Ethics & Legal
111 articles found
Ethical Use of Interpreters for Non-English-Speaking Clients in Forensic Contexts
According to the United States Census Bureau, 60.4% of the United States population consists of White persons not of Hispanic or Latino ethnicities, and 41.8% of the population consists of racial/ethnic groups identified as Black or African American, American Indian and Native Alaskan, Asian, Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, Hispanic or Latino, or those […]
Caitlyn Azama, B.S. + 1 more
March 8, 2020
The Evolving Nature of the Ethical Practice of Psychotherapy
While all psychotherapists aspire to practice ethically, this can at times prove challenging. It may seem at first glance that practicing ethically means simply following the ethics code of one’s profession. While this is a good place to start, unfortunately this is not sufficient for ensuring ethical practice. There are several reasons for this: 1. […]
Jeffrey E. Barnett, Psy.D., ABPP
March 1, 2020
The Ethical Practice of Psychotherapy
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 […]
Jeffrey E. Barnett, Psy.D., ABPP
December 13, 2019
I Would Never Do That!
In graduate school, I had an ethics class (actually, three 1-credit classes) which repeatedly discussed how to avoid boundary crossings and violations. During my pre-doctoral internship orientation, I was handed a pamphlet entitled “Therapy Never Includes Sex,” and expected to read the pamphlet and sign a statement indicating I read the pamphlet. In my current […]
Apryl Alexander, Psy.D.
October 30, 2019
Moving Target
In late 2018, Chinese scientist He Jiankui revealed that twin girls had been born from embryos he had created using genome editing (referred to as the “CRISPR babies” after the molecular tool used that may render them immune to HIV). Internationally, legal and ethical debates quickly began. There is a fear that other scientists will […]
Apryl Alexander, Psy.D.
April 15, 2019
Paging Dr. House
Primary care physicians and pediatricians are often the first ones to provide a mental health diagnoses and prescribe psychotropic medications. In fact, one study found the proportion of primary care visits at which antidepressants were prescribed, but no psychiatric diagnosis was noted in the record, increased from 59.5% to 72.7% from 1996 to 2007 (Mojtabai […]
Apryl Alexander, Psy.D.
December 12, 2018
Competence, Ethical Practice, and Going It Alone
The practice of psychotherapy is typically, by its very nature, a solitary activity for the psychotherapist. Even for those psychotherapists who work in group practices, hospitals, clinics, and other similar settings, the individual nature of the practice of psychotherapy can be isolating. The one-on-one nature of most psychotherapy and the demands placed on the psychotherapist […]
Jeffrey E. Barnett, Psy.D., ABPP + 1 more
December 6, 2018
One Dozen Important Actions to Take Now to Practice Ethically and Competently
1. Get out of the office, attend continuing education events and professional association conferences, and interact with colleagues. Don’t isolate yourself. Those who are more isolated professionally are at greater risk of poor decision-making and unethical practice over time (Knapp & VandeCreek, 2012). 2. Create a constellation of colleagues (Johnson, Barnett, Elman, Forrest, & Kaslow, […]
Jeffrey E. Barnett, Psy.D., ABPP
November 11, 2018
Helping Clinicians Build Identities as Practice-Based Researchers
Practice-based research, or research that is conducted in naturalistic care settings, often by clinicians, has the potential to advance the science and practice of psychotherapy. Unfortunately, relatively few clinicians are actively involved in conducting research and as a result, much of their clinical wisdom and treatment data are not represented in the scientific literature. There […]
Travis L. Osborne
October 28, 2018
Closing a Private Practice
Introduction Although I’m a good ten years away from retirement (I hope), I’ve had occasion to talk with and listen to several colleagues who are facing this developmental milestone in the more near future. I’ve pulled together some information for psychologists to consider as they plan for the closing of their practice, whether because of […]
Marianne O'Leary, Ph.D.
October 17, 2018
Rinse and Repeat
Scandals involving psychological research have been making the headlines since World War II (see Adair, 2001, for review). These public critiques make individuals skeptical of the veracity of psychological science. Recently, participants from Phillip Zimbardo’s Stanford Prison Experiment (Haney, Banks, & Zimbardo, 1973) were interviewed and revealed potential ethical violations, including feeling they were obligated […]
Apryl Alexander, Psy.D.
October 17, 2018
Overcoming a Primary Barrier to Practice-Based Research
Abstract Practice-based research is an important means of bridging the gap between the science and practice of psychotherapy. Unfortunately, numerous barriers exist for clinicians who want to conduct research in practice settings. One specific barrier that has received minimal attention in the literature—lack of access to institutional review board (IRB) oversight for independent ethics review—can […]
Travis L. Osborne + 1 more
September 11, 2018