisis service or professional regulator.

Members must not use Society meetings to pressure another participant into becoming a client or receiving an intervention.

No participant should attempt to diagnose, treat or conduct an unsolicited therapeutic process with another member during a general Society meeting.

Demonstrations or exercises should be clearly introduced and should involve voluntary participation.

Participants may decline to answer a question, take part in an exercise or discuss personal material without having to justify their decision.

16. Promotion, advertising and solicitation

Members may identify their professional background where relevant to a discussion. However, Society meetings and member contact information must not be used for persistent or unsolicited promotion.

Members must not:

• Send repeated unsolicited marketing messages to other members
• Collect member contact information for advertising purposes
• Use meeting chats primarily to promote unrelated services
• Pressure members to purchase products, training or therapy
• Promote fraudulent, unlawful or exploitative schemes
• Misrepresent a commercial promotion as an official Society recommendation

Relevant resources, events or services may be mentioned where permitted by the host and genuinely connected to the discussion.

17. Conflicts of interest

Members, speakers and decision-makers should disclose relevant personal, professional or financial interests where these could reasonably affect a Society discussion or decision.

Relevant interests may include:

• A financial interest in a product or service being recommended
• A close personal or professional relationship with someone involved in a complaint
• An existing dispute with another member
• Commercial competition relevant to a decision
• A role in another organisation directly affected by the matter

Disclosure of an interest does not necessarily prevent participation, but it allows the interest to be managed openly and fairly.

18. Safety and safeguarding concerns

Members must not use the Society to encourage violence, abuse, exploitation, stalking, self-harm or other seriously harmful conduct.

Anyone who becomes aware of an immediate danger should contact the appropriate emergency service or safeguarding authority rather than relying on the Society to provide an emergency response.

Where the Society receives information indicating a credible risk of serious harm, it may take proportionate action. This may include:

• Ending or restricting participation in a meeting
• Contacting an emergency or safeguarding service
• Preserving relevant records
• Sharing necessary information with an appropriate authority
• Suspending membership while the concern is considered

19. Reporting a concern

Concerns about behaviour connected with the Society should be reported by email to:

freshnewbrain@gmail.com

A report should include, where available:

• The name of the person whose conduct is being reported
• The date and context of the incident
• A clear description of what happened
• The names of any witnesses
• Relevant messages, screenshots or other supporting material
• Any immediate safety concerns
• The outcome the reporting person is seeking

Reports should be factual and should include only information reasonably relevant to the concern.

A person does not need to confront the subject of a complaint before reporting serious behaviour to the Society.

20. Confidentiality of reports

Reports will be handled as discreetly as reasonably possible. However, complete confidentiality cannot always be promised.

Information may need to be shared with:

• The person considering the complaint
• The person whose conduct has been reported
• Relevant witnesses
• A host, moderator or platform provider
• A professional adviser
• An emergency, safeguarding or legal authority

Only information reasonably necessary to understand, investigate or respond to the concern should be collected and shared.

The Society may withhold information where disclosure would expose another person to unnecessary risk, breach legal obligations or reveal confidential third-party information.

21. How concerns may be handled

The response will depend on the seriousness, urgency and available information. The Society may:

• Take no further action where the report does not indicate a policy breach
• Seek clarification or additional information
• Offer informal guidance or mediation where appropriate
• Issue a reminder about expected standards
• Give a formal warning
• Restrict participation in a meeting, group or feature
• Remove inappropriate content
• Suspend membership while the matter is considered
• Terminate membership
• Refer the matter to an appropriate external body

The Society may consider information supplied by members, witnesses, hosts, moderators, platform records and relevant correspondence.

The Society is not a court, professional regulator or statutory disciplinary body. Its decisions relate to access to its own membership, meetings, platforms and services.

22. Informal resolution

Minor disagreements or misunderstandings may sometimes be resolved informally through clarification, an apology, a reminder of standards or an agreement about future conduct.

Informal resolution will not be required where:

• The allegation is serious
• A person may be at risk
• There is a significant imbalance of power
• The behaviour has been repeated
• The reporting person does not feel safe communicating directly
• Immediate restriction or suspension is considered necessary

23. Warnings, restrictions and suspension

Where appropriate, a member may be told:

• What conduct has caused concern
• Which standard is considered relevant
• What change in behaviour is expected
• What restrictions have been placed on participation
• What may happen if the conduct continues

Membership may be suspended immediately where reasonably necessary to:

• Protect members or participants
• Prevent further disruption
• Protect confidential information
• Preserve relevant evidence
• Allow a serious concern to be considered
• Protect the Society’s systems, materials or reputation from misuse

Suspension is a temporary protective or administrative measure. It does not necessarily mean that a final decision has been made.

24. Termination of membership

Membership may be terminated where the Society considers that a member has breached this policy or another applicable Society policy.

Termination may be appropriate where:

• The conduct is serious
• The conduct has continued after a warning
• The member has harassed, threatened or discriminated against another person
• The member has seriously breached confidentiality
• The member has made or distributed an unauthorised recording
• The member has shared restricted materials or account access
• The member has behaved dishonestly or fraudulently
• The member has placed another person at credible risk
• Continued membership would expose the Society or its members to harm
• Trust necessary for continued membership has broken down because of the member’s conduct

The Society is not required to issue a warning before terminating membership where the alleged breach is sufficiently serious.

25. Requests for review

A member whose membership has been terminated may request a review of the decision.

The request must:

• Be submitted within 14 days of notification
• Identify the decision being challenged
• Explain why the decision is believed to be incorrect or disproportionate
• Include any relevant new information

A review request does not automatically restore membership while the review is being considered.

The review may confirm, vary or reverse the original decision. The outcome of the review will be final for the purposes of Society membership administration.

26. False, malicious or retaliatory reports

Members will not be penalised for raising a genuine concern in good faith, even where the concern is not upheld.

However, deliberately false allegations, fabricated evidence, malicious reporting or retaliation against a person involved in a complaint may themselves constitute a breach of this policy.

A complaint will not be treated as malicious merely because the person reporting it is mistaken, distressed or unable to provide complete evidence.

27. External reports and legal action

Nothing in this policy prevents a person from reporting suspected criminal conduct, safeguarding concerns, data protection concerns or professional misconduct to an appropriate external authority.

The Society may also make an external report where this is considered necessary or legally required.

Internal consideration by the Society may be delayed, limited or adapted where an external investigation is taking place.

28. Responsibility for personal interactions

Members may form personal or professional connections through the Society. These relationships are private arrangements between the individuals concerned.

The Society is not responsible for independently verifying every member’s qualifications, claims, services or suitability.

Members should exercise their own judgement before entering into therapeutic, professional, commercial or personal arrangements with another member.

29. Changes to this policy

This policy may be updated to reflect changes in the Society’s services, community arrangements, legal obligations or operational requirements.

The latest version will be published on the Society website. Material changes may also be communicated to members by email or through the membership area.