Codes of Ethics for Counselors and Marriage and Family Therapists
Course #77630 - $36 -
- Participation Instructions
- Review the course material online or in print.
- Complete the course evaluation.
- Review your Transcript to view and print your Certificate of Completion. Your date of completion will be the date (Pacific Time) the course was electronically submitted for credit, with no exceptions. Partial credit is not available.
This course provides a comprehensive review of ethical standards and professional responsibilities for counselors and therapists based on the NBCC, ACA, and AAMFT Codes of Ethics. Participants will explore key topics including professional competence, informed consent, confidentiality and its exceptions, recordkeeping requirements, and ethical considerations in working with diverse populations. The course also addresses decision-making frameworks, duty to warn, standards for working with minors and vulnerable individuals, the use of technology in practice, and guidelines related to advocacy and prohibited practices. Additionally, learners will gain insight into the ethical complaint process and potential sanctions for violations, supporting ethical and compliant practice across settings.
- INTRODUCTION
- HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVES
- FOUNDATIONS AND SHARED BELIEFS
- ETHICAL DECISIONS
- CURRENT ETHICAL CODES
- SUMMARY OF THE NBCC CODE OF ETHICS
- A SUMMARY OF THE ACA CODE OF ETHICS
- SUMMARY OF THE AAMFT CODE OF ETHICS
- ETHICAL DECISION-MAKING
- EVALUATING ETHICAL PRACTICE
- SERVICE DELIVERY THROUGH TECHNOLOGY AND SOCIAL MEDIA
- CONVERSION/REPARATIVE THERAPY
- DUAL RELATIONSHIPS
- CONFIDENTIALITY AND DUTY TO WARN
- CASE STUDIES
- SUMMARY OF THE HEALTH INSURANCE PORTABILITY ACCOUNTABILITY ACT (HIPAA) PRIVACY RULE
- GLOSSARY
- RESOURCES
- CONCLUSION
- Works Cited
This course is designed for counselors and therapists in all practice settings.
The purpose of this course is to provide counselors and therapists with a comprehensive understanding of ethical standards and professional responsibilities outlined by NBCC, ACA, and AAMFT, including competence, confidentiality, informed consent, multicultural considerations, and ethical decision-making across diverse practice settings.
Upon completion of this course, you should be able to:
- Identify and define the standards of the NBCC, ACA, and AAMFT codes of ethics for professional competence, informed consent, confidentiality, dual relationships, and duty to warn.
- Discuss fundamental principles of the ACA Code of Ethics.
- Explain the requirements for client records in the NBCC, ACA, and AAMFT codes of ethics.
- Identify exceptions that allow disclosure of confidential information.
- Discuss assessment guidelines in the NBCC Code of Ethics.
- List and define competencies for multicultural diversity sensitivity from the ACA and AAMFT codes of ethics.
- Explain the term "foreseeable harm" related to confidentiality of client disclosures.
- Discuss components of ethical decision making in therapy and counseling.
- List ethical standards specific to minor clients and incapacitated or incompetent individuals.
- Explain standards that guide long-distance counseling or therapy using technology and social media from the NBCC, ACA, AAMFT, Code of Ethics, and AMFTRB guidelines.
- Discuss the NBCC, ACA, and AAMFT directives opposing conversion-reparative therapy and counseling.
- Identify standards for advocacy from the ACA and AAMFT codes of ethics.
- List the complaint process and sanctions for ethics violations.
Deborah Converse, MA, NBCT, holds an MA in Education for Emotionally Disabled Students from the University of Central Florida, a BA and MA in Psychology, and was awarded National Board Certification in 2000 as an Exceptional Needs Specialist, Birth-21+ endorsement. She has dedicated her career to building knowledge and acceptance of individuals with special needs within their families, schools, and communities, and has addressed education and employment issues for students facing challenges that include developmental, emotional and behavioral challenges, mental illness, mobility, and chemical dependency within the public school system setting. She has authored numerous instructional programs and presented them at state, national, and international conferences on education and mental health.
Contributing faculty, Deborah Converse, MA, NBCT, has disclosed no relevant financial relationship with any product manufacturer or service provider mentioned.
Scott Deatherage, PhD
The division planner has disclosed no relevant financial relationship with any product manufacturer or service provider mentioned.
Sarah Campbell
The Director of Development and Academic Affairs has disclosed no relevant financial relationship with any product manufacturer or service provider mentioned.
The purpose of NetCE is to provide challenging curricula to assist healthcare professionals to raise their levels of expertise while fulfilling their continuing education requirements, thereby improving the quality of healthcare.
Our contributing faculty members have taken care to ensure that the information and recommendations are accurate and compatible with the standards generally accepted at the time of publication. The publisher disclaims any liability, loss or damage incurred as a consequence, directly or indirectly, of the use and application of any of the contents. Participants are cautioned about the potential risk of using limited knowledge when integrating new techniques into practice.
It is the policy of NetCE not to accept commercial support. Furthermore, commercial interests are prohibited from distributing or providing access to this activity to learners.
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The role of implicit biases on healthcare outcomes has become a concern, as there is some evidence that implicit biases contribute to health disparities, professionals' attitudes toward and interactions with patients, quality of care, diagnoses, and treatment decisions. This may produce differences in help-seeking, diagnoses, and ultimately treatments and interventions. Implicit biases may also unwittingly produce professional behaviors, attitudes, and interactions that reduce patients' trust and comfort with their provider, leading to earlier termination of visits and/or reduced adherence and follow-up. Disadvantaged groups are marginalized in the healthcare system and vulnerable on multiple levels; health professionals' implicit biases can further exacerbate these existing disadvantages.
Interventions or strategies designed to reduce implicit bias may be categorized as change-based or control-based. Change-based interventions focus on reducing or changing cognitive associations underlying implicit biases. These interventions might include challenging stereotypes. Conversely, control-based interventions involve reducing the effects of the implicit bias on the individual's behaviors. These strategies include increasing awareness of biased thoughts and responses. The two types of interventions are not mutually exclusive and may be used synergistically.