As licensed professionals, psychologists are obligated to serve in their professional roles and to carry out their professional duties and responsibilities in an ethical manner. We have a fiduciary duty to our clients that requires that all decisions made, and all actions taken, are motivated by and in keeping with our clients’ best interests (Jorgenson […]
Abstract Confidentiality and duty to protect are complex issues for psychotherapists treating clients with HIV. The application of the Tarasoff ruling to situations involving HIV has long been debated with questions about how the Tarasoff principles of identifiability of the victim, foreseeability of harm, and necessary protective action apply to HIV within the context of […]
Abstract This introductory article to the special section on ethics in psychotherapy highlights the challenges and ethical dilemmas psychotherapists regularly face throughout their careers, and the limits of the American Psychological Association Ethics Code in offering clear guidance for how specifically to respond to each of these situations. Reasons for the Ethics Code’s naturally occurring […]
Acting in an ethical manner requires careful consideration, deliberation, consultation, and reflection (Knapp, VandeCreek, & Fingerhut, 2017). Answers to ethical dilemmas cannot be found through a quick internet search or superficially sought through queries on professional listservs. When faced with ethically ambiguous and challenging situations for which there appears to be no readily evident “right” […]
The ethical conduct of research and the dissemination of its results are essential for the field of psychotherapy and for all psychotherapists. Ongoing research provides us with new insights, and expanding one’s knowledge base directly impacts the clinical services provided to clients. Without ongoing research, the mental health profession would stagnate and the public served […]
Psychotherapists endeavor to be ethical in all their professional roles and interactions. Yet, being ethical is not always easy. While there are regularly occurring situations that are clearly ethical or unethical, many of situations we may face constitute ethical dilemmas. These are situations with no readily apparent, clearly appropriate or inappropriate course of action. These […]
Ethics for psychotherapists is a given; it’s a fact of life for mental health clinicians. It is a required course in graduate school, likely included in comprehensive exams, and is addressed to some extent in clinical supervision (at least when problems arise). It also is an area of emphasis on licensure exams, making sure future […]
Informed consent lays the foundation for the psychotherapy relationship and treatment to come in respecting the client’s legal rights and offering her or him the opportunity to make an informed decision about participating in the treatment to be offered. Barnett, Wise, Johnson-Greene, & Bucky (2007) have highlighted the potential benefits of an appropriately implemented informed […]
The process of psychotherapy is relationship based. As such, how psychotherapists conduct themselves in these relationships has significant clinical and ethical implications. The Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct (APA Ethics Code, APA, 2010) makes clear the ethical obligations relevant to boundaries and multiple relationships that are likely to be well known by […]
