Unethical behavior
As in other professions, some psychology practitioners bend or break the rules. In doing so, psychologists can directly or indirectly harm their patients. Here are some things that licensed psychologists and psychological assistants should never do:
- Have any type of sexual contact with a patient including inappropriate touching, kissing, or sexual intercourse
- Violate a patient’s confidentiality unless there is risk of harm to others or the patient.
- Provide services for which they have not been educated and trained or for which they are currently receiving supervision
- Abuse drugs
- Commit fraud or other crimes
- Pay or accept compensation for referral of patients
- Make false or exaggerated claims about their services or skills
- Act in an unprofessional, unethical, or negligent manner
- Assist someone in the unlicensed practice of psychology
- Focus therapy on their own problems rather than on those of the patient
- Confuse or interfere with treatment by serving in multiple roles such as having social relationships with patients, lending patients money, or employing patients
- Barter services to pay for therapy
- Invite a patient to lunch, dinner, or other social activities
- Confide in a patient about their love life, work problems, etc.
- Rely on a patient for personal and emotional support
- Give or receive significant gifts
- Suggest or support a patient’s increased isolation from social support systems (thus increasing the patient’s dependency on the psychologist)
- Violate any of the patient’s consumer rights
Sexual interactions
Professional therapy should never involve sexualized interactions between a patient and a professional (e.g., sexual harassment; verbal sexual advances, suggestions, or jokes; any other sexual contact or behavior). Such conduct is unethical, potentially harmful to a patient, and grounds for disciplinary sanctions. It may even be a criminal offense in some jurisdictions.
It is also unethical for a psychologist to terminate the therapeutic relationship in order to pursue a social or sexual relationship with a patient. All psychologists are educated and trained to know that this kind of behavior is inappropriate and can result in license revocation.
Psychologists typically are trusted and respected by their patients, and it is not uncommon for patients to admire and feel attracted to them. A psychologist who accepts or encourages these normal feelings in a sexual way—or tells a patient that sexual involvement is part of therapy—is taking advantage of the patient’s trust. This is true even if the patient is the one who begins the discussion about sex.
National data indicate that once sexual involvement begins, therapy for the patient ends. A psychologist can no longer be helpful as an objective therapist. The original issues that brought the patient to therapy are postponed, neglected, and sometimes lost.
Preventing inappropriate treatment
Follow these steps to protect yourself from being treated inappropriately:
- Acknowledge your right to receive competent, professional services and to be free from unprofessional behavior
- When choosing a psychologist, check with the licensing board to see if the psychologist is licensed and if the license is under suspension or probation
- Check on any complaints filed with a professional association and with your county court to see if any malpractice lawsuit judgments are on file against the psychologist
- Question any action that may seem exploitive, harmful, unprofessional, or inappropriate
- End a relationship that no longer seems safe or helpful
Review the American Psychology Association Code of Ethics or the Canadian Psychological Association Code of Ethics for more information.