Professional code of conduct
1 Welfare of the client
1.1 The psychological counselor seeshimself as a service provider. He advises mentally healthy clients outside the field of medicine, in particular in the following areas:
- Personal development
- Self-discovery
- Problem solution
- Improving relationship skills
- Maintaining mental health.
1.2 In all their decisions and counseling steps, psychological counselors mustbe guided exclusively by the best interests of the client. They must exercise their profession to the best of their knowledge and belief and treat clients with empathy and respect at all times.
1.3 Psychological counselors must demonstrably arrange for their clients to see a medical practitioner for clarification of the symptoms of the illness or for medical treatment in the event of an illness or a sign that suggests the presence of an illness. The referral to a doctor must be carefully documented. If psychological counseling takes placein parallel or in addition to medical treatment by a doctor or alternative practitioner, the harmlessness of the psychological counseling sessions must be confirmed or certified in writing by the medical practitioner.
1.4 All psychological counseling must respect the rights of the client, in particular the right to self-determination. The psychological counselor mayneither exploit the trust, ignorance, credulity, economic hardship or helplessness of clients nor make inappropriate promises with regard to the outcome of the counseling.
1.5 In order to ensure professional practice in accordance with paragraph 1, psychological counselors must regularly attend further training events and regularly undergo individual and group supervision with a person who is qualified to do so.
1.6 Psychological counselorsare obliged to strive for the highest level of ethically responsible conduct at all times in the practical exercise of their profession. They are obliged not only to respect the rights of the person they are counseling, but also, whenever necessary, to take active measures to protect these rights.
1.7 Psychological counsellors recognize the right of individuals to live according to their own convictions and on their own responsibility. In their professional work, they strive for objectivity and objectivity.
1.8 If the counselor recognizes the existence of a mental illness or addiction problem during the initial probationary session, he undertakes to refer the client immediately to a medical practitioner with empathy and in an appreciative manner. This referral consultation is to be conducted without charging a fee. A counseling contract is not concluded under this condition.
2 Duty of confidentiality
2.1 Psychological counseling sessions are subject to confidentiality according to StGb § 201 violation of confidentiality of the word and § 203 violation of private secrets paragraph 4.
2.2 Psychological counselors may only make recordings on video and audio media of counseling sessions or have a third party listen in on meetings with the prior consent of the client.
2.3 Psychological counselors may only collect, store and use data about clients within the scope of their mandate. This also applies to telephone conversations.
2.4 Records of any kind, in particular on data carriers, must be secured against unlawful use.
2.5 Psychological counselors are subject to a duty of documentation; they must keep records of every counseling session conducted and every exchange concerning the client and protect them against unlawful use.
3 Behavior in keeping with professional standards
3.1 The service providers named in paragraph 1 mustexercisetheir profession conscientiously with the diligence of a prudent psychologicalcounselor. They are obliged to refrain from any conduct contrary to professional ethics.
3.2 Conduct is contrary to professional ethics if it is likely to damage the reputation of the profession or harm the interests of the profession.
This includes working together with a self-employed person in the course of providing advice or entering into any other business relationship relating to the provision of advice, even though they know or, if they exercise due care, should know that this person does not have a professional license. Further:
- Using unauthorized titles
- enter into any kind of commitment that could jeopardize their professional independence
- Abuse their professional position for personal gain or to create a relationship of dependence on the client.
3.3 Psychological consultants behave contrary to professional ethics in their dealings and business transactions with their clients in particular if they
- do not oppose the improper influencing of their work by third parties
- recommend their services, accept assignments or continue counseling or consultation despite the presence of an illness or the expectation that basic counseling or consultation by a mental health professional is not appropriate to provide assistance to the client
- exploit the relationship of trust with their clients to satisfy their own needs or interests or attempt to derive (personal or economic) benefits from the contacts
- accepting gifts with a value exceeding that of a small gift, directly or indirectly accepting the beneficiaries of larger gifts, inheritances, inheritance contracts or bequests from clients
- accepting assignments or continuing to provide support or advice even though the relationship of trust with the client necessary for the work does not exist - for whatever reason
- Provide clients as a reference without their knowledge and consent
- Formulate offers in such a way that clients cannot get a complete and comprehensive picture of the services to be expected and the costs involved
- Engage in sexual contact with clients or their close relatives.
3.4 Psychological consultants behavecontrary to professional ethics in their dealings and business transactions with other members of the profession, in particular if they
- offer or provide services free of charge or generally on terms that contradict the principles of proper commercial management or
- disparage other members of the profession or their services in an unobjective manner or
- are not prepared to cooperate with colleagues in their professional group or with members of related professions, although this would be necessary.
4 Fee and remuneration agreements
4.1 Psychological counselors are obliged to provide their clients or their legal representatives with all information about the counseling, in particular about the expected duration and type of counseling and the amount of the fee to be paid per hour of counseling.
4.2 The fee claim must be reasonable.
4.3 When concluding a fee agreement, the psychological consultant must take into account the income and financial circumstances of the payer. In cases of financial hardship, the psychological counselor may waive his fee claim in whole or in part.
5 Job titles and advertising
5.1 Psychological counselors maynot combine their professional title with non-professional additions (e.g. esoteric counselor), particularly in their dealings and business transactions with their clients and in announcements.
5.2 Psychological counselors may use an addition to their professional title if they have acquired a qualification corresponding to this addition through training measures or professional experience.
5.3 Psychological consultants must refrain from providing any unobjective or untrue information in connection with the exercise of their profession, particularly in their dealings and business transactions with their clients and in announcements.
5.4 Psychological advisors may not cause or contribute to third parties violating the requirement set out in paragraph 5.3.
5.5 The psychological counselor's advertising offer must be designed in such a way that confusion with medical treatment can be ruled out. The distinction from medical treatment must be made by means of suitable information.
5.6 In order to ensure a uniform public image of the profession of psychological counselor, the Association member shall coordinate all public presentations as a "member of the Association of Psychological Counselors" with the Executive Committee.
6 Operating equipment
6.1 The equipment of psychological counselors must meet the requirements that are usually placed on psychological counselors and that ensure appropriate professional practice.
6.2 Psychological counselors must ensure that suitable premises are available to enable undisturbed and discreet counseling activities.
7 Other professional duties
7.1 Psychological advisors may not accept or be promised remuneration for the referral of clients to a third party. Nor may they give or promise remuneration for the referral of clients by a third party.
7.2 Psychological counselors owe their professional colleagues respect and do not criticize their professional practice in an unobjective manner.
7.3 Psychological consultants do not attempt to oust colleagues from their fields of activity or to deprive them of assignments by acting unfairly.
7.4 Psychological advisors who believe they have identified unethical behavior in colleagues should first point this out to them in confidence.
7.5 If psychological consultants employ colleagues as employees or freelancers, they must offer them contracts appropriate to the profession and the agreed activity.
7.6 Psychological counselors undertake toinform each client in detail about their work as counselors at the initial consultation, to clearly distinguish themselves from the medical profession, to conclude counseling contracts and to hand out the "Legal Information Sheet" to each individual client.
7.7 The Association reserves the right to monitor the obligation to provide information and documentation.
Version 1.2
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