JOINT RUSSIAN ASSOCIATION FOR PSYCOLOGICAL COUNSELLING
Code of Ethics

1. Qualifications:

Counsellors are required to disclose their qualifications when requested and not claim or imply qualifications that they do not have.

2.Terms, Conditions and Methods of Practice:

Counsellors are required to disclose on request their terms, conditions and where it is appropriate their methods of practice at the outset of treatment.

3. Confidentiality:

Counsellors are required to preserve confidentiality and to disclose, if requested, the limits of confidentiality and circumstances under which it might be broken to specific third parties.

4.Professional Relationship:

Counsellors should consider the client's best interests when making appropriate contact with the client's family doctor, relevant psychiatric services or other relevant professionals with the client's knowledge. Counsellors should be aware of their limitations and be willing to make contact with other professionals when necessary.

5.Relationship with Clients:

Counsellors are required to maintain appropriate boundaries with their clients and to take care not to exploit them in any way, emotionally, sexually or financially. This should hold for both current and past clients. Counsellors should avoid counselling friends, colleagues and relatives. They should avoid working with friends and relatives of their clients.

6. Research:

Counsellors are required to clarify with clients the nature, purpose and conditions of any research in which the clients are to be involved. Informed and verifiable consent should be obtained before the research commences.

7. Publication:

Counsellors must safeguard the welfare and anonymity of clients when any form of publication of clinical material is being considered. Consent should be obtained wherever possible. Video and audio recordings should only be made with the client's consent.

8. Practitioner Competence:

Counsellors are required to maintain their ability to perform competently and to take the steps necessary to achieve this. They must be aware of their own limitations and not work when they are not physically or emotionally able to do so competently. They should be in supervision at a frequency appropriate to their level of experience.

9. Indemnity Insurance:

Counsellors are required that their professional work is adequately covered by appropriate indemnity insurance, as soon as this option is available to them.

10.Detrimental Behaviour:

Counsellors are required to refrain from any behavior that may be detrimental to their clients, to the profession, colleagues or trainees. They are also required to challenge behavior in colleagues which might be detrimental to the profession or to the public. This might mean initiating the Complaints Procedure of the relevant member organization.