2006

The American Counseling Association recently adopted a new Code of Ethics, effective July 1, 2005. For a code of ethics to be useful to a group of professionals, it must be a living document, one that is updated to reflect changes in society and the profession. The process of revising a code affords professional organizations an opportunity to examine current practices and clinical, social, and ethical issues faced by its members. Since ACA, then the American Personnel and Guidance Association, adopted its first Code of Ethics in 1963, the Code has been revised approximately every 7 to 10 years. The purpose of this article is to provide a brief overview of the revision process and some of the changes that were made to the 1995 Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice.