Teaching ethics for professional practice

One of the hallmarks of a professional discipline is the status of its ethical code. It is each individual’s responsibility to know and understand the particular standards for the professional group one is a member of. The British Association of Counsellors and Psychotherapists (BACP), the British Psychological Society (BPS) and the United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP) each have professional standards which are described in their respective codes and that counsellors, psychologists and psychotherapists, are professionally bound to comply with. Similarly, in other countries, professional societies also subscribe to professional codes of conduct and ethical practice, for example, the American Psychological Association (APA), and the Australian Psychological Society (APS). While professional societies may differ in their approach to advising members of their particular professional standards, there is an expectation that the codes have and achieve similar purposes. These include, the protection of the public, the promotion of sound professional practice or optimal behaviour, the regulation of inappropriate behaviour with the authority to police and discipline members of the profession, and to protect the integrity of the profession.