Ethics & Legal
111 articles found
Knowing What You Don’t Know
Recently in one of my courses, I lectured on ethics in forensic psychological assessment. A case example was provided involving a psychologist who provided testimony citing non-existent risk and risk assessment literature in a death penalty case, which later resulted in the case being overturned. One of my students inquired about the repercussions of psychologists […]
Apryl Alexander, Psy.D.
August 18, 2018
Psychologists as Consultants
There may always be a place for traditional one-on-one, face-to-face psychotherapy directed toward ameliorating impaired mental health and life functioning but meanwhile the field of mental health service delivery is increasingly in the middle of paradigm changes. Forces driving this change include success of masters’ level trained mental health services providers entering the marketplace as […]
Stewart E. Cooper, Ph.D., ABPP + 1 more
May 6, 2018
Revisiting Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s, Address
April 4, 2018, marked the 50th anniversary of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., in Memphis, Tennessee. One of the nation’s most prominent civil rights advocates and leaders left a long-lasting impact on the world with his messages of civil disobedience and social change. His legacy prevails as society continues to strive towards […]
Apryl Alexander, Psy.D.
May 4, 2018
Analyzing Ethical Dilemmas through the Lens of the Television Show Gypsy
According to Haeny (2014), psychologists face a plethora of ethical dilemmas when attempting to find a balance between their personal lives and professional lives. In particular, this multitude of challenges present cognitive dissonance in many instances where the line of what is ethically and morally correct is not clear. Specifically, Haeny (2014) proposed that these […]
Heidys Prieto
March 25, 2018
Slowing it Down
Acting in an ethical manner requires careful consideration, deliberation, consultation, and reflection (Knapp, VandeCreek, & Fingerhut, 2017). Answers to ethical dilemmas cannot be found through a quick internet search or superficially sought through queries on professional listservs. When faced with ethically ambiguous and challenging situations for which there appears to be no readily evident “right” […]
Maria Hochuli, B.S. + 1 more
December 30, 2017
Social Justice, Advocacy, and Early Career Practice
Colin Kaepernick kneeling for Black Lives Matter. Protests at Standing Rock. Fighting against the elimination of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA). #MeToo. Social justice movements are abundantly present in our current political/cultural climate. Where is psychology’s role in these movements? What are our personal roles, as early career practitioners? How do we help those […]
Apryl Alexander, Psy.D.
December 30, 2017
Conversion “Therapy”
On April 25, 2017, Senate Bill 928 (2017)—Therapeutic Fraud Prevention Act of 2017 was introduced to Congress. The act would “prohibit, as an unfair or deceptive act or practice, commercial sexual orientation conversion therapy, and for other purposes.” Conversion therapy, also known as reparative therapy, is a term for approaches aimed at changing lesbian, gay, […]
Apryl Alexander, Psy.D.
August 6, 2017
The Ethics of Scholarship
The ethical conduct of research and the dissemination of its results are essential for the field of psychotherapy and for all psychotherapists. Ongoing research provides us with new insights, and expanding one’s knowledge base directly impacts the clinical services provided to clients. Without ongoing research, the mental health profession would stagnate and the public served […]
Jeffrey E. Barnett, Psy.D., ABPP
July 16, 2017
Think Before You Tweet
The proliferation of different social media platforms provides the global community the opportunity to transmit information and opinions at lightening quick speed via countless unique venues. As we have seen in recent history, social media has not only offered an avenue for social engagement, but it has also led to cultivating tangible changes in our […]
Jonathan Jenkins, Psy.D.
July 9, 2017
Being an Ethical Psychotherapist
Psychotherapists endeavor to be ethical in all their professional roles and interactions. Yet, being ethical is not always easy. While there are regularly occurring situations that are clearly ethical or unethical, many of situations we may face constitute ethical dilemmas. These are situations with no readily apparent, clearly appropriate or inappropriate course of action. These […]
Jeffrey E. Barnett, Psy.D., ABPP
April 30, 2017
The Ethics of Helping Clients with Weight Loss in Psychotherapy
Clients often present to psychotherapy asking for help with weight loss. In the U.S., weight loss goals are normative in women and very common in men: 57% of women and 40% of men report trying to lose weight within the past year (Yaemsiri, Slining, & Agarwall, 2010). Psychologists and allied clinicians have rarely considered the […]
Margit I. Berman, Ph.D.
April 16, 2017
Public Policy Challenges
Over the past several months I have started many times to write articles for the Bulletin, and each time my thoughts have been hijacked by yet another massive assault on the collective values of our profession. The preamble to the APA Ethics Code (2010, with amendments as of January 1, 2017) makes it clear that […]
Rosemary Adam-Terem, Ph.D.
April 7, 2017