Ethical & Professional Standards
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The 2014 update to the ACA Code of Ethics includes new or expanded guidelines on the use social media with clients; distance counseling; confidentiality; extending boundaries; multiculturalism and diversity; the use of technology; record keeping; diagnosis; end-of life care; the selection of interventions; and preventing the imposition of counselor personal values.
Download the Code 2014 ACA Código de Ética
To view previous editions of the Codes of Ethics, visit our Ethics Archive.
Ethics Consultation Services
ACA is pleased to help our members with inquiries on ethical practice, career counseling and advice regarding the profession. NOTE: This service is not designed to function as a real-time hotline. Inquiries are prioritized, and we typically respond to requests within three business days of receipt.
Start The ProcessEthics Complaint?
The ACA Ethics Committee is responsible for processing complaints of alleged violations of the ACA Code of Ethics. To file a complaint against a counselor who is an active ACA member, please review the Policies and Procedures for Processing Complaints of Ethical Violations. As a next step, you may submit a report by clicking the button below.
Call or Text 988
The 988 Lifeline is a suicide and crisis lifeline, which uses a network of 200+ local crisis centers to connect people with 24/7 free and confidential support.
ACA SUICIDE RESOURCES HELP ONLINERelated Publications
Boundary Issues in Counseling, 3rd Edition
Tags: Ethics, Legal, Healthcare Regulation & Compliance, Professional Counseling
Crisis Intervention Ethics Casebook
Tags: Assessment, Diagnosis & Treatment, Ethics, Legal, Healthcare Regulation & Compliance, Treatment & Intervention
ACA Ethical Standards Casebook, 7th Edition
Tags: Ethics, Legal, Healthcare Regulation & Compliance, Professional Counseling
Related Counseling Today Articles
Ethical Implications of Open/Concealed Carry in a Clinical Space
Counselors discuss the safety and ethics of having a firearm in session.
How to manage sexualized transference
Stigma, fear and a lack of training cause many counselors to feel unprepared and vulnerable when faced with sexualized transference.
By remaining clinically objective, do counselors inadvertently sacrifice the client’s humanity?
Confidentiality comes first: Navigating parent involvement with minor clients
Counselors must strike a balance between maintaining young clients’ confidentiality and accommodating parents who want to be kept in the loop about their child’s progress in therapy.
The unacknowledged stigma of mental illness
Stigma surrounding mental illness may linger as the elephant in the room and negatively affect client outcomes if counselors don’t recognize and address it in session.
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