Ethical Standards and Professional Conduct
Ethical standards and professional conduct
Ohio’s ethics rules for psychologists draw on the APA Ethics Code and the Board’s own administrative rules. The exam tests whether you can apply informed consent, competence, boundary management, confidentiality, and record-keeping duties to realistic scenarios, not just recite principles.
Core duties:
- Informed consent. At the outset, explain the nature and limits of services, fees, confidentiality exceptions, telehealth logistics, and emergency procedures. Consent is ongoing and documented.
- Competence. Practice only within your education, training, and supervised experience; seek consultation or refer when a case exceeds your competence. Cultural competence is part of competence.
- Multiple relationships. Not every dual relationship is unethical, but any relationship that could impair objectivity or exploit the client is prohibited. Sexual intimacies with clients are prohibited; Ohio treats sexual contact with a client as grounds for discipline.
- Confidentiality. Disclose only with written authorization or as required by law. Protect records, test data, and electronic communications.
- Fees and bartering. Avoid exploitative fee arrangements; contingent fees are prohibited. Bartering only when non-exploitative and culturally appropriate.
- Advertising and public statements. Do not make false, deceptive, or misleading claims about credentials or outcomes.
Worked example
A client in long-term therapy gives the psychologist a $600 watch at termination “for saving my life.” The psychologist should consider the gift’s value, the client’s cultural meaning, the power differential, and the risk of exploitation. A modest token may be accepted with discussion; an expensive item should be declined or discussed as a boundary issue, and the decision and rationale documented. Consultation is prudent. The key is that the psychologist analyzes the meaning and potential harm rather than automatically accepting or rejecting the gift.
Traps that cost marks
- Labeling every dual relationship as unethical instead of analyzing exploitation and objectivity.
- Obtaining consent once and never revisiting it when telehealth or fees change.
- Discussing clients in public or on social media, even without names, in ways that risk identification.
- Failing to document ethical decision-making and consultation.