Knowledge and Understanding of Ethics

Counselors are responsible for having an in-depth knowledge of the ACA Code of Ethics.
Adhering to this code includes only offering services within their area of expertise and using
sound scientific basis for all work.

Potential Problems:

- Relying exclusively on clinical intuition

- Neglecting the responsibility to promote change in society
- Overlooking the need to practice on going self-care
- Financial struggles leading to neglect of pro bono work (pro bono = providing services at no
charge to the client)

Recommendations and Resolutions:

- Remain current on research data

- Be familiar with the ACA Code of Ethics
- Engage in ongoing professional development
- Be an active advocate for those in need
- Take on pro bono work
- Promote ongoing self-care

Professional Competence

Counselors should practice on in the boundaries of expertise. When developing new specialty
areas, counselors must ensure appropriate training and oversight.

Potential Problems:

- Overestimating knowledge and skills

- Failure to seek consultation from colleagues
- Focusing exclusively on technical skills at the expense of application
- Overlooking the need for multicultural competence

Recommendations and Resolutions:

- Consult with experienced colleagues and published professional standards

- Ensure a focus on the knowledge and attitude needed to practice cultural sensitivity
- Always take supervised counseling when expanding into new expertise
 Employment and Hiring Counselors

When accepting employment and hiring others, counselors must ensure a range of competencies
within the practice and constantly monitor professional effectiveness. Counselors should
routinely seek peer consultations for their own self-care.

Potential Problems:

- Long-practicing counselors can become professionally isolated

- Financial pressures can impair judgment regarding personal competencies
- Limited experience may lead to a misunderstanding of complex situations

Recommendations and Resolutions:

- Accurately assess needs for each employment position

- Before accepting an offer, ensure your own competencies
- If you lack some competencies, only accept an offer if you are able to receive the necessary
training and supervision
- Get assistance from experienced colleagues
- When ethical dilemmas come up, seek expert advice

Continuing Education

Counselors should continue with education throughout their careers, recognizing that the practice
is dynamic and new findings are constantly coming to light.

Potential Problems:

- Over-reliance on past training

- Failure to remain current on changes
- Expanding a practice into new areas without appropriate training

Recommendations and Resolutions:

- Consult experienced colleagues and published standards for new findings

- Actively seek out new education
- Realize that competence requires constant training
- Make continuing education a part of professional life

Impairment in Ability to Practice

Counselors must monitor themselves for their own physical, mental, or emotional well-being.
They must have a plan prepared for the event of any kind of incapacitation or termination of
practice to ensure continuing duty of care to the client.
Potential Problems:

- Counselors with an inflated sense of coping abilities

- Counselors experience financial stress may be unwilling to limit practice
- Overlooking colleague’s impaired function

Recommendations and Resolutions:

- Practice ongoing self-care and self-monitoring

- Be aware of colleague’s actions and needs
- When signs of impairment are present, consult with experience colleagues
- Always consider how decisions affect clients
- Make arrangements for a custodian in the case of incapacity

Advertising Counseling Services

All advertising must be accurate and truthful. When endorsements are used, counselors
should not use testaments from clients who are vulnerable to influence. Be very careful about
taking unsolicited testimonials.

Potential Problems:

- Being overly focused on expansion of the practice

- Tempting to share praise from a client as a way of generating business
- Tempting to inflate statements about credentials
- Risking conflict of interest when using testimonials
- Delegating responsibility of advertising to third parties

Recommendations and Resolutions:

- Consider both current and former clients' best interests when using testimonials
- Never solicit endorsements from clients who are vulnerable to influence
- Using client testimonials can create a perception of impropriety; be aware
- Ensure that all public statements are full accurate and truthful
- When delegating to a third party, exercise oversight

Recruiting Employees, Clients, or Consultees

Counselors should not use their place of employment to recruit employees, clients, or consultees
for personal gain (ex. private practice).

Potential Problems:

- Wanting to build a private practice can cause a temptation to poach employees

- Significant ambitions or financial pressure may lead to violations of this standard
Recommendations and Resolutions:

- Always follow your contract

- Never encourage clients from another practice to come to your private practice
- Do not put financial needs ahead of client needs

Products and Training Advertisements

Many counselors develop products such as books, trainings, and workshops. All advertising for
these products must be accurate and counselors must be careful not to pressure clients into
purchasing products.

Potential Problems:

- Counselors focused on financial success risk taking advantage of clients

- Delegating advertising duties can lead to misrepresentation

Recommendations and Resolutions:

- Take responsibility for the content of advertising

- Never pressure clients, students, or supervisees to purchase your products
- Disclose adequate information
- Never take advantage of dependence

Professional Qualifications

Qualifications such as Credentials, Educational Degrees, Implying Doctoral-Level Competence,

Accreditation Status, and Professional Membership must all be accurately represented at all
times. Only a counselor with a doctoral degree in counseling or closely related field may
represent themselves as “Dr.”

Potential Problems:

- Focus on achieving status can risk misrepresentation

- Powerful needs for aggrandizement
- Temptation to claim graduation from an accredited program when the program received
accreditation after graduation
- Misconstruing credentials by erroneously advertising as “Dr.”

Recommendations and Resolutions:

- Present all credentials accurately

- Ensure that the public is not misled by any of your advertising
- If you discover any erroneous information on a public forum correct it
- Never claim any credentials that are not accurate or current
 Nondiscrimination

Counselors do not engage in discrimination against anyone based on any factors. They are
always attentive to individual differences.

Potential Problems:

- Lacking sensitivity to the experience of diverse backgrounds

- Holding prejudiced or stereotyped views
- Refusing to provide service to someone based on a diversity variable

Recommendations and Resolutions:

- Develop and maintain competence in diverse backgrounds

- Remain mindful of every client’s worldview
- Self-evaluate for prejudice

Sexual Harassment

Counselors do not engage in sexual harassment and are knowledgeable of the definition.

Potential Problems:

- Lack of sensitivity or knowledge regarding what constitutes sexual harassment

- Immaturity and low levels of personal insight
- Blurring roles in professional relationships

Recommendations and Resolutions:

- Know the definition of sexual harassment

- Avoid sexual humor or teasing
- Recognize the increased risk of stress and loneliness
- Ensure that subordinates are trained in sexual harassment policies

Reports to Third Parties and the Media

Counselors are accurate, honest, and objective in reporting professional activities, and ensure
that statements to third parties, including the media, are based on appropriate counseling
literature and are consistent with the ACA Code of Ethics.

Potential Problems:

- Feeling pressure to justify work in a public forum

- Feeling pressure to entertain and offer advice that is not consistent with professional standards
- Justifying diagnoses to insurance companies may put clients at risk of overpathologization
Recommendations and Resolutions:

- Present professional opinions accurately and objectively

- Never make statements beyond available data
- Make sure public statements are consistent with current standards
- Never suggest that advice given in a media presentation is a replacement for counseling

Exploitation of Others and Pro Bono Work

Counselors recognize the potential power of their professional relationship and never attempt to
exploit it. Not all exploitation is obvious like coercing a client for sexual favors; sometimes it
may harder to identify (ex. using a client to meet your emotional needs). Counselors are also
vigilant in ways to serve the public at large.

Potential Problems:

- Counselors eager to succeed financially or who are emotionally needy are at higher risk for
exploiting others
- Preoccupation with financial gain can lead to exclusion of pro bono
- Counselor educators failing to emphasize the importance of pro bono

Recommendations and Resolutions:

- Be aware of potential opportunities for exploitation

- Look for opportunities to serve the local community
- Remember that pro bono work is subject to the same standards as professional work

Scientific Basis for Counseling

Counselors must ensure that a scientific basis for treatment is used in counseling. If planning to
use developing or innovative techniques, counselors explain the risks and benefits of using said
techniques to clients. Whenever possible, counselors should employ evidence-based counseling
strategies and use carefully researched techniques.

Potential Problems:

- If developing new approaches, counselors may be tempted to overlook risks involved

- Scientific caution can be overshadowed by sensational claims
- It can be challenging to refuse to provide a harmful technique if a client requests it

Recommendations and Resolutions:

- In general, only use techniques supported by scientific evidence

- Present unproven techniques to clients honestly and accurately
- When using unproven techniques, carefully monitor the effect on the client
- Never use strategies that carry significant risk of harm to the client, even if requested by client

Personal Public Statements

Counselors must clarify personal public statements as personal perspective and clarify that they
are not the views of their organization.

Potential Problems:

- When working in the media, one may fail to distinguish personal opinion from professional
standards
- Feeling defensive may lead to temptation to make personal remarks

Recommendations and Resolutions:

- Preface personal statements as they are

- Consider the public impact of any comments made
- Have a trusted colleague review public statements