James P. Adams Library: Academic and Professional Ethics Across Disciplines: Psychology & Counseling

American Counseling Association

A Practitioner's Guide to Ethical Decision Making
Holly Forester-Miller, Ph.D.
Thomas Davis, Ph.D.
Copyright © 2016, American Counseling Association. A free publication of the American Counseling Association promoting ethical counseling practice in service to the public.
ACA Code of Ethics
The 2014 Code of Ethics is the current code.
ACA Ethics & Professional Standards webpage
See the draft of the 2014 ACA Code of Ethics and additional ethics resources
Legal and Ethical Issues Surrounding the Use of Social Media in Counseling
Kaplan, D. M., Wade, M. E., Conteh, J. A., Martz, E. T. (2011). Legal and Ethical Issues Surrounding the Use of Social Media in Counseling. Counseling & Human Development 43:8

American Psychological Association

The APA's Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct (often referred to as the Ethics Code with 2010 and 2016 amendments) "provide(s) guidance for psychologists and standards of professional conduct that can be applied by the APA and by other bodies that choose to adopt them.

The American Psychological Association's Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct
Areas covered include but are not limited to the clinical, counseling and school practice of psychology; research; teaching; supervision of trainees; public service; policy development; social intervention; development of assessment instruments; conducting assessments; educational counseling; organizational consulting; forensic activities; program design and evaluation; and administration. This Ethics Code applies to these activities across a variety of contexts, such as in person, postal, telephone, internet and other electronic transmissions. These activities shall be distinguished from the purely private conduct of psychologists, which is not within the purview of the Ethics Code.
Download the Ethics Code (2010)
Membership in the APA commits members and student affiliates to comply with the standards of the APA Ethics Code and to the rules and procedures used to enforce them. Lack of awareness or misunderstanding of an Ethical Standard is not itself a defense to a charge of unethical conduct.
Revised Ethics Code Standard 3.04
Ethics Code Standard 3.04 (Avoiding Harm) has been revised to include subsection (b)
Rules and Procedures of the APA Ethics Committee
The procedures for filing, investigating, and resolving complaints of unethical conduct are described in the current Rules and Procedures of the APA Ethics Committee. APA may impose sanctions on its members for violations of the standards of the Ethics Code, including termination of APA membership, and may notify other bodies and individuals of its actions. Actions that violate the standards of the Ethics Code may also lead to the imposition of sanctions on psychologists or students whether or not they are APA members by bodies other than APA, including state psychological associations, other professional groups, psychology boards, other state or federal agencies and payors for health services.

Decoding the Ethics Code by Celia B. Fisher
Call Number: BF76.4 .F57 2013
ISBN: 9781412997607
Publication Date: 2012-09-04
This acclaimed book demystifies the APA Principles of Psychologists and Code of Ethics

National Board for Certified Counselors

The National Board for Certified Counselors, Inc. and Affiliates (NBCC) is the premier credentialing body for counselors, ensuring that counselors who become nationally certified have achieved the highest standard of practice through education, examination, supervision, experience, and ethical guidelines. NBCC applicants and certificants are responsible for ensuring that their behavior adheres to the standards identified in the NBCC Code of Ethics.

NBCC Code of Ethics
Code of ethics provided by the NBCC, most recently updated in 2023.